vol 31 no 1 feb 2012 newsletter of the friends of dard hunter

vol 31 no 1 feb 2012
newsletter
friends
of dard
hunter
Friends of
of the
Dard
Hunter,
Inc.
Newsletter
The Bull & Branch is
published triannualy by the
Friends of Dard Hunter, Inc.
ISSN: 10728694
The next issue will
be published in
May, 2012
Send your contributions
by April 1st, 2012 to:
Paul Denhoed
V.P. of Publications
c/o Friends of Dard Hunter, Inc.
P. O. Box 2450
Springfield, IL 62705
[email protected]
In October 2011, The Friends of
Dard Hunter held concurrent regional meetings in Santa Barbara
(CA), Appleton (WI), Pittsfield (MA),
and Hemel Helpstead (UK). A great
time was had by all! Have a look inside for recaps of the events.
FDH Website
friendsofdardhunter.org
FDH E-mail Discussion Group
[email protected]
All photos on this page are from the
Midwest regional conference,
and provided by Jennifer Baker.
FDH Blog
dardhunter.blogspot.com
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Executive Council
& Board of Directors:
Jill Littlewood
President
Brian Queen
Vice President,
Annual Meetings
Kitz Rickert
Secretary
Cecile Webster
Treasurer
Paul Denhoed
Vice President, Publications
Robert Possehl
Vice President,
Publicity & Outreach
Kate Martinson
Robert C. Williams Paper
Museum Representative
Betsy Dollar
Executive Director
Peter Sowisky
Advisory Board Representative
president’s
message
There were two ideas behind the experiment of having
regional meetings. The first was to bring the Friends
to various locations in bite-sized groups. ECBOD (the
Executive Council and Board of Directors) thought that
smaller meetings would lower the bar for participation and
could involve local paper and book people who might not
attend a larger meeting farther away. The second is related
to the first in that we wanted to encourage newcomers to
add their spirit and labor to the process of creating a conference. Contributing
to a small meeting is less intimidating than to a large one, and allows new
people to develop their skills and become familiar with the idiosyncrasies of
our organization. For, as I have mentioned, we have to replace four members
of ECBOD next October (President, VP Annual Meetings, Treasurer, and
VP Publications.). Pitching in at a regional meeting would, we hoped, give
potential candidates a feel for what is involved in taking a leadership role with
the Friends.
These ideas seemed to have worked. Besides, Friends want to have fun and
reconnect with old pals, and that came about too. The only downside was
that we weren’t all together - that we didn’t have the same conference and get
to visit with friends we only see once a year. And while it can’t make up for
that, this issue of the Bull & Branch will give some idea of what went on at the
meetings you didn’t get to.
Be sure to let anyone in ECBOD know if there is a part you want to play
for the next conference, the biggest baddest conference we have ever had,
in tandem with IAPMA (International Association of Hand Papermakers and
Paper Artists) and the Morgan Conservatory. See you there!
~ Jill Littlewood
President, Friends of Dard Hunter
January 15, 2012
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museum
corner
Robert C. Williams Paper Museum Hosts Book
Arts Workshops
Book Arts II Workshop, Bookbinding: Small Book Structures,
will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2012. This five hour
workshop is designed for book enthusiasts and teachers.
Join Marcia Watt, local papermaker and book artist, for
a day of creative bookmaking. Participants will learn 4
to 5 single-sheet book structures. These structures are a
creative way to share ideas and images. We will use some
of the marbled paper made in Book Arts I for our books.
If you did not attend Book Arts I, we will supply you with
marbled paper. This is one of our most popular workshops, so please register early. Cost: $85.00. Reserve by
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Origami Presentation and Demonstration by
Makato Yamaguchi
The Robert C. Williams Paper Museum was thrilled to
host Mr. Makoto Yamaguchi the evening of Thursday,
February 2nd. This event was co-sponsored by the Japan
Foundation and the Consulate General of Japan. Mr.
Yamaguchi, an expert origami artist from Tokyo, Japan,
was in town for a few days last week and ended his visit
with an origami demonstration at the museum. We had
over 80 attendees, who were delighted by Mr. Yamaguchi’s detailed presentation and enjoyed a close look at his
extensive paper origami collection.
R O B E R T C . W I L L I A M S
Paper Museum
500 10th Street Northwest Atlanta, GA 30332
Open Monday-­Friday
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
404-­894-­7840
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2011 Annual Meeting Recap
West
I Learn to Make a Little Book, & the Teacher Turns a Ukulele into an Accordion (fold)
Last month, at the Friends of Dard Hunter western regional conference, I made my first book ever. I have
loved paper my entire life, perhaps because my first job
was straightening my father’s stationery rack, which included sharpening his pencils and carefully tearing 4¢
magenta Abraham Lincoln stamps from their roll. These
early accomplishments notwithstanding, I have not
grown up to be a book artist.
At the workshop, I (in the multiply crinkled clothing)
choose a left-handed spot. Just reading the course description for Peter and Donna Thomas’ workshop had
made me a bit dizzy: “a panel-covered accordion with a
second accordion weaving in and out of the first.” Will I
be able to get the better of my instructional inabilities
and my 3D-phobia? My neighbor to the right, Kathy
Bower, has a nifty little kit of tools, almost none of
which I can identify. She is a research attorney for a local
(Santa Barbara) court, and she takes bookbinding classes on a regular basis. These have sparked her curiosity
about papermaking. Since 2000, she’s also been making
prints using photopolymer plates. After the workshop,
she comments, “I always learn something new and useful in a short, targeted class. Here, it was the Thomases’
paper-folding technique — the mountain and valley terminology — to get a uniform block of pages.”
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I, however, am apparently better at typography than topography. The mountain-and-valley concept confounds
me, and I nest my precisely-folded inner accordion perfectly backwards into its outer accordion. Fortunately,
Peter Thomas materializes at my elbow before the glue
has a chance to set. I have, before this mishap, already
handwritten a short alphagram along the mountains
and valleys of my inner accordion. It reads: Accordion
book concept dimensionally exhausting for gauchaire. Hélàs!
I’m just kuhnfused!
Just before class starts, I meet Jill Littlewood, president
of the Friends of Dard Hunter — and she gives me her
FDH business card.
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My tools are quite basic, but my Bully glue stick (bought in
Mexico) proves very popular with my tablemates. The tiny
wood-handled punch is my newest tool, highly recommended by the Thomases, who brought extras with them.
We practice wrapping covers, which involves trimming the
cover sheet’s corners to 45 degrees. I like this part a lot.
The book we make — a miniature (3 x 2 in.) nested
pop-up accordion-fold — is in fact a binding Peter and
Donna Thomas developed. They are superb teachers: focused, organized, reassuring, resourceful. And I am delirious to report that my trepidation turns to triumph.
One of my fellow classmates, Ken Lynn, owns a company that sells military-grade wire and cable to diverse
customers, from prime defense contractors to inventors,
custom lighting manufacturers, Fender Guitar and anyone else requiring high-temperature wiring products. He
mentions spending the past three days, from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m., in Andrea Peterson’s class Papermaking Studio:
The Large Sheet 2-D and 3-D, learning to use a 22 x 30-in.
mould and deckle. “Anything that slows my mind down
naturally and focuses it — which bookmaking and papermaking do — I truly enjoy for that quality,” he tells
me. “And folks in the paper arts and book arts are generally cool people. I’ve made a couple of Coptic stitch
books, and I thought this would follow nicely with what
I’ve already done.”
Classmate Susan Kanowith-Klein — a retired immunologist turned university development director — has never
made a nested accordion book before. She is having fun,
and that’s a quote. Three summers ago, she took a papermaking workshop on Martha’s Vineyard from Sandy
Bernat of Seastone Papers.This past summer, she began
making paper at home in Los Angeles on her back patio. She looks forward to making more books and to attending next year’s international Friends of Dard Hunter
conference in Cleveland.
At the end of class, we all put our books on the table to
admire. The mood gets even more jubilant when Peter
whips out his ukulele and sings a bookmaking ditty, to
the tune of Has Anybody Seen my Gal? Then, he turns over
his ukulele … and it transforms itself into an accordion!
~ Alyson Kuhn
Reprinted with permission from Felt & Wire, © 2011 by Felt & Wire
(www.feltandwire.com). Images provided by the author.
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Hand Papermaking Festival
The Hand Papermaking festival
Impressions
A nice sunny day in Santa Barbara
A beautiful walk from the Mission to Jill’s home
Making new friends
Peter and Donna’s gypsy wagon parked out front
Jill’s home and backyard studio – Wow!
Jill’s oversized theater props
Seeing papers made at pre-conference classes
Peter’s nested accordion books – I didn’t finish mine!
Dardos selling their wares – papers, paper creations
Everyone talking paper, paper, paper
Image of organizational brain-storming results above, and suminagashi below provided by Vlasta Radan.
The steady pounding of fibers
Demos for all to join
Friends and neighbors of the Littlewoods’
The one-cup hollander made by Jim Yarnell that Peter brought
The Dacqueries that we made in it
Pack it all up and
Back to the Mission Renewal Center for dinner
~ Martha Duran
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Suminagashi
Santa Barbara Think Tank
One of the great opportunities at
the Friends of Dard Hunter - West
conference was an evening workshop on suminagashi presented by
Andrea Peterson. Twelve of us gathered at Jill Littlewood’s home for a
brief introduction to the topic.
At the FDH Western Regional conference in Santa Barbara California, FDH
president Jill Littlewood requested attendees to participate in an exercise to
assist ECBOD (Executive Council and Board of Directors) in setting the direction of the Friends. She asked each person to think about how the organization
can be relevant and supportive of their needs.
Each attendee was asked to spend ten minutes writing a description of how
they see themselves as papermakers three years from now, and then to choose
about 3 words that best described their vision. This exercise was followed by a
small group exercise culling the best visions of the group.
Andrea shared the background on
the use of sumi ink floating on water with a dispersant additive such as
dish soap, photo flow, or acrylic flow
aid. The result is a black marbled pattern on the surface of the paper. She
shared with us samples of the fine
works she had produced. We were
all challenged to wonder if we could
make anything as beautiful.
Suminagashi is traditionally done
on washi in Japan. We were all very
fortunate that Andrea had generously made papers specifically for the
students to use. Each of us received
eighteen sheets made from various fibers and formed with various
additives. We then moved to Jill’s
studio where trays were set up for
each of us to use. We added the water, dispersant, and carefully added
tiny drops of sumi ink. By slightly
blowing on the surface, or lightly
tapping the tray, or dragging fine
points through the floating ink, we
each created amazing patterns.
Andrea provided great guidance and
tips as we each used the special papers
she had made for us. Eventually it was
time to let the papers dry and try to
return Jill’s studio to some semblance
of order. We all had a fun evening experimenting with suminagashi.
When the visions were recorded, participants were asked to vote with stickers - red (R) for first choice, green (G) for second, and yellow (Y) for third. The
visions with the voting results are
1. More intimate relationships with fellow paper makers.
2. New techniques and ideas. 2R, 3G, 2Y
3. Outreach programs. 2R
4. Meeting in Mexico. 4R, 4G
5. Panel discussions: on schools, tools, exhibitions, etc. 2R, 5G, 2Y
6. Subscriptions to enhanced journals - both online and in print. 1G, 4Y
7. Partnerships or mentorships for beginners. 3R, 1G, 2Y
8. Cross pollination of friends. 1R
9. Themed conferences. 2R, 1G, 2Y
10. Papermaking from ancient to modern times - information for Friends. 1Y
11. Information about techniques worldwide.
12. Workshops during conference. 6R, 2G, 2Y
13. More exhibitions. 1R
14. Technical, artistic presentations. 1G
15. Clarify purpose of Friends of Dard Hunter.
16. Selective focus group meetings. 1Y
17. Direct creative experience.
18. Less formal meetings. 1G
19. Hands-on with artists. 1R, 1G, 1Y
20. Posting/connecting meetings of people harvesting fibers. 1G
21. Transcendent experiences. 1R, 1Y, 1G
22. Opening part of the annual meeting to the public. 1R, 3G, 5Y
Congratulations to President Jill Littlewood for the innovative approach to
group brain storming and to the active participation of the attendees who
provided a good base for ECBOD to move forward.
~ Del Foxton
~ John Tyler
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Papermaking Intensive with Andrea Peterson of Hook Pottery Paper
I am a furtive papermaker. I have
a few pour molds, a blender, and a
strange fascination with what happens. I developed a painstakingly
slow process of couching and recouching wet sheets because I haven’t
regular access to actual equipment,
and ironing individual sheets adds
an embossed luster to the paper that
I don’t like. (Peter Thomas noted recently that I could slowly back my
car over a post of paper in order to
achieve the right amount of pressure,
but that’s a different article for another time.) At home, I pour sheets
that are typically thick as card stock.
While that’ll serve me for printmaking experiments, I recognized the
dire need to seek counsel. So I signed
up for Andrea Peterson’s paper making studio workshop, held for a few
days preceding the FDH Western Regional Conference in Santa Barbara,
the bowl of California’s belly.
And there they were, clustered out
past the house at the studio. Sizing
up this cadre, right away I realized
two things:
1) I had come unprepared in my denim apron and sneakers. These people
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of slosh (I got soaked, and still have
pulp splatters on my sneakers from
this. I refuse to clean them off).
Andrea’s mold and deckle were economically designed, featuring removable bamboo screening and
swing hinges. The papermaker would
lay the screen on the mold, lay down
a felt as a cover screen, and sandwich
this between the jaws of the deckle,
which all snaps shut into as tight a
seal as the design allows.
After she coached us on achieving the
proper ratio of pigment to retention
aid for aqueous dispersed fine cotton fibers, we worked on technique.
The class was encouraged to swirl additions of colored pulp or inclusions
into the vat just before pulling a sheet,
and to pulp paint onto the sheet as
it drained or after it finished draining.
Then the papermaker would lay a
plastic garbage bag over the deckle,
creating a space for water and pulp
to be agitated by hand.
Later, I made my own attempt at
forming a sheet to resemble the topography of the moon. Obviously
Andrea brought three such molds
and we worked two students to a
mold, utilizing both cotton rag and
abaca fibers in our projects.
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Tugging the plastic bag clear turned
out to be an exercise in finesse, as
one strong pull was required to distribute even agitation while the
sheet drained.
I’d never met another papermaker until the day I walked up Jill
Littlewood’s driveway.
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were outfitted in rain boots and ingenious handmade waterproof aprons.
They knew the drill, and here I was,
the opposite of waterproof.
2) Nobody was going to fault me for
this. Or for pronouncing “couch” as
if I were referring to furniture. They
were too busy..
We joked that the tug made us akin to
magicians attempting to remove the
tablecloth without the glasses falling
off the table. In this case, we were attempting to create the correct amount
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the moon I am attempting to emulate is made of green cheese.
Andrea’s design. Wish me luck, and
remind me to wear galoshes.
Andrea also showed us how to laminate or “tape” inclusions in abaca
pulp: we experimented with molded
wire, plants, seeds, pulp layering via
stencil, and methods of drying a
large sheet.
~ Elka Weber
Capitalizing on the utility of a
product meant for another process,
Andrea demonstrated using silkscreen fabric as a sieve, both in forming large sheets utilizing the fabric as
a cover screen, and in ‘printing’ images as a stencil.
In large part because she was so welcoming and informative, I am currently gathering materials to make
my own mold and deckle based on
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1. Andrea mixing pulp.
2. Dell Agitating pulp.
3. Removing the plastic sheet to make
the sheet.
4. Andrea’s creation.
5. My moon.
6. Jill handling a dried sheet with clover
inclusions.
7. Andrea at the mould.
8. Masterpieces in progress.
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2011 Annual Meeting Recap
Midwest
Midwest Regional Recap
A group of thrity-four paper enthusiasts found themselves in Appleton, Wiscon- 1
sin, experiencing the most gracious hospitality of the Grummer Family: Mabel
and Arnold, their son Greg, daughter Kim, and her husband Dave Scheidermeyer.
Even the dog Lucy and cat Rocket got into the act at some point. They organized
a spectacular set of tours to the Neenah Paper Mill and J. J. Plank watermark company. They set the schedule, lined-up the speakers, workshops, and events at the
Paper Discovery Center, and they graciously opened their homes, fed us beautifully at every turn, and even shared their homemade wines and ales!
Appleton is in the Fox River Valley, which holds a rich papermaking history.
The Paper Discovery Center, poised on the edge of the Fox river, is housed in 2
one of the earliest paper mills in the valley. The center does a superb job of
describing the process of making paper, both mechanically and by hand, as
well as documenting the history of the paper mills in the valley. It is a colorful,
informative, engaging, and interactive museum in a beautiful location along
the running river. The lower level of the center offered us a versatile space for
presentations and workshops, many of which are outlined in the photos and
vignettes that accompany this overview.
Some of the highlights of the weekend include: The comprehensive tour of the
Neenah Paper Mill, with tour guides who would have spent the day answering our questions had our schedule allowed; seeing the extensive collection
of watermarks and how they are made at J.J.Plank Corporation; the opening
presentation by Kathryn and Howard Clark about the founding and history of
Twinrocker Handmade Paper; making and trading Artist Trading Cards instead 3
of keepsakes; Arnie’s workshop on watermarks; Friends sharing their knowledge and passion for paper and processes in a variety of hands-on workshops
that included photo processes for handmade paper, indigo dying techniques,
and making big paper; working with “naturals”; endless discussions about hydrogen bonding; Mabel’s home-grown tomatoes; Dave’s homemade tomato
wine, made from Mabel’s tomatoes; and best of all, Arnold Grummer’s presentation of the Great American Paper Machine.
Arnold is truly a living treasure to the Friends. He was the curator of the Dard
Hunter collection when it was housed at the Institute of Paper Science in 4
Appleton. He knew Dard well and he knows his papermaking. The greatest
mistake was that we didn’t videotape every moment with him throughout
the weekend. His knowledge and wit can keep an audience engaged for hours.
Thanks again to the entire Grummer/Scheidermeyer clan and their friends and
neighbors who helped make this a spectacular weekend and all those who
attended, shared, and made it a grand weekend of papermaking comeradery.
~ Betsy Dollar
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Meeting Vignettes
I
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The tour of JJ Plank was a real highlight of the conference for anyone I talked
to. To see the beautiful, detailed watermarks was impressive (5). David Plank,
the owner of the company, was the guide. He was so gracious and informative
and generous.
II
Arnold Grummer demonstrating “The Great American Paper Machine” (6).
He spoke with such grace and humor about his teaching of papermaking and
experiences demonstrating the process with his machine. It was such a joy to
see and hear him!
III
Paper was made in the floating mold technique. The plastic was pulled out at
the last minute and the paper left to form on the screen. Presented by Julie
Mclaughlin (2/9).
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IV
Juan Chevere, from the Paper Instiitute in Atlanta, experimenting with cattail
paper in the Handmade paper and Natural Materials workshop (4). Five
students experienced the beauty of working with handmade paper and plants
and fiber collected from the place where I live along Lake Michigan in Algoma,
WI. It was rewarding working with them.
~ Kirsten Christianson
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1. A shaded style “all over” security
watermark.
7. The United States Seal that is used in
Government Papers and security papers
for the U.S. Government.
8. Shaded and wire watermark made for
Fox River Paper after 9/11.
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On Fields of Blue: Paper, Cloth and Indigo Blue
In the cool mist of the Fox River at the Midwestern
Conference in Appleton, Wisconsin, Mary Hark shared
her extensive knowledge of the aesthetic alchemy that is
indigo dying. After suggesting that all of the workshop
participants don a beautifully dyed fabric, Mary began
her talk with a slight apology. It seems that the indigo
vat is more akin to a living entity than a simple bucket
full of dye. After driving through the night to get to the
conference, the sloshing of the bucket had unsettled the
indigo and to be totally content, it would need time to calm
down and resettle itself. Indigo, which comes from more
than 70 different varieties of plants from every inhabited
continent, is a complicated material to process. Indeed,
this has led to the production of synthetic alternatives.
And most indigo dyers in the world, including Mary,
use one of the synthetic options. With the synthetic or
natural options, the vat still has a life to it. Once mixed,
it will work for many months provided it is used with
care, which includes removing the “flower” or scum layer
that forms when this oxygen-reactive dye interacts with
the air. But be careful not to pollute it with any errant
materials, as it can undermine your indigo vat.
Mary brought her own flax paper to use for the workshop.
While indigo dye can offer a beautiful and rich range of
tones on most types of paper, dipping in the vat requires
a strong fibered paper. Hence, cotton is not considered
a good option. The same dye can be used for paper or
fabric, but fabric must be soaked in water first to prepare
it. For inspiration, Mary displayed samples of her own
work as well as a small library of books on the subject.
She then demonstrated basic dying techniques as well
as a myriad of possible resists. Through simple folding,
crumpling, rolling and restraining of the paper, the dye
creates many different patterns. Gelatin can also be coated
on the surface to act as a resist as well. These resistive
techniques combined with multiple repeated dips into
the vat, (allowing for suitable drying time in-between
– 30 minutes to 24 hours), create an immense range of
possibilities. To get the richest of blue tones, multiple dips
(7-10) are required. By the end of the workshop, attendees
had created dyed papers with quite interesting patterns
and motifs. I suspect there will be many new indigo vats
starting up throughout the Midwest this winter.
~ Scott Murphy
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Indigo dyed flax paper
by Mary Hark in her studio in
Madison, Wisconsin; 2011.
On the following page, from Kathryn Clark:
1. Conference hosts Kim and Dave Schiederman
and Arnie and Mabel Grummer with
keynote speakers Kathy and Howie Clark of Twinrocker.
2. Banquet at the Paper Discovery Center in Appleton, WI
3. Howie Clark and Dave Schiederman entertaining everyone
by playing blues at the Appleton Banquet dinner.
4. The Trade Fair at the Paper Discovery Center
5. Arnie Grummer giving his paper chemistry talk
using his “Great American Paper Machine”
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~ Dennis Morris
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2011 Annual Meeting Recap
Northeast
Northeast Regional Recap
There were several times over the four days of the Northeast
Regional meeting when I just had to stand back and watch.
Sure, I had everything “organized,” but sometimes you’ve
got to go with the flow.
On Wednesday and Thursday, we took over the large back
room of the Crane Museum of Papermaking, where we had
moved a good deal of the equipment from Crane’s handmade paper operation from some 20 years ago. The vat
being too large for our occasion, we used it to soak felts –
cut deftly by Jim Croft – all the way from Idaho! Jim transformed a metal bookcase into the perfect vat, into which
buckets of beaten cotton and abaca were tossed.
We made paper with standard moulds and deckles, tiny
moulds and deckles, big moulds and deckles, moulds made
by Tim Moore, and a gorgeous antique mould & deckle featuring the Tiffany crest. Many were hung in spurs in the
Museum to dry as they would have so many years ago. I
stepped back and watched.
While some were making paper, others were cutting linoleum blocks in anticipation of a project in nearby Pittsfield
Thursday evening. Wednesday afternoon we were visited by
a troop of Girl Scouts from one of the Berkshire Mill towns,
and they took to papermaking and block printing like fish
to water. Giggles and grins galore!
On Thursday evening we hosted a Members’ Exhibition,
Reception, and Trade Fair at the Lichtenstein Center for the
Arts. We were reacquainted with Allison Roscoe, who had
spent the last two days hanging the show and pricing the
objects on display. It was a gorgeous exhibit, with each work
either incorporating the concept of 250 (Berkshire County’s
250th birthday) or shredded U.S. currency, à la Crane &
Company. The highlight was the arrival of the Road Roller.
With linoleum blocks firmly placed and inked on a sheet
of plywood, and with large felts at the ready, the roller was
fired up and made wonderful prints for the exhibit – in real
time. We were hurried a bit by some incoming weather, and
Peter Sowiski sacrificed his nice clean clothes and his reputation as a thoughtful, deliberative artist, by diving on the
paper before it blew away. An awesome site!
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On Friday, we just had fun. We made paper and gabbed,
then toured Crane’s Stationery Factory and the Byron
Weston Mill, where raw materials for U.S. currency are
made. Cotton and flax. Same sort of drill as with hand papermaking, only a tad bit larger.
On Saturday, we were visited by 10 students from nearby
Mt. Holyoke College, organized by Rie Hachiyanagi and Tatiana Ginsberg. Just as with our young Girl Scouts, the veteran papermakers and artists showed them the ropes and
provided a warm, nurturing atmosphere. I stepped back
and watched.
From there, we proceeded to Crane’s Model Farm for an oldfashioned teach-in (our resident hippies will remember the
term) organized and carried out by Lauren Shelton, educator
extraordinaire. There was all kinds of papermaking and the
magic of marbling was demonstrated by Melinda Cross from
the Boston Paper Collective. A grand time was had by all.
For the remainder of the afternoon, including the arrival of
cocktails and snacks, Friends found themselves assembled
in a circle in a large room. New Friend and Provocateur Zoe
Culbertson from the Paper Collective insisted that everyone
explain themselves and to just tell stories. Hoots and hollers
all around. It was a magical time; just what I had hoped for
in a regional meeting. I stepped back and just listened.
To end the occasion, we set up at a huge table for 20 for a
sit-down dinner. I have to admit that one of the best times
I have ever had was spending several hours Friday, deep
into the evening, in my kitchen in Vermont, sipping cheap
whiskey, and prepping dinner with Jim Croft.
I want to extend my personal thanks to all involved; for being friends and mentors; for being gracious and welcoming;
and for being just a bit nutty.
~ Peter Hopkins
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From Linda McCausland:
1. Linoleum plates prepared for steam roller press (He-men Peter H. and Peter S.).
2. The steam-roller press.
3. The fresh print commemorating Pittsfield’s 350th birthday !!
4. Prepapring the lino plates for the big steam-roller event at the Center.
5. Jim Croft and his beautiful tools.
6. Laurie Shelton explains her papermaking set-up.
7. Jim Croft explaining a finer point.
8. Snack time and good cheer!
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The Power of Papermaking: What are Children Learning?
Through slides, videos, photo panels,
paper examples, and hands-on work
stations, Laurie Shelton described seven key elements that are inherent in
hand papermaking with children. In
the process of hand papermaking, children are empowered to learn through
sensory motor experiences, to focus
on a task, to collaborate and problem
solve, to engage in scientific inquiry,
to develop language and math skills,
to explore the natural world, and to
find meaning and joy in daily life.
Theories of child and human development were applied to each element,
with input from Laurie’s husband,
a developmental psychologist who
teaches Human Development at the
University of Vermont.
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One Friend summarized, “The important thing here is not that children are learning to make paper, but
they are learning life skills.” A homeschooling parent who is new to papermaking commented “My daughter and I made beautiful paper and
discussed with Laurie why papermaking is such a unique and inspiring hands-on art/science experience
for children as well as for adults.” An
eighth- grade social studies teacher
contemplated ways to incorporate
hand papermaking into her curriculum. Seasoned papermakers engaged
in book making with corn husk papers and other materials supplied at
the work stations.
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3
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Laurie has a graduate degree in
Early Childhood Curriculum Development; her background includes
teaching elementary school, directing a private pre-school, working in
the Early Childhood teacher training
program at the University of Vermont, and supervising student teachers for Union Institute and Vermont
College. She has presented workshops about hand papermaking and
creative focus in eleven states, and in
Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Argentina. More information about her
work can be found at her website:
laurieshelton.com.
~ Earline Marsh
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1. Laurie Shelton guides participants
in making paper with recycled paper
scraps, using techniques appropriate for
school classrooms.
2. Home-schooled Daylan Wolski was
so enthused about her newly discovered
craft that she continues to develop her
papermaking passion at home and
with her peers. She is supported by her
mother, Meredyth Babcock.
3. Daylan experiments with adding
hydrangea petals to her “dip and flip”
sheet of paper.
4. Miranda Baruth, age 6, sent her
shoebox houses that she created with
her handmade papers. One is a barn,
the other, a “house for fairies.”
All photos courtesy Laurie Shelton.
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From Marjorie Tomchuk:
1. Peter Sowiski fought with a strong
wind and was able to hold down the
printing paper. A 4 x 8 foot plyboard was
used to hold many lino blocks (created
by the FDH attendees). The large print
commemorates the 250th Anniversary
of Pittsfield, Mass.
2. A pulled print, the final masterpiece.
Action figures: Tom Bannister, Peter
Hopkins and Mary Tasillo .
3. The boiler at Crane Paper Mill, steamy
rags are dropping out as the drum rotates. They land on the floor where they
cool and then are picked up for further
processing.
4. A “steam-roller” was uses as a press
to create a print from a 4’ x 8’ “plate”.
5. Jim Croft made sheets of paper using
Crane’s antique moulds.
6. Crane Museum is a beautifully renovated building dating back to 1844.
Then it served as a rag room for Crane’s
Old Stone Mill.
7. Mary Lou Manor is hanging a
freshly made sheet of paper at the
Crane Museum exhibit, demonstrating
how paper is dried.
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2011 Annual Meeting Recap
UK
FDH UK Meeting, Frogmore Mill, Hemel Hempstead 14-16 October 2011
Frogmore Paper Mill is an extraordinary place. The facets of papermaking
history represented here are as varied
as the people who attended the first
FDH meeting in the UK. Many knew
each other, and the mill, already, but
for relative newcomers to the British
papermaking scene, the excitement
on arrival by canal boat was considerable. By the end of the meeting,
one was left with a great admiration
for the people keeping the place alive
in the face of economic and practical
obstacles, and a strong sense of the
huge potential for a major paper and
book arts centre here in a more prosperous climate.
passion for paper in all its forms. Teresinha’s offer of flax seeds at the end of
her talk caused what might have become an unseemly stampede if there had
been more than twenty of us!
Chris Harrison explained how she recreated the pioneering experiments of Jacob Schäffer, an eighteenth century proponent of using diverse plant fibres for
papermaking, a man clearly ahead of his time. The culmination of eight years
of research, her recently completed PhD thesis showed the dedication (dare I
say obsession?) that our art/craft/science seems to ignite in its practitioners.
Hilary Sussum and Roberto Mannino gave beautifully illustrated accounts of
their use of paper in both 2D and sculptural artwork. While they both use
complex armatures to support their paper structures, their voices are very different: Hilary’s work crackles with texture while Roberto’s is often burnished
to a skin-like finish. Again, their work is united by a common fascination with
process, as evidenced by Roberto’s drawings of imagined papermaking machines and Hilary’s use of innovative materials such as dissolving thread.
Considerations of process were brought emphatically into the twenty-first century by Nick Pearson and Brian Queen. Nick, one of the meeting’s organisers
and a man whose day job at the Bank of England presumably involves staying at least a step ahead of hi-tech paper forgers, was generous in sharing his
secrets for achieving the perfect watermark. Brian recounted his jaw-dropping
experiments with a laser cutter to create very untraditional moulds and deckles. His laser-cut foam chiaroscuro watermark was presented as an ‘aside’ in
the hotel bar on the final evening and had us all realising that the future of
hand papermaking is unlimited and will go hand in hand with technology.
No luddites here!
Frogmore Paper Mill, Hemel Hempstead.
The inventive and determined spirit
of Jim Patterson (Frogmore’s resident papermaker who also runs the
Two Rivers Mill in Somerset) was reflected in all the speakers we heard
from at the meeting. The varied
accounts of methods and materials were inspiring. From Maureen
Richardson’s adapted waste-disposal
beater to Teresinha Roberts’ special
variety of long-fibred, allotmentgrown flax, the ingredient that permeated everything was a common
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Alison Newman and Jonathan Korejko, both examples of that flourishing future, presented their contrasting methods of spreading the word; Alison rescued the equipment from a defunct art school paper studio in Glasgow and
has created a facility for artists to learn how to use paper in their work. She also
offers workshops to the public and a pulp source for those without a beater.
Jonathan describes himself as an itinerant papermaker (he eschewed the hotel
and stayed in his camper van), and demonstrates the craft all over the UK at
schools and tourist attractions with evangelical enthusiasm.
A particularly pleasing feature of the meeting was the presence of American
and Canadian papermakers who had either made the trip especially for the
occasion or had included us in journeys to visit friends. Marilyn Wold gave a
serene demonstration of suminagashi and had us all dreaming of Hawa’ii and
tropical fibers, particularly as our meeting room was a little chilly. The strong
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sense of support from the ‘mother ship’ was palpable. As a
Brit who discovered and learned papermaking in Chicago,
the progression of paper and book arts from old to new
worlds and now back again has a gratifying flow.
The weekend ended only too soon when we discovered
the clock in the meeting room was running nearly half
an hour slow, and that our boatman needed to leave in
a hurry. The final morning was packed with a tour of the
mill, a demonstration of the fascinating mini-Fourdrinier
with finished paper to take home, a race between different
beater models, a look at Frogmore’s vintage fire engine, a
chance to buy equipment and fibers and pull a few sheets
if wished.
Eagerly awaited was the closing keepsake exchange and
sale of work and samples. Kids in a candy store just about
describes it. Each person left with an exquisite envelope
made of abaca, gampi and linen by Mandy Brannan, the
meeting’s other tireless organiser (and Powerpoint wrangler). The envelope was stuffed with samples, small artworks and, perhaps most importantly of all, contact details
for those who attended. The only thing that would not fit
in the envelope was a velvet pouch, containing a matchbox, containing a perfect miniature mould and deckle in
mahogany and brass mesh made by Brian Queen.
This sums up the spirit of the meeting: generosity, and the
will to share and support fellow papermakers on their diverse but intersecting paths. A huge thank you especially
to Nick, Mandy, and Jim. Next year in Cleveland?
~ Lucy Baxandall
upcoming
friends
meetings
2012: The Morgan
FDH / IAPMA joint meeting
Cleveland, OH
October 17 – 21
2013 – St. Louis, Missouri
2014 – Boston, Massachusetts
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Speaking of Paper... is a compilation of the Anita Lynn Forgach
keynote addresses from the annual meetings of the Friends of
Dard Hunter, 1998 - 2005.
The text of each address includes
a biography and photo of the
speaker as well as photographs
to illustrate the text. 133 pages,
soft cover.
ON SALE NOW
$18
PLUS $5 SHIPPING & HANDLING
TO ORDER
SEND YOUR CHECK FOR $23 TO
FDH
P.O. BOX 2450
SPRINGFIELD, IL 62705
It’s A New Year and time to RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP!
(Thank You to everyone who has already renewed their memberships for 2012)
This is going to be a big year with the joint conference with IAPMA at the Morgan
Conservatory. With this conference comes many exhibition opportunities, but you must be a
current member to participate, so don’t wait ... DO IT NOW!
At the bottom of the Membership page at www.friendsofdardhunter.org, you have two choices:
Click on the donate button to Download a membership form,
pay via PayPal (or credit card) or write a check and put it in the mail to: Friends of Dard Hunter, P. O. Box 2450, Springfield, IL 62705
We will be publishing a digital Member’s Directory this year, so now is also a good time to make
sure your email address is up-to-date in our record books. If you’ve recently changed your email
address, or haven’t been getting the electronic newsletter, please notify Betsy Dollar by snail mail
(see address above) or at [email protected]
If you have questions about your membership status,
please contact Betsy Dollar at [email protected]
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Bull & Branch
Speaking of Paper... Book Review
The Friends of Dard Hunter, Inc.’s recent publication,
“Speaking of Paper….The Anita Lynn Forgach Keynote
Speakers, 1998 – 2005,” is a treasure of reprints/reworkings of the first 8 years of keynote addresses that have
so enriched our Annual Meetings. Perhaps you attended
these gatherings but were too travel-weary to take good
notes. Or perhaps you missed a couple of these splendid
presentations, or are a new Friend. This compilation of
the works of our 8 initial keynote presenters will be a wonderful addition to your library. The essays cover a wide
range of topics, including proto-papers, such as papyrus,
tapa and amate, paper history, and interest and development of artistic voice with paper as the medium.
In Whitney Baker’s eloquent introduction she reminds us
that Friends Annual Conferences have always provided us
with the opportunity to share our common bond – paper
– not only with artists, but also historians, conservators,
scientists, and inventors. This has been one of the organization’s greatest strengths. She references the Friends’ mission, “to provide a forum to exchange information and
educate its members and the public about art, craft, history, science, technology…” “Speaking of Paper,” indeed,
“stands as a testament to that mission.”
huge spaces into paper wonderlands. His address has been
edited, likely for space, but what is presented in this essay conveys the true flavor of Mark’s humor, exuberance,
generosity, and grandiosity.
In November 1999 Michael LaFosse spoke to Friends in
Chicago, IL, enlightening us about the “Golden Age of
Origami Art.” In his keynote, this artistic folding genius
dispelled several myths about origami, including that it
originated in Japan. An art form for really only about 50
years, it is not just for children, not necessarily constructed out of a single uncut piece of paper, nor is it simply a
flat geometric form. Michael’s address went on to highlight the many trends of modern origami and the current resources available to folding enthusiasts. He briefly
touched upon his methods of designing and making his
own paper for his natural world-inspired creations. His
address highlighted many areas for further investigation
and opened our eyes to the complexity of this folding and
unfolding art form.
The Friends Conference of October 1998, held in Burlington, VT, was for many of us, an introduction to an amazingly exuberant and larger than life papermaker, Mark
Lander. In his Keynote Address, “Papermaking, New Zealand Style,” he described his artistic journey from a teenager who wanted to learn painting to a papermaker/installation artist extraordinaire, whose vision transformed
American Alligator, by Michael LaFosse and Richard Alexander.
Folded from a six-foot square sheety of handmade abaca
paper. Courtesy Michael LaFosse.
Painting by Mark Landers (detail). Natural clays on handmade
flax paper. Courtesy Mark Landers.
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Even those of us who took good notes at the Atlanta, GE
Conference of 2000, could learn more from the modified
and expanded essay in this publication by Roderick Ewans
on “Dard Hunter and the Bark Paper of the Pacific.” Rod
paid homage to the thorough and scholarly work done by
Dard Hunter and published in his masterful book, “Primitive Papermaking.” Rod’s address went on to describe the
production of bark cloth in Tonga, Fiji, and Samoa, his
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personal areas of research. He clearly explained the hydrogen bonding process enabling bark cloth production.
He emphasized the importance of these painstakingly
produced cloths in living ceremonial practices of Pacific
peoples today. Also included in the book is a beautiful
tipped in sample of bark cloth from Southwest Fiji.
John Bidwell’s abstract of his lively and complex keynote,
“Backwoods papermaking – an Immigrant’s Guide,” is just
a tease. Anyone witness to this October 2001 presentation
will encourage you to look forward to the presentation of
his book on early immigrant papermakers.
As new papermakers, many of us were introduced to Lillian Bell’s most informative books, “Plant Fibers for Papermaking” and “Papyrus, Tapa, Amate and Rice Paper,”
as outstanding references for our paper journeys. In her
2002 Portland, OR keynote address, “Written with Water:
Another Life with Paper,” she presented a brief survey of
her 3 decades of art, working with handmade paper as her
prime medium.
Alan Sandstrom’s keynote presentation at the October
2004 San Antonio, TX gathering had quite an arresting
title, “Blood and Paper: Dard Hunter and Ritual Sacrifice
Among the Native Americans of Mexico.” His riveting
essay also begins with homage to the extensive research
of Dard Hunter for his book, “Primitive Papermaking.”
Having done ethnographic research among the Nahua
peoples of Mexico for over 30 years, Sandstrom describes
their complex belief system and how paper is integral to
their living rituals. He speaks of a pantheon of thousands
of “spirits” associated with their ritual and social world –
all of whom are relied upon to ensure crop fertility and
health among peoples. He describes the ways that paper is
a central part of their ritual offerings. Representative spirit
figures are cut from paper by special “persons of knowledge,” then arranged as offerings, and finally destroyed
at the ritual’s conclusion. Blood, referenced in the title,
conveys life and energy to the cut images. Sandstrom vividly describes the intricacies of the Nahua peoples’ belief
system and provides us with a rare glimpse into the complexity of their rituals. This essay is a treasure!
“Why the Friends,” asks Timothy Barrett in his keynote,
“Reflections by your First President,” delivered in October
2003, Minneapolis, MN. In his thought-provoking essay
he reflects on how the Friends have changed and what
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causes us to continue to assemble each year. He explains
how his threefold interest in paper, from the vantage
points of aesthetics, history, and science, have sustained
his lifetime of research to discover how early papermakers achieved the creation of handmade papers with such
“authenticity, integrity and presence.” With his eloquent
words, Barrett emphasizes the feeling of family, camaraderie and acceptance that a diverse group of paper artists, historians, scientists and collectors all feel at a Dard
Hunter Conference. He points out how seamlessly we all
fit together and inform each other’s quests. And finally, in
answering the question of our fixation on paper, he brings
us back to Dard Hunter’s realization of the “enormity of
paper’s contribution to humankind….”
In her 2004 Salt Lake City, UT keynote address, Gladys
Frantz-Murphy brings our attention to “The World before Paper.” Frantz-Murphy describes in great detail the
development of written communication. She begins by
explaining that the first written marks did not develop
in order to replicate speech, but rather to reference the
sacred. Mark making progressed to communicate information about commerce through distance. Her fascinating account leads us further through the development of
communication as informed by geography and civilizations over many thousands of years, to the use of papyrus
as a substrate by the Egyptians. This address gives us a
peek into the depth of the J. Willard Marriott Library’s
collection and into Frantz-Murphy’s deep devotion to her
topic of communications.
1990 assemblage (title unknown) by A. Lynn Forgach, 1990.
Courtesy Vijay Dhawan.
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Fiberstone
Finally, “Speaking of Paper” concludes with a reprint of a 1998 Hand
papermaking article about the work
of the late Anita Lynn Forgach. It is
through a generous endowment provided by her husband, Vijay Dhawan,
in memory of her love of paper, that
we are privileged to be informed by
the diverse but paper-centric interests
of our Keynote Speakers.
“Speaking of Paper” is a welcome
addition to my reference library for
its wealth of information, accompanied by a generous amount of photography, diagrams, and additional
reference notes. I have also found it
valuable to share with students on
several occasions. I look forward to
the publication of the next volume
of Keynotes.
At the Midwest Regional Conference in Appleton WI, graciously hosted by the
Arnold Grummer family, Kim Schiedermayer gave away a variety of papermaking extras. One of these items was a shopping bag from MoMA (Museum of
Modern Art in NYC), printed in bright yellow and black inks, sporting fabric
ribbon handles and the tagline “this eco-friendly material is made of stone.”
She offered it up to anyone who would be willing to find out what it was and
report back, and I took up the offer.
To the touch, it is satiny smooth. It has a matte finish and a tough and resilient
rattle, sounding like something that has been heavily treated with some special inks or other fillers. The printing is crisp and bright, and the folds of the
bag are clean but not razor sharp.
On the bottom of the bag is a claim that the bag is made of tree-free paper and
non-toxic inks and is produced without bleaching chemicals. It also claims
that it will degrade back to its source, “powder of stone.”
Paper made of stone?
I discovered on the web that the Fiberstone Company is one main manufacturer of the substance this bag was made from. My first thought was, “Show me
how this is paper.” I’m not sure it qualifies, but judge for yourself:
~Winnie Radolan
Fiberstone claims to be our papermaking cousin by taking a bit of a semantic
leap, and using the word ‘fiber’ in a metaphorical sense. From the homepage
of their website, we are given this:
Fiber = Something that provides substance or texture.
Essential character: ‘stirred the deeper fibers of my nature’ (Oscar Wilde).
Basic strength or toughness; fortitude: lacking in moral fiber.
(www.getfiberstone.com/fiberstone/)
The basic recipe is 80% ground calcium carbonate (CaCO) and 20% HDPE
(high density polyethylene). The CaCO uses the leftovers from limestone quarries, and the HDPE is referred to in the company literature as a non-toxic resin.
It is being made into banners, product packaging and displays, carrier bags,
maps, outdoor journal covers, and tickets.
There is a Facebook page as well, with photos of the machinery that makes
the Fiberstone, and chunks of the CaCO that provides the primary ingredient:
www.facebook.com/pages/FiberStone/81214956589
~ Raven Murie
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emerging
occupation
Lately, the idea of occupation has taken hold of our communities, our news outlets, and our collective consciousness. Occupation is the entering of a space or realm in
order to control it, as in moving into a new home, as in
a military strategy, or as in the current worldwide Occupy
Movement.
The Occupy Movement began in the United States in response to protest events around the world, most notably
the events in Tunisia and Egypt that characterized the
Arab Spring. Adbusters Foundation, a Canadian anti-consumerist media group, suggested on their email list that
the disenfranchised should take up a peaceful occupation
of Wall Street, and provided posters to encourage the occupation. On September 17, 2011, individuals and small
groups of protesters spontaneously gathered together as
an organized movement in Liberty Square in Manhattan’s Financial District to contest the power major banking systems and corporations hold over the democratic
process of our nation. The Occupy Movement seeks to
challenge Wall Street to take accountability for its undeniable role in initiating a worldwide economic collapse,
causing a crippling recession for the 99% – those who are
not part of the economically and politically powerful 1%
of people who are creating a staggeringly unfair global
economy with their wealth.
The movement quickly spread to over 1500 cities globally, one of them being Appleton, Wisconsin. The Occupy
Appleton Movement held its first rally on October 15,
2011, which happened to coincide with the FDH Regional Conference being held at The Paper Discovery Center.
Appleton, Wisconsin is a city founded on invention and
industry, much of this rooted in commercial paper production. Industrial papermaking began in Appleton in
1853, and it is still integral to the economy of the area.
In order to accommodate the power needs of Appleton’s
first paper mill, the nation’s first hydro-electric power
plant was built. This led to several other technological
firsts for the city: the first residence in the world existing solely on hydroelectric power, the first commercially
successful streetcar company in the country, the first telephone in Wisconsin, and the first incandescent light in
any city outside the east coast.
A community of people who identify with the history
of this city gathered in a downtown park to meet one
another, to make signs, and to make noise about the
perceived inequalities of our current economic system.
Together these people marched to the downtown Chase
banking branch, where children, parents, students, union
workers, at least one papermaker, and plenty of others
angry about the prospects for their future stood ground,
chanted, scolded, and cheered in support of the Occupy
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Movement’s agenda. The history of Appleton and its values – values focused
on traditional, hard working, midwestern ethics – was apparent through attendance and enthusiasm from both protester and passerby.
This notion of interconnectivity between big and small, between commercial and artistic, between corporate and individual is relevant to our
times. It is based in ancient ideas,
but it is a concept easily forgotten.
It seems to me a wonderful meditation to spend time with when forming sheets of paper. Even the fibers
we use reflect this interconnectivity
as they each play a tiny role in the
support of a strong sheet of paper,
a sheet which makes itself available
to communication and further connection. I left Appleton thinking of
this meditation and remembering
that an occupation is also a title, a
way of spending time: as teacher, as
revolutionary, as a plant manager or
a conservator, as machine operator,
artist, or librarian, and of course, as
papermaker.
~ Jennifer Baker
The relationship between tradition and progressive change is always contentious. No one knows this more than the papermaker. In a digital age, those
of us engaged closely with books and paper are constantly questioning their
role in the present economy, in the future, and in our everyday life. As invention continues to suggest paper’s obsolescence, it also bolsters paper’s role as
an important relic, a treasured tactile place to rest our keyboard-wearing fingertips. In Appleton especially, this awareness is palpable, as the foundation
industry of the region is dependent on how paper situates itself as a product
in the consumer culture of the future.
Friends who were in attendance in Appleton were able to see the importance
of the papermaking industry to this community in person as they toured
Neenah Paper Mill, a large commercial papermaking plant, and J.J. Plank Corporation, a dandy and watermark roll supplier, as well as The Paper Discovery
Center, which houses exhibits on the history of paper and papermaking. The
community’s pride in their cottage industry is congruent to the artist’s pride in
the somewhat niche creative practice of hand papermaking. Though the commercial papermaking industry’s production is likely more streamlined than a
smaller studio practice, it is still bogged down by the same set of problems
regarding ratios and treatment of fiber and water. This notion isn’t surprising,
but it underscores the interconnectivity between small scale papermaking and
large scale paper production. These models are dependent on each other, and
there are countless ways for each model to inspire and exchange knowledge
and innovation with the other.
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Photos of of Occupy Appleton Movement
protestors, courtesy Jennifer Baker.
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friends
doings &
happenings
Please note that the publication dates of the Bull&Branch may
be deferred on occasion. With this in mind, while members
are encouraged to send postings for the Doings & Happenings
section, they are also urged to send announcements — especially
more timely events — to our blog editor Rosalind Nichol (please
include FDH BLOG SUBMISSION in the subject line).
[email protected]
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is pleased
to announce Cave Paper and its founders, Bridget
O’Malley and Amanda Degener, as the winners of the
2012 Minnesota Book Artist Award sponsored by Lerner
Publishing Group. This annual award, presented by the
Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) and the Minnesota Book Awards, recognizes a Minnesota book artist or
book artist collaborative group for excellence throughout
a body of work, as well as significant contributions to
Minnesota’s book arts community. An exhibit celebrating
Cave Paper’s work runs January 20 through March 25,
2012 in the second floor literary commons of the Open
Book building, 1011 Washington Avenue South in Minneapolis. A reception showcasing the exhibit and honoring O’Malley and Degener takes place Friday, February 10
from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at MCBA, with a brief program
and presentation at 6:30 p.m. O’Malley and Degener will
receive special recognition and an award at the 24th annual Minnesota Book Awards Gala on Saturday, April 14,
2012 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel – Saint Paul Riverfront.
www.thefriends.org
www.mnbookarts.org
Work from Jill Parisi is included in the International
Print Center New York’s New Prints 2012/Winter exhibition on view January 28 - March 24, 2012 in its gallery
at 508 West 26th Street, 5th floor. The show consists of
sixty-eight prints by forty-five emerging to established
artists, selected from a pool of over 2,300 submissions.
www.ipcny.org
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Fabriano, Italy Paper/Print/Book Intensive 2012
June 12-27, 2012 Class size: 10 Registration deadline:
April 1, 2012. The Pyramid Atlantic trip to Fabriano will
take place again this summer, and the trip is getting more
interesting every year. This year we are again planning an
experience of non-silver photo on handmade paper, in
addition to watermarking, leather binding, etching, and
a new experience with the letterpress equipment recently
acquired at the museum... plus excursions to Assisi, Gubbio, Urbino and the Adriatic.Tuition, materials, hotel,
breakfasts, and transportation on the excursions are all
included in the 15-day fee of $3000.
A Call for Entries: In, On, Of Paper. May 25 2012 - August
1, 2012. Juror, Eileen Wallace. Deadline: April 6, 2012.
Paper Circle, a non-profit paper and book arts center
nested in the hills of southeast Ohio, will host its first
annual juried show this spring. All original works created
in, on, or of paper are welcome for consideration. $500
first place; $25 for up to two entries. Digital images only.
Enter online, or for more details visit:
www.papercircle.org/2012-juried-exhibition
AMATERAS International Annual Paper Art - Art on
Paper Exhibition/competition 2012. The Art Studio AMATERAS in Sofia, Bulgaria has the pleasure to launch series
of international paper art events. This year it will be a
part of Sofia Paper Art Fest. After its successful second
edition, showing 72 paper artists from 30 countries, the
AMATERAS Foundation has pleasure to announce this
year’s exhibition/competition for paper art in 2D and 3D,
created by artists from all over the world without restrictions of techniques, styles or materials. This exhibition is
for small paper works (2D - no larger than A4 size and 3D
no bigger than 15/15/20cm) and will be held from May
2 – June 2, 2012 at Art Alley Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria. An
international jury of selection will award cash prizes for
AMATERAS - Best of Show Award, Young Artist Award,
Innovation Award, and Bulgarian Artist Award. Deadline
for entries is March 1, 2012.
www.amateras.eu
Work by Mona Waterhouse will be included in Wall
Bound, an exhibition of artist’s books at the Art Institute of Atlanta, Decatur, GA, from March 2 - April 29,
2012. She is also one of the twenty-two artists selected
for Contemporary Paper and Encaustic, an e-publication by
Catherine Nash.
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Jill Powers’ installation piece, The Small Winged Life Insects and Climate Change, is in the exhibition The 8th
International Fiber Biennial at Snyderman Gallery in
Philadelphia March 2 to April 28th,2012
Jo Stealey has created Into the Forest, a site-specific installation of handmade paper and river willow at the
Albrecht-Kemper Museum, in St. Joseph, MO. On view
January 21-April 8, 2012.
albrecht-kemper.org/jo-stealey-into-the-forest
Announcing Peace Paper. Drew Matott has co-authored another community arts project, merging papermaking and “art as social action”. This project focuses on
using paper workshops as therapy for survivors of trauma
and abuse, training art therapists, working with displaced
international populations, and making fine art for exhibitions. In 2012, Peace Paper will be working in Basque
Country, Galicia, Turkey, The United States and India.
www.peacepaper.net
In, On, Of Paper.
May 25 2012 - August 1, 2012. Juror, Eileen Wallace.
Deadline: April 6, 2012
Paper Circle, a non-profit paper and book arts center
nested in the hills of southeast Ohio, will host its first
annual juried show this spring. All original works created
in, on, or of paper are welcome for consideration. $500
first place; $25 for up to two entries. Digital images only.
Entry and further details online.
www.papercircle.org/2012-juried-exhibition
Elaine Koretsky regrets to report that, although she
has been a member of the Friends of Dard Hunter since
it began, she and Sidney Koretsky are no longer able to
explore the making of paper by hand in remote parts of
the world. Both Elaine and Sidney have severe disabilities. Elaine says: “Sidney is about to celebrate his 90th
year, and I am nearly 29. We are delighted that we have
spent more than 30 years exploring the making of paper throughout the world, resulting in the production of
many documentary films, articles, and books related to
our adventures through the years and around the world.
However, we still hope to attend the conferences of the
Friends and the Institute of International Papermaking
(IPH).” Details about the Koretskys’ films and books can
be seen at the International Paper Museum website.
www.papermakinghistory.org
Bull & Branch
5 books, 5,000 folios is a retrospective exhibition of collaborative work by Regula Russelle and CB Sherlock.
It will run from January 13 - April 29, 2012 in the Lerner
Bindery at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, and includes a new book House of Possibility, with poems by
Joyce Sutphen. House of Possibility is a new book about
a sense of place and vocation, designed and hand-printed
by Regula Russele and CB Sherlock. The text is hand-set
Caslon type, originally from Emerson Wulling’s Sumac
Press; images and titles were translated to photopolymer
plates from original ink drawings by CB Sherlock and
printed on Bunko-Shi paper, and Kaji ribbons bind the
book in an adaptation of Claire Van Vliet’s woven book
structure. Reception with Joyce Sutphen is on Friday,
March 30, from 5:50-7:30, at the Minnesota Center for
Book Arts.
Paper, Pulp, Pages is the first major survey exhibit of
paper and book arts created by professional and emerging artists from or related to the province of Alberta. The
4,200 square foot gallery of the Alberta Craft Council will
be filled with wonderful paper and book related artworks
April 14-July 7, 2012 at 10186 - 106 Street, Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada. FDH member Susan Kristoferson proposed the exhibit and is assisting with organization of
the exhibit.
www.albertacraft.ab.ca
Susan Kristoferson and Brian Queen are active
members of the Calgary chapter of the Canadian Book
Binders and Book Artists Guild (CBBAG), which meets
monthly to share paper and book arts. All are welcome!
The chapter is planning a major juried exhibit, Art of the
Book 2013 and a related symposium for early July, 2013.
Look for upcoming details on the website.
cbbagcalgary.wordpress.com/art-of-the-book-13
Rosalind Nzinga Nichol is showing her first installation work, entitled “Snowflakes” In Celebration of Random
Order, at the Morris Museum, in Morristown, NJ, from
January 12 - March 18, 2012. The installation is part of a
twenty-year anniversary celebration of New Jersey’s oldest African American Fine Arts venue, Art In The Atrium.
The snowflakes range in size from 12” to 6’ and are all
constructed of poured pulp, through the artist’s own
unique process.
www.morrismuseum.org
CelebratingOurLegacyArtIntheAtriumExhibition.html
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Upcoming events at the Boston Paper Collective:
Abaca Lamps & Lanterns with visiting artist Helen Hiebert
February 18 & 19; Friday Open Papermaking February 10,
24; Introduction to Letterpress Printing with Wood Type
February 25. Edible books and more events to come!
bostonpapercollective.com
The website Paper Through Time, which documents
the results of research by Tim Barrett and others on the
role of gelatin and calcium in historical papers, has been
launched and is ready for visitors. Tim welcomes comments and related queries.
[email protected]
paper.lib.uiowa.edu
Helen Hiebert is offering the following workshop at
several locations around the country during the next few
months:
Feb 18/19 at the Boston Paper Collective
Peter Thomas will be the keynote speaker at The Past,
Present, and Future of the Book, an ACM Conference at
Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, IA , February 3-4 , 2012.
Kirsten Christianson will be teaching the following
workshops on learning to use a paper beater at the Paper
Discovery Center, in Appleton, WI:
I. Making Quality Paper – proper operation of a laboratory paper beater, and experimentation with cotton half
stuff. March 31, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
II. Making Quality Paper – operation of the paper beater
and processing of cotton rag into paper pulp. April 14,
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
III. Making Quality Paper – operation of the paper beater
and processing of plant fiber cooked in soda ash. April 28,
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
[email protected]
bostonpapercollective.wordpress.com/current-workshops
April 21/22 at Columbia College
www.colum.edu/Academics/interarts//pdfs/BookPaperSpring2012-Catalog.pdf
June 16/17 at the SW School of Art & Craft
www.swschool.org/
July 7/8 at California State University Fullerton
Contact Ken Lynn <[email protected]> or
Helen <[email protected]>
August 28-30 at Heron Cove on Prince Edward Island
heroncovepei.com/index.html
Workshop description: Handmade paper is a wonderful
and lightweight material for use in creating low-relief
and three-dimensional objects. By placing embedded
wire, string, and reed between wet sheets of high shrinkage abaca, the resulting dry paper has a structural form
for building. After creating the embedded paper the first
day, students will return to the studio on day two to find
the paper magically transformed and will discover ways
to further manipulate the dry sheets into forms ranging
from lamps and lanterns to low-relief and three-dimensional sculptural objects. We will experiment with glue,
thread, wire and other fasteners to create unique objects.
Helen is also working on a new book, Playing with Paper,
which will be published in January 2013. Keep up-to-date
with Helen on her blog.
please note our new
e-mail address:
[email protected]
helenhiebertstudio.com/blog
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Bull & Branch