There was much debate over whether too much of the art of this photograph was being borrowed from the subject of it.
In the end I think that the original photograph conveys exactly what I want it to.
This piece is a sample, measuring only 8"x10". Although it matches the colors of all of my previous blue cuttings, it differs in one crucial aspect - the layers are made of single sheets of paper, not mat boards. This was done as a test of the single-sheet technique, and also because the image is substantially complex enough to be nearly impossible to cut of the thicker mats.
I do plan to execute the image at 30"x40".
Below is the off-axis photo, showing how the layers of individual color are much thinner.