OXFORD – The Historical Museum at the Oxford Fair will feature the traditional art of silhouette cutting on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 16 and 17. Ruth Monsell of Damariscotta, a silhouette artist with many years of experience in the hard-to-find art form, will cut profiles of children and adults from live five-minute sittings.

Although the silhouette enjoyed its greatest popularity from the mid-18th to late-19th centuries, even a few decades ago silhouette artists were commonly found at country fairs, sidewalk shows and on boardwalks. Today they are few in number and difficult to locate.

Monsell, already an established portrait artist, began cutting silhouettes in 1980 when she noticed an absence of silhouettists at shows she worked, and she taught herself the art.

In the five years she has lived in mid-coast Maine, she has cut thousands, working in venues as diverse as nursing homes and schools, libraries, historical events, galleries, art and craft shows, country fairs and at the Maine Mall.

Advance reservations may be made for silhouette sittings by phoning toll free, 866-212-7288. Each silhouette is mounted on a black mat with oval opening. The cost is $15 a subject with duplicate copies $7. Samples of the artist’s work may be viewed on line at Artful Heirlooms.com. Friday hours will be noon to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.