Tell us about your piece and how it represents the Country that you are from?

Until recently, I did not know that the yellow school bus was an American creation. A foreign friend actually pointed it out to me and after a bit of research, found out that it was true. I chose the yellow school bus as my inspiration for this project because riding the school bus as a child, at least for me, was a rite of passage.  The image of a yellow school bus alone creates a strong emotion of nostalgia and takes me back to my childhood in an instant. 

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What was the most challenging part of the brief?

The most challenging part was using a knife, but I signed up for this challenge knowing that I would have a hard time with the tool.  I wanted to try something new and show others who may have constraints about paper-cutting, that with a lot of time and patience, it can be done. I could use more practice, but I am quite happy with the results.

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What part of the brief did you enjoy the most?

I loved learning how to use the tools provided by Excel and finding out from this challenge just how useful it is to have a knife in my tool set as a paper-cutting artist. I am a self-taught artist and enjoy the process of learning from doing. I feel that I have a lot more to learn and I love that that gives me something to look forward to with future projects.

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How did you enjoy working with Excel Blades?

I loved working with all of the Excel tools. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and smooth the blades cut through the paper and how comfortable the Grip-on Knife felt in my hand while working, especially around curves.  I will most definitely be using these knives to help complete new works in the future.