Every Kautzi illustration starts as a pile of cut cardboard shapes on my studio table. I call it drawing with scissors, and it’s become the heart of how I create.

The process is simple and slow. I cut shapes from old cardboard boxes, tape them together piece by piece, and build illustrations by hand before ever touching a computer. When I scan these paper-cuts, they carry all the texture and imperfection of the cardboard: rough edges, tape marks, the occasional wobble. That’s the soul of the work. It’s what gives each illustration its handmade character, even after it’s been digitally coloured and finished.

The Story Behind the Work

I’m Patrizia, a graphic designer who moved from Germany to Cape Breton in 2019. I studied Visual Communication in Aachen and spent over a decade working as a designer before my husband Linus and I made the leap and moved from Berlin to Baddeck. What drew me here was exactly what keeps me here: the rugged coastline, the slower rhythm of life, and the way the landscape changes with the seasons.

Kautzi is where my European design training meets my love for this place. Whether it’s a lighthouse, a lobster, or a patch of wild lupins, I’m trying to capture the character of the Atlantic coast in a way that feels both playful and honest. The work is inspired by colour, nature, and the quirky charm of island life.

When I’m not cutting paper, you’ll find me knitting, on the beach, in the woods, or in my garden.