Foiled again, but quilled !

Another few days spent on a mountain top in NY's Catskill Mountains (Thanksgiving) and an opportunity to look for plant material for papermaking.

I located a stand of blackberry canes early last Spring but was unable to collect them due to bear activity !... Trying again this November I was turned back by ice and sleet storms. Not giving up....maybe next visit.

Blackberry canes or brambles make an almost black dye or so I've been told and a fair paper. I have free access to all I can fit in my truck at this location. So eventually I will experiment with this fiber.

I did manage to acquire quite a few porcupine quills. I'm guessing they will show up in some new handmade paper as inclusions. The quills are a little dangerous !


Acres of fiber just waiting......


Several years ago I bought Douglas Howell's daughter's family linens at a Friends of Dard Hunter auction and paper conference.

Howell is credited as having revived the art of handmade paper in the 1950's. Most current papermakers can be linked by instructor back to Howell who made beautiful pure paper from linen cloth using only fiber and water and traditional methods... no shortcuts. He loft dried his papers then repressed them.

Howell's fine papers were used by Jasper Johns, Jackson Pollok, Robert Rauschenberg and others. Wherever fine art is shown you can find prints, watercolors and collages of famous artists on his paper. He marked all his papers inconspicuously with a watermark -DH, or an embossed -DH. Fun to look for - I found several in MOMA NYC.

I used an old Irish linen holiday table cloth donated to the auction by his daughter, Elizabeth King, to make some strong thick watercolor type papers for a project. I tried my best to follow the methods of Howell and loft dried most of the paper (my first attempt). My favorite hand made paper to date !

I kept every scrap... and was able to use small pieces for this year's Holiday greeting cards. Thought I'd share the result. Snowflakes punched out of pure white linen paper.

Paper Conference, Joomchi, Pulp and Books

2010 Friends of Dard Hunter Annual International Hand Papermaking Conference was held at The Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg Tennessee.

Once again an incredible few days of amazing papermaking demonstrations, art shows and lectures by the best of the best in the hand papermaking world. Too many to describe here. To see the results and a quick video (my sea grass papers can bee seen on a table if you look quick!) please check Sights and Sounds of Gatlinburg.

ALSO look at the Crane Paper Company site to see my little button project made for this conference...it is listed under "Small papers showcase large talents" - I'm very honored to be included here.

Joomchi ...a new word and paper process for me !... It's a Korean form of felting paper. Using strong Asian type papers (mulberry) of different shapes and colors stacked and layered over each other to create a design (quilt like), Lisa Hoesing formed one solid sheet from these layered papers. She folded and refolded the stack many times kneading the small folded bundle in between each fold. The fibers somehow melded together. Beautiful. We all made a semi-perfect sheet of paper ... simple BUT requires practice to develop a rhythm and style.

I see Joomchi in my future and will no doubt show up in the classes I teach.

Joomchi ! Paper Felting demonstrated by Lisa Hoesing


Katherine Nash demonstrating her encaustic (wax) technique for Book and Paper Artists.

Shannon Brock's demonstration of pulp layering. Her wonderful work looks like drawings, you'd never guess it was all colored thin layers of pulp. Her fine lines and many translucent layers have always been a mystery to me... not anymore ! Her generosity in sharing her method is typical of most of the master papermakers who attend this conference.

Jim Croft makes the most beautiful books. He makes wooden book covers from trees he selects, makes the thread from spinning flax and tans hides and makes paper from many things including old fire hoses using a stamper - only methods practiced hundreds of years ago (before the Hollander beater was invented) A joy to see and touch.

Finally, Sidney Koretsky, lectures about his excursions in China with his wife, papermaker Elaine Koretsky. They have been traveling and taking willing students on trips to remote papermaking villages in China for more than 30 years.

They had heard rumors of very large papers being made by hand but never located such an operation until the last trip. Their lectures are always full of great information and tales of the trials of traveling by primitive methods (sometimes ox cart) to reach such villages. This was no exception.

The audience was stunned (ooh's and ahh's) watching a video of these gigantic papers being made by hand. The show stopper was a sheet they brought to the conference - asking for volunteers to come up and help unfold this single sheet.... more and more volunteers were needed as the paper grew in size... then a standing ovation.... what a treasure - Elaine and Sydney Koretsky!

An Evening of the Arts

A Magical Gala Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of AN EVENING OF THE ARTS

An Evening of the Arts Presented by Island School Council for the Arts, Friday, September 24, 2010 at Historic Honey Horn Plantation 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. Tickets $125.00. To reserve call ISCA: (843) 681-5381 Arts Gala Fundraiser with live Art Auction. Proceeds benefit Artists in Education Program. ISCA on facebook.

"Little Women" one of three pieces I created several years ago using discarded book parts, wax and other found objects will be one of many art works auctioned off for this benefit. Mira Scott of the Picture This Gallery on Hilton Head Island is the organizer of the event.



This is a difficult piece to photograph. The two other companion pieces are privately owned and one was pictured in a New York Times art review by Helen Harrison. The three pieces have been successfully shown in several NY galleries and I continue to "borrow" (on loan from:) from the owners for showings. I love these pieces and have recently purchased canvases to create smaller similar pieces. Brown craft paper is glued to the canvas then wax applied along with book parts and other found objects.... this (pictured above) is 30"x36". All in the set use wax dipped, multiple pages from a decayed book - Little Women by Alcott (I have 5 sisters - 6 girls !) so this piece may have subconsciously come from that fact. It's more about women's equality... I think.

a print of a crow with a chicken bone is caged behind wire screening

Blue, Blue, Indigo

Indigo (indigofera tinctoria) was a huge cash crop for South Carolina between 1740 and 1790 actually changing the economics of the whole state. This was replaced with cotton. Remains of the plantings of Indigo can still be found in my area which make finding this plant and working with it an interesting project. It seems that indigo (dye) is present in all parts of the plant - leaves, stem and root. The processing is very unique and difficult but not unlike making paper from plants. I was wondering if anyone had ever tried this ?


my cloth drying on a saw palmetto plant

I attended a workshop at The Coastal Discovery Center in the Honey Horn Plantation Preserve of Hilton Head given by Karen Hall of Clemson University. What fun.... there were at least 25 crafts persons attending, most dressed in some form of indigo! (blue jeans)... We all made a decorated cloth and hung it to dry while taking a walk to Honey Horn's indigo garden. A very unimpressive plant... looks like a big weed! So now I'm on the lookout for this growing wild but bought seeds at the gift shop just in case.


other designs (most tie dyed)


indigo dyeing under live oaks, hanging Spanish moss and palmetto palms

Friends of Dard Hunter Conference

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (founded in 1912)is hosting the Friends of Dard Hunter 2010 Paper Conference this year in Gatlinburg Tennessee

Conference - October 18th-24th

- October 19th-21st workshops
- October 21st-24th meeting

I can't wait. These conferences bring together national and international hand papermakers for a few days for workshops, lectures, art shows, new ideas, tools, theories, master and novice papermakers and bookbinders, scientists, educators - all anxious to share their knowledge. All committed to keeping the tradition of the art of hand papermaking alive.

I will be attending with my long time friend and artist, Madeline Gary of Charlotte, NC. Part of the fun is chatting on the drive to Tennessee while anticipating new found knowledge like making bone folders from bone and antlers (Jim Croft demonstration) or Explorations with Encaustic (Catherine Nash), Miniature Books (Peter Thomas), Clay moulds for paper casting (Jon Hook)- on and on. The ride home equally exciting as we discuss it all and try to remember what we learned and what we will put to use. This conference is the highlight of each year in papermaking.

I will enter a piece for the art show at the conference "Into the Woods" (in progress)


more copper sunset papers


mixing sticks

making my favorite tools for the FDH Trade Fair along with other tools and papermaking "things"... walnut hulls for dye, feathers - as well as stacks of unusual papers. I take a table almost every year as a way of meeting new members or visitors and to let everyone know what new projects I'm working on.... not a money maker by any means...just a fun way to socialize.
Each mixing stick has a whittled handle and tip that is hammered into a drilled hole in the "X" then sanded - no glue or nails... each unique and crafted to feel good in your hand.

I use one for each vat of pulp I'm using, especially when working with children's classes. This prevents little hands from cross contaminating the vats of different colored pulps... and fun for the children as well.


sea grass, banana, copper


still making more - sunset copper

Copper Sunsets and Paste Papers

Last night there was a most beautiful "copper" sunset - it looked as if all of Bluffton was ablaze ! The next morning at 7 am the sunrise was equally as beautiful... everything coppery - hmmmm.
I was about to enter my studio for a day of paper decorating - maybe copper paste papers or copper marbleized papers for books or buttons ?


7 am sunrise from my front door in the lush SC low country

I was still thinking of my conversation with my daughter the night before and about how very special old handmade books are...to have the privilege of touching and feeling work from so many centuries before..... inspiring.
My daughter received a gift of an 18th century Italian prayer book dated 1750 with gorges marbleized end papers. Not sure if she was reading the roman numerals correctly, I got out my French book, handmade and water marked papers, gilded, dated 1782 also with beautiful marbleized papers. Our serendipitous conversation was held between the copper sunset and copper sunrise.


title page (French book) 1782



gilt pages and marbleized endpapers
(glue on leather seeping through the end papers around the edges)


paste papers drying

I started working with my recycled photo and sea grass fiber papers and played with metallic copper acrylic and wheat paste. By the end of the day I had a line full paste papers drying and I loved the results. My very own sunset in my studio.


paste paper buttons

These are some of the cards I'm making for the keepsake program for a paper conference in Gatlinburg, TN. Friends of Dard Hunter I used the dried copper papers for some buttons,(my favorite so far) the yellow paper is dyed with turmeric the rest are banana, corn husk and cotton with commercial dyes. I need to make lots more copper or rather "Sunrise" papers...ideas welcome !

Its Official

Classes at Moon Tide Paper Studio

While there have been many visitors, an unofficial class to christen the studio, demonstrations and collaborations, this past week I had my first official student- 7 year old R.J. who brought along his mom and grandmother. A 90 minute class netted many wonderful papers. R.J. double dipped, used shaped deckles and added leaves and insect wings collected for the class.


R.J. demonstrating his favorite tool......the mixing stick !

He was content to "hog the slurry" by hand but not sure he wanted to put his hands in the vat after the addition of banana skin and sea grass pulp.


R.J. proudly looking over his creations.

After discussing various ways to dry his paper and viewing samples, R.J. decided to air dry all. He returned to show me the finished work - and I think I may have found a new studio assistant. He will use his best sheet to write "What I did this summer" for his first day back at school on August 16th.


The next class !

A day later I had 8 students (all home schooled) visit Moon Tide Paper Studio for a one hour class. Most had the same reaction to the vat of pulp that R.J. had - yuck !- once the cotton pulp was darkened by banana skin and sea grass pulp... but after a few twirls with the mixing stick fear subsided. It was at least 100 degrees and about 115 heat index !!! We piled into the studio (air conditioned) for a long talk and all participated in a detailed demo -BUT- then we HAD to go out to the deck to form the sheets on felts. We then pressed the posts in my favorite press- always a show stopper. We ran back to the studio (WHEW ) to transfer the paper for the trip home, picture taking and cooling off. They were a wonderful group, worked so well together...all helped each other and all very creative. What fun. Anxious to hear how their papers turned out.

Wonderful smiling faces, next class : hand beating plant fibers !

Paper pressed into plaster button molds !

Still experimenting. (maybe a woodblock print? pulp painting ?) Trying to find the right combination of paper, button image, and medium to use for 200 small pieces of work for the keepsake event at the Friends of Dard Hunter Paper Conference in Gatlinburg TN at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. (http://www.arrowmont.org/) October 18-24, 2010

Can"t wait..........