Silhouettes By Hand brings traditional silhouettes into modern times.
Silhouette portraits are cut in the traditional manner:
Freehand with only scissors, without drawing, tracing any shadow, or using any machine. No shadows. No software. No cameras. Nothing but the eye, paper, and scissors.
Order a silhouette online
Experience a silhouette cut live freehand at a live event
Book your artist for your own event
Arrange for designs containing handmade silhouettes or history-inspired aesthetic.
Invite your artist to create a unique public engagement or participatory public installation.
An Invitation from Your Artist
“My name is Lauren Muney. I cut silhouettes freehand with scissors, in the traditional portrait style made especially popular 1760-1860’s, and extending into the 21st century as well. This historical style of portraiture was very popular before photography was invented.
My only tools are special paper and scissors - I look at my sitter and cut the profile into the paper. I do not draw these portraits before cutting: the scissors do the “drawing”, committing the cuts immediately without possibility of erasure. This is what “freehand” means. People who watch me cut these portraits often remark how much fun it is just to watch. You can see videos in the Examples page.
I invite you to discover all the ways I can offer you decades of history: traditionally made silhouette.”
The only tools: special silhouette paper and scissors.
Craft: /kraft/ : noun: ‘an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill, especially manual skill’
When you are looking for a handmade item taking pride of place in your home, in your collection, as a gift to a loved one, or as an awe-inspiring live artist at your event, Lauren Muney is producing handmade work based on historic tradition, skill, and years of research, study, and exploration.
Your Artist
Your silhouette artist Lauren Muney. (Photo by Steve Parke, 2018)
Your Artist Lauren Muney
Lauren Muney has been a professional artist, entertainer, special-event producer, and consultant for over 35 years. Alongside her graphic illustration degree from a leading arts college, her experience with live events of all types ranges across the United States, Canada, Australia, and in Asia and Europe.
Her work is commissioned by private individuals, featured at live or virtual events, and offered at public or private celebrations or educational events. She explores the human and historical side of portraiture, creating participatory, interactive history that people love to experience, collect, display, and enjoy.
Self-taught, continuously learning
She is self-taught in the freehand-scissoring silhouette skill, based on descriptions from silhouette masters from previous centuries. She has been cutting silhouettes professionally since 2009.
Classic + hip
Silhouettes are modern and stylish. See SilhouettesByHand on Instagram to reflect how silhouettes can cross generations - from the past to our modern society.
Public Art Installations
Lauren Muney and Silhouettes By Hand make public art seriously public.
Memberships
Lauren cuts a silhouette at a wedding event. See more event types on the Booking page.
Have Scissors - Will Travel
Lauren is currently located in the Baltimore, Maryland / Washington DC region of the United States, yet she travels to other states, regions, and countries. Live silhouette portraiture is fascinating and can be easy to travel.
Event Types
She works in public and private events - across the USA, Canada, in Europe, and Australia. “Have scissors, will travel” - means that Lauren might be able to come to your event! Read more on the Booking page >
Recent Highlights
(Newest projects at the top)
Lauren Muney to teach a workshop at Winterthur Museum’s Graduate Program
Lauren Muney is excited be invited to teach a workshop in historical silhouettes to graduate-level students focusing on material culture in February, 2025. As stated by its website: “Focused on the material world of America in historical and global contexts, the Winterthur Program addresses the complicated lives of objects, the way in which objects fostered human relationships, and how objects ranging from the seventeenth century to the modern era enable us to understand the past in all of its diversity....”
Lauren Muney joined panel of craftspeople to present at academic conference
Lauren Muney of Silhouettes By Hand, and 2023-2024 EXARC experimental archeology fellow to Colonial Williamsburg, joined seven other presenters - mostly master- or journey-person-level traditional trades specialists of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, to discuss the benefits of seeking history “beyond the text” (ie: beyond written words) to understand how material culture, craft- and tradesmanship, embodied practical work can inform our understanding of culture in similar ways as the written text. The presentation occurred in October 2025 at the “For 2026” conference in Williamsburg, VA, USA, produced by the Omohundro Institute, William & Mary, and Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The panel was formed and moderated by Dr. Peter Inker, the director of Historic Research at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
Colonial Williamsburg Features Lauren Muney in its “Trend & Tradition” Magazine
Screenshot from Colonial Williamsburg’s “Trend & Tradition” Magazine about Lauren’s silhouette work
Lauren Muney was featured in Colonial Williamsburg’s Trend & Tradition Magazine in an article about her fellowship in experimental archeology (testing a theory of fabrication or process from the past) in 2024. Read the article here: “Making the Cut”
“…In Williamsburg, Muney explored how silhouette artists created their black paper. Museum experts have long wondered how [historical silhouette] paper was made. To reproduce the mysterious black coatings, Muney experimented with materials like lampblack (soot that can be produced by candles and oil lamps) and beer. She even joined in the process of brewing traditional beer at the Palace kitchen to understand how beer’s ingredients could be used to blacken paper…”
Lauren Muney studies scissors with Grace Horne, master scissors historian and craftsperson
Lauren Muney traveled to Sheffield, England in May 2024 for a private workshop with Dr. Grace Horne, scissors historian and master craftswoman. Grace created a custom workshop to design, carve from scissors blanks, and finish a pair of scissors, also teaching Lauren the finer elements of scissors machinery (as scissors are a machine!) needed for daily work . In addition, Lauren shadowed Grace in her research for her next book projects.
Listed on the “Maryland State Arts Council Public Art Roster”
Lauren Muney, the artist of Silhouettes By Hand, has been accepted to the Maryland State Arts Council’s new Public Artist Roster. The Roster is a tool for the selection and procurement of Artwork Commissions associated with capital projects at state-owned buildings and facilities. The Roster will be published on MSAC.org as an accessible resource for County Arts Councils and Arts organizations to access at any time.
EXARC and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation selected Lauren Muney as Fellow
Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, VA, has selected Lauren Muney to be its 2023-24 EXARC Resident Research Fellow in Experimental Archeology. Explained in brief: your artist Lauren Muney is a researcher-in-residence at Colonial Williamsburg, the largest museum in the United States, for four total weeks in January and April 2024. She researched techniques of 18th century itinerant (traveling) artists of the 18th century, especially silhouette artists who traveled and created their own business, supplies, and travel schedule. Read more on the EXARC website at this link.
Germany Exhibition and book “100 Lorscher Profile”
The “100 Lorscher Profile” (100 Lorsch [city residents] Profiles) project, mentioned below, is set to open in part during the Christmas Market in Lorsch, Germany in November 2022 with its companion book. With a limited circulation of only 500 units, this book hopes to be a delightful addition to any family holiday table - with sales proceeds going to a local food-bank.
“Peale Faces” Public art put almost 300 silhouettes in the Peale Museum in Baltimore MD
“Peale Faces” debuts almost 300 portraits
The public art “Your Face… Your Place in History” (nicknamed Peale Faces) , awarded a Public Art Across Maryland grant, achieved almost 300 portraits encircling the walls of the Peale Museum in Baltimore MD. The faces greet every visitor and museum participant, as they encircle the front foyer and Storytelling room in the front of the building. Click here for more information.
Multiple years as Master Crafts(wo)man
2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024: Lauren was honored with being selected as a Master Traditional Artist from Early American Life, featured in its Directory of Traditional American Crafts.
“100 Lorscher Profile”
Based on the public success of the “Peale Faces” project (below), private citizens in Lorsch, Germany organized a public art to create their own “Lorsch Faces” project with 100 residents, chosen by lottery from many volunteers. “100 Lorscher Profile” means 100 Lorsch Profiles. The theme of the project is to integrate established and new residents of the town, multi-generations or new refugees - to show the deep shared humanity of these blended cultures in this warm, UNESCO World Heritage city. The final installation will be mounted around the end of 2022 and with a published book of silhouettes. Lauren worked with organizers and town residents in both English and German. Sponsored by Drayss Bakery and Brewhouse.
“We show Lorsch in all its diversity and at the same time unity”
2022 “Public Art Across Maryland” Project Artist:
The Peale Faces Project: “Your Face… Your Place in History”
Lauren Muney is now a recognized and funded public artist: The Maryland State Arts Council has funded Lauren Muney’s public art vision: putting a frieze of silhouettes of modern residents of Baltimore City into the Peale. Read about the project on the the Peale Profile Project page.
Thank you MSAC! To discover more about the Maryland State Arts Council and how they impact Maryland, visit msac.org
Post-Pandemic!
Silhouettes By Hand’s artist Lauren Muney is fully vaccinated and ready for events and festivities! Included in the new events include a UNESCO World Heritage museum and return to beloved events. She spent 2021 working LIVE events starting in July, to delighted outdoor crowds and also indoor events, fully masked and safe.
Logos and digital images
Clients loved the ability to create custom silhouette images which could be modified as needed. So Lauren developed a way to combine handmade look and feel with the ease (and changeability) of digital work. 2020 and 2021 saw many uses of these images, ranging from the personal to the international!
Virtual Options
2020: During the global pandemic, people became more creative and resourceful. Silhouettes By Hand joined the museum and events communities to offer virtual options for silhouettes - group presentations via virtual platforms like Zoom and Crowdcast, and private silhouette sittings over Zoom, Facetime, Skype, and other Internet video-communications platforms.
Grant Support from the Arts Community
Fall 2020: Silhouettes By Hand is proud to have received an Emergency Artist Grant from the Maryland State Arts Council due to the effects of the global pandemic on Maryland arts community. Thank you to MASC! To discover more about the Maryland State Arts Council and how they impact Maryland, visit msac.org
Historical Societies love silhouettes
January 2020: The oldest historical society in the United States, the New York Historical Society, invited Lauren to demonstrate this old portrait form for visitors and donors - and to celebrate a stunning exhibit of historical silhouettes. Read “How a Silhouette Artist Traces the Past and Brings History to Life”
Flea Markets and Vintage
Late July, 2019: Flea Market Style Magazine named Lauren as one of its “Vintage Crushes” for the Sept/Oct 2019 magazine, and invited her as a guest artist to its popular Junk Bonanza vintage market shows, showing the popularity of antique and vintage items in our modern lives. Click here to see the ‘crush’ article.
Brides love silhouettes
Oct 2018: Silhouettes By Hand was a featured event specialist in Valley Bride Wedding guide for its Oct issue. Lauren continues to offer silhouettes for weddings, brides, bridal parties, couples parties, engagement parties, and all forms of social events. Read all about her private event offerings in Bookings.
Smithsonian feature
May 2018: Lauren cut silhouettes live at the opening of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s opening of the groundbreaking “Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now” exhibit.
#1 rated Australian show
March 2018: Lauren and her silhouette portraiture were filmed by Better Homes and Gardens TV Australia, the #1 rated program in Australia. The program was broadcast nationwide in Australia in Sept 2018, with Lauren and Silhouettes By Hand as a featured segment on the program.
Australia’s “Lost Trades” Fair
March 2018, 2019, 2020: Lost Trades Fair (Australia) invited Silhouettes By Hand to demonstrate the historic, "lost" trade of silhouette portraiture at its main event in Victoria, the second-most-visitor-attended event in the entire state.
Association logo
March 2016: The international Association of Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums asked Lauren to redesign the image on their logo, using traditional silhouettes to represent its membership.
Media profile (no pun intended)
Feb 2016: Lauren was profiled in Early American Life magazine. Read the article here
NPR
Dec 2013: Lauren was interviewed by National Public Radio about her silhouettes.
Silhouette Secrets
2014-2018: Lauren was interviewed for an international documentary film on silhouettes by UK-based, world-renown silhouette master, Charles Burns. "Silhouette Secrets" was released in 2015, winning documentary film awards in 2015-2017 across the globe. The success of "Silhouette Secrets" shows the power and fascination of the intimate art of silhouette portraiture. As of 2018, the documentary is available on Amazon Prime.
Nominated for Martha Stewart’s “American Made”
2014: Silhouettes By Hand was nominated for Martha Stewart’s American Made
Industry
2014-present: Participation in the industry group Association of Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM):
In 2014 Lauren was selected as co-chair for the "Programming, Interpretation, and Education" professional group of ALHFAM
In 2018, Lauren was elected as a Board Member of ALHFAM, serving committees to help interactive museums around the world. She currently is co-chair of the “Skills Training and Preservation” committee, helping living history museums teach skills of the past and develop succession planning to the next generations.
In 2018, she also started managing ALHFAM’s Instagram social media.
The below photos (and on the Home page) were taken in Malvern/Melbourne, Australia, by photographer Aron Lee, at Miguel Merielles Antiques. (c) Aron Lee, 2018.
