Earth | Paper | Sky 2016 - Demonstrations in the Botanical Garden at Museum Hill, by Julie Weaver

Demonstrations in the Botanical Garden at Museum Hill, by Julie Weaver

Starring:

- Catherine Nash- Translucent paper casting with oriental fibers
- Carol Tyroler – The Art of Amate
- Anne Covell- Demonstration of Japanese Papermaking / Cover-Making Technique

The sky was clear and there was paper being made! It was a stunning day in the Botanical Garden on Museum Hill. After navigating down the dirt and stone path, surrounded by interesting plants, cacti, and vegetation, I found myself at a platform with the two talented papermakers, Anne Covell and Carol Tyroler. There were chairs set out for the patient viewer however the demonstrations were too inviting and tempting to not hover around and look on in amazement. Amate was a new material to me. It’s rich and lavish dark brow color made it irresistible. Smooth stones with expertly carved edges pounded into the woven material. It was an immediate reminder of the complex and global history of papermaking. Carol generously let viewers give it a try and even take home a small sample.

At the other table where Anne was located, there were ample supplies and materials to look at. She had finely tuned her craft and made the complicated process look effortless. Her brilliant 3-D-carved blocks were intriguing and elegant, but looked as if they had been around for ages. With plastic wrap and a large brush she was able to make magic happen. 

Last but not least, located in a fabulous nook of the garden was Catherine. Her station was overflowing with people and conversation. The demonstration was irresistible. There was a balance of strength in the stick structures or “frames” paired with the fragile use of fibers. Catherine’s method of pouring and constant motion kept the demo moving and questions flowing. Clearly at ease with her practice, the smooth confidence and thorough knowledge was a delight for anyone watching. I cannot think of a better backdrop for such an informative and beautiful afternoon.

- Julie Weaver

Many thanks to FDH Member Julie Weaver for this article! 

And special bonus, demonstrator Catherine Nash has generously shared the following resources related to her demo below.

Sculptural process: http://www.hatchfund.org/showcase/process_of_a_new_sculptural_work_by_catherine_nash
Art: catherinenash.com
Book: authenticvisualvoices.com
Workshops, articles & blog: papermakingresources.com

Earth | Paper | Sky 2016 - Demonstrations at the Palace of the Governors, by Sarah Krupa

Demonstrations at the Palace of the Governors, by Sarah Krupa

This year’s conference had a inspiring range of paper-making ingenuity demonstrated to us at the Palace of the Governors. To kick off the demonstrations the ever-ambitious Yama Ploskonka set up a full water-recycling papermaking studio (or was it a carnival?) right outside the back doors of the museum leading into the courtyard. The roar of his vacuum pump sucked the crowd in and his energy kept them interested. On site he demonstrated his pulp-mixer (a giant Tupperware container with a garbage disposal within), his water-saving vacuum pump (a shop-vac contraption complete with movable parts fit perfectly for his mould and deckle) the full process from one large vat, vertical couching station, and the huge layered pulp-imaging station used to show that the vacuum pump works even on large-format paper sizes.

To compliment this set up was the meditative large-scale modular mould demonstration by Hong Hong. After showing off her 12ft x 8ft paper pieces during the presentation sessions, her demonstration was small by comparison—but magical nonetheless. The deep blue kozo was splashed and sprayed and poured beneath a tree still shedding its leaves. The small yellow leaves embedded themselves within the forming-sheet and pulled together the connection between Earth Paper and Sky.

Set up in the sun was the dye-namic duo with their steaming cauldron of natural dyes. Rachael Mayer and Naomi Adams were showing off the beauty and simplicity of steam-dyeing fiber materials. They walked each group through the full process of which raw sources of dye work best for spreading across and rolling into paper, then the protective fabric to hold the capsule together with string (which were accidental beauties on their own). They did a few rounds in the allotted time and by the end you could see the results of varying times and types of dyestuff in the steam pot. They came prepared with well-organized binders full of past experiments and projects which were well worth the look-through.

- Sarah Krupa

Many thanks to FDH Member Sarah Krupa for this article!

The Morgan Conservatory’s 9th Annual Benefit

The Morgan Conservatory, the largest arts center in the United States dedicated to every facet of papermaking, book arts, and letterpress printing will host its 9th Annual Benefit Saturday, October 1st. The Benefit will feature a silent auction where attendees will have the opportunity to bid on more than 100 works of art, many created specifically for the event, by local as well as national artists, exclusive live papermaking demonstrations, live music from Syncopated Sin Swing Band with special guest Ernie Krivda, hors d’oeuvres, cash bar and more.

The Morgan’s Annual Benefit is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year and directly helps bring over 60 workshops, exhibitions and special events to its audiences each year.

“After nine years, we are beginning to see the vision of our mission to provide an epicenter of papermaking arts for established and emerging artists in Northeast Ohio and beyond” said Tom Balbo, Artistic Director of The Morgan. Balbo added, “the support from the arts community, our sponsors and all supporters of The Morgan during our Annual Benefit has helped make our vision a reality these last nine years.”

The Morgan’s 9th Annual Benefit takes place Saturday, October 1st from 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm at the Morgan – 1754 E. 47th St. Cleveland, OH 44103. Pre-order tickets are available now. Admission for members is $30, non-members $35. Tickets for students with valid student ID are $10.