Make An Impression!
The Art of Combining Handmade Paper and Print
October 12, 2009 — January 4, 2010
The Neely Gallery in the Georgia Tech Library and Information Center will be the site of the 2009 Friends of Dard Hunter Member’s Exhibition. This is a juried exhibition with the theme of handmade paper combined with print. This theme is intended in the broadest terms. All methods of printing on handmade paper will be considered.
Criteria:
Due to space and display case constraints:
Two-Dimensional works may not exceed 36” in width and 45” in height
Three-Dimensional works may not exceed 30” in width and depth and 20” in height
No work may exceed 30 pounds in weight. No work can be suspended from the ceiling.
All work must incorporate some handmade paper and some form of print.
Each artist may submit up to three works.
Works previously shown in a Friends of Dard Hunter exhibition or at the Robert C. Williams Paper Museum at Gerogia Tech are not eligible for this exhibition. Work will not be offered for sale from this exhibition.
Jurors are:
Mona Waterhouse, Artist and papermaker. www.monawaterhouse.com
Marcia Watt, Book and paper artist, calligrapher and educator.
Kirk Henderson, Records Manager of the Georgia Tech Library and Information Center.
To Apply:
Please submit 35mm slides or digital images on a disc. One additional detail image per work will be accepted. Digitals files should be of print quality: 300 dpi, no larger than 10” in either dimension, jpeg or tif files.
Please include in your submission, contact information, the title of the piece, the size, and the media.
For the return of your images, please include a self addressed envelpe with correct postage.
Your submission must be received by September 1, 2009.
All submissions must be made through the mail, no electronic submissions will be accepted for this exhibition.
Mail your entry to: Kirk Henderson, Georgia Tech Library and Information Center,
704 Cherry St.,
Atlanta, GA 30332-0900
All accepted work must be ready for hanging. For framed work, only plexiglass will be accepted.
Artists are responsible for all shipping expenses and insurance while in transit. All work must be shipped in sturdy reusable containers and include all return shipping documents and fees.
No work will be hung that does not meet these criteria. Additional shipping information will be shared upon acceptance to the exhibition.
Timeline:
September 1, 2009 Deadline for submission. This is a received by date, not postmark date.
September 15, 2009 Jury decision will be delivered via e-mail.
October 2, 2009 Work must be received at the library, ready to be hung
October 16, 2009 Opening Reception, part of the 2009 FDH Conference
January 4, 2010 Exhibition closes. Work will be packed and shipped over the following week.
Please direct your questions to Cindy.Bowden@ipst.gatech.edu
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Send in Your News!
Paul Denhoed sent along this request for news:
The next issue of the Bull & Branch is on schedule to be released online at the beginning of September.
I am calling for items to be included in the "Friends' doings and happenings" section -- any shows, publications, events or other items that you think your fellow members should know about.
Inclusion in the doings and happenings section is free to members, so please send me the text of your announcement, by Aug 3, to snowback@mac.com.
I am happy to answer any queries at the same address.
The next issue of the Bull & Branch is on schedule to be released online at the beginning of September.
I am calling for items to be included in the "Friends' doings and happenings" section -- any shows, publications, events or other items that you think your fellow members should know about.
Inclusion in the doings and happenings section is free to members, so please send me the text of your announcement, by Aug 3, to snowback@mac.com.
I am happy to answer any queries at the same address.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Class Openings at Women's Studio Workshop
The Women's Studio Workshop still has a few spots available in some of their Summer Arts Institute papermaking workshops this summer. These classes are week-long intensives designed to give students in-depth training in papermaking techniques, regardless of your experience level.
Class size is limited to just 6 students, so even more seasoned papermakers can benefit from this opportunity to expand and build upon an artistic skill set with individual attention from their expert teachers.
Papermaking & Encaustic
July 20 - 24 with Tana Kellner & Cynthia Winika
Course Description: http://www.wsworksh
Asian Papermaking
July 27 - 31 with Tatiana Ginsberg
Course Description: http://www.wsworksh
Pulp Painting
August 3 - 7 with Shannon Brock
Course Description: http://www.wsworksh
Please contact Sandra Brown if you'd like to register for a workshop, or if you have any questions.
More information about Summer Arts Institute classes available online at: www.wsworkshop.org.
Sandra Brown
Women's Studio Workshop
sandra@wsworkshop.
Ph. (845) 658-9133
722 Binnewater Ln
PO Box 489
Rosendale NY 12472
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Annual Meeting Information Available Online
Shannon Brock, Vice President of Publicity and Outreach for the Friends of Dard Hunter sent along a note to let everyone know that our annual conference is fast approaching. "We are thrilled to announce that the 2009 Friends of Dard Hunter Conference Information is now launched on our website."
Remember to refresh your screen on each page to receive the most recent information. All of the forms are downloadable PDF files, AND they are interactive. You may complete them in Adobe Acrobat and submit them directly online if you so desire. The one challenge is that when you complete your registration form and submit it online to our treasurer, Cecile Webster, you MUST remember your total. Then, click on the Buy Now button on the Annual Meeting page to pay with your credit card via PayPal. It is a single field that will ask you for the total amount. Not exactly seamless, but we're still learning.
Remember to refresh your screen on each page to receive the most recent information. All of the forms are downloadable PDF files, AND they are interactive. You may complete them in Adobe Acrobat and submit them directly online if you so desire. The one challenge is that when you complete your registration form and submit it online to our treasurer, Cecile Webster, you MUST remember your total. Then, click on the Buy Now button on the Annual Meeting page to pay with your credit card via PayPal. It is a single field that will ask you for the total amount. Not exactly seamless, but we're still learning.
The one piece of information that is yet to be posted is the Member's Exhibition. We are finalizing the information and I hope to have it posted by next weekend.
If you have never attended one of our conferences this would be a good place to start! Hope to meet many of you in Atlanta!
Happy Papermaking!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Hand Papermaking Magazine Auction Starts Saturday
Hand Papermaking Auction begins this Saturday
Join the fun! Hand Papermaking's 11th Annual Online Auction takes
place April 18-25.
Thanks to generous donors, 38 unique and valuable items will go to the
highest bidders, with 100% of proceeds benefiting our non-profit
programs. This year's offerings include rare and unusual books about
papermaking, stunning paper artwork, limited-edition paper
collections, hard-to-find equipment, plenty of geographically diverse
fibers, studio time in Ohio/Vermont/Oregon/New Jersey, digital films
and presentations, historic artifacts, gift items, and more!
Check it out at www.handpapermaking.org/auction and plan to bid often
before the gavel falls on April 25 at 5:00pm eastern time.
Join the fun! Hand Papermaking's 11th Annual Online Auction takes
place April 18-25.
Thanks to generous donors, 38 unique and valuable items will go to the
highest bidders, with 100% of proceeds benefiting our non-profit
programs. This year's offerings include rare and unusual books about
papermaking, stunning paper artwork, limited-edition paper
collections, hard-to-find equipment, plenty of geographically diverse
fibers, studio time in Ohio/Vermont/Oregon/New Jersey, digital films
and presentations, historic artifacts, gift items, and more!
Check it out at www.handpapermaking.org/auction and plan to bid often
before the gavel falls on April 25 at 5:00pm eastern time.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Drew Luan Matott: A Wanderer's Tale
Peter's Note: I can't quite recall when the last time was I saw Drew Luan Matott. It was either here in Pownal, Vermont, with Drew Cameron as they took my old rag shredder to Burlington, or it was in Washington, D.C., dancing on a table as women stuffed money in his trousers.....
Papermaker Pam Frandina Meheran found Drew sunning himself on the beach in Valencia Spain. He was burned and a bit tipsy, which she felt was not unusual. As they sipped on a luscious peppery 1994 Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Gran Reserva, she questioned him on his recent international adventures.
Pam Frandina Meheran: Mr. Matott, as a young American originally from rural New York State, how has international travel changed your perspectives on life? What have you been doing with your time? And what is your view on living life from a suitcase?
Drew Matott: I have been traveling overseas since January. I left the United States from San Francisco, traveling with only a small leather side satchel. The contents I will list here: two pair of socks, two pairs of underwear (one doubles as sea trousers), two sleeveless undershirts, one button shirt, a small journal, three pens, a bag of toiletries, and a few boxes of EmergenC nutrition packets. The suitcase life can actually work for me in Europe, more so than in the US, because Europeans really aren’t concerned with trivialities such as repeat wearing of the same clothes. Or maybe I haven't stuck around long enough to be noticed in the same old rags.
PFM: So what are your plans? Where are you going, how long are you staying, and what do you seek to accomplish?
DM: With no return ticket to the United States, I have no real destination or objective to this trip, except to see where the wind and my feet would take me. Hence the light baggage. Originally I had anticipated traveling with a peddle-operated beater, and commissioned Lee MacDonald to make a suitcase sized model, but while contemplating in the SF airport parking lot (where I observed many people make major life decisions), I began mulling over the possible mess of explaining a beater to international customs agents, who undoubtedly would assume it was a weapon of mass destruction. Ultimately, I decided it was best to make this initial foray without it.
PFM: What peaked your curiosity to see more of the world at this point in your life?
DM: Part of why I left was to rediscover the joys of anonymity and leisure. I was was getting a little burned out due to rigorous demands of Combat Paper. I felt the need to get some distance to see it in a new light. I intentionally left my cell phone and laptop in the states so I could drop out for a while. To be honest, I am really enjoying this beach. I can't seem to locate any papermakers in Valencia, which to me, translates as "niche market".
PFM: Hmmm ... dropping out. Yes, I do recall previous attempts towards that state during moments of your undergrad years. But, okay, moving forward .... so you've been spending lots of hours at the beach? Can you summarize what else you've been doing with your time overseas?
DM: Yeah, ummmm.... what have I been up to....
from San Francisco, I flew to India where I taught basic book and paper arts to women who have been rescued from prostitution in Kolkata and Delhi.
PFM: Tell me about that project. How did the women respond to the paper processes? Was it a cathartic experience for them? Given their history, how did they respond to your male presence?
DM: I worked with Arizona State University's Creative Writing Professor Melissa Pritchard to conduct a sampling of artmaking, bookbinding and writing workshops at several orphanages and programs that assist rescued prostitutes in India.
We used handmade paper that I had made to make journals. I taught pamphlet stitch with pages that utilize the accordion and gate folds as a means to emphasize different narrative elements of the page turn, i.e the element of surprise, etc... The girls then used the pamphlet books to write their poetry in. I think the most important thing that I noticed was how much care they took in making their books. And when finished, generally speaking they couldn't wait to arrange their writings in the pages. I don't think it was cathartic as much as just being creative and learning. But I suppose that is a part of catharsis.
Phew... I am really not sure if they responded to me any differently as the result of me being a male. At first they were very quiet and reserved, but by the end of all the workshops they were laughing and we were having fun. I think the fact that we were strange American-folk was more of an alienation than my gender.
The exercises never addressed the girls' past directly, they were always about expressing where they were at and where they want to see themselves- that was Melissa's charm, she was able to get them to broadcast a sentiment of hope for a better future. I think that is something I can take with me.
PFM: How did the project affect you? What did you learn?
First of all, I had no idea of the rise of such an industry in India. Girls are often kidnapped or sold into prostitution. It is really quite a rattling reality.
I thought my work with the veteran suffering from PTSD would have better prepared me for this kind of work, but each injustice has to be met with a keen understanding of the issues at hand. I think that's what I learned most from my experiences in India: there are no blanket solutions. As creative beings, it's important to spend thorough amount of energy in understanding the issues before attempting solutions meant to address them.
I fostered some good exercises, but in the end I was kind of treading water –meaning, I did not come adequately prepared for what I experienced. Melissa Pritchard has done this kind of thing several times … she was my saving grace!
I learned a lot. Mostly that there is so much work to be done out there. It may take me a lifetime to digest my experiences in India. I don't think that is too uncommon for westerners to say. I suppose I will leave it there.
More to follow.....
Papermaker Pam Frandina Meheran found Drew sunning himself on the beach in Valencia Spain. He was burned and a bit tipsy, which she felt was not unusual. As they sipped on a luscious peppery 1994 Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Gran Reserva, she questioned him on his recent international adventures.
Pam Frandina Meheran: Mr. Matott, as a young American originally from rural New York State, how has international travel changed your perspectives on life? What have you been doing with your time? And what is your view on living life from a suitcase?
Drew Matott: I have been traveling overseas since January. I left the United States from San Francisco, traveling with only a small leather side satchel. The contents I will list here: two pair of socks, two pairs of underwear (one doubles as sea trousers), two sleeveless undershirts, one button shirt, a small journal, three pens, a bag of toiletries, and a few boxes of EmergenC nutrition packets. The suitcase life can actually work for me in Europe, more so than in the US, because Europeans really aren’t concerned with trivialities such as repeat wearing of the same clothes. Or maybe I haven't stuck around long enough to be noticed in the same old rags.
PFM: So what are your plans? Where are you going, how long are you staying, and what do you seek to accomplish?
DM: With no return ticket to the United States, I have no real destination or objective to this trip, except to see where the wind and my feet would take me. Hence the light baggage. Originally I had anticipated traveling with a peddle-operated beater, and commissioned Lee MacDonald to make a suitcase sized model, but while contemplating in the SF airport parking lot (where I observed many people make major life decisions), I began mulling over the possible mess of explaining a beater to international customs agents, who undoubtedly would assume it was a weapon of mass destruction. Ultimately, I decided it was best to make this initial foray without it.
PFM: What peaked your curiosity to see more of the world at this point in your life?
DM: Part of why I left was to rediscover the joys of anonymity and leisure. I was was getting a little burned out due to rigorous demands of Combat Paper. I felt the need to get some distance to see it in a new light. I intentionally left my cell phone and laptop in the states so I could drop out for a while. To be honest, I am really enjoying this beach. I can't seem to locate any papermakers in Valencia, which to me, translates as "niche market".
PFM: Hmmm ... dropping out. Yes, I do recall previous attempts towards that state during moments of your undergrad years. But, okay, moving forward .... so you've been spending lots of hours at the beach? Can you summarize what else you've been doing with your time overseas?
DM: Yeah, ummmm.... what have I been up to....
from San Francisco, I flew to India where I taught basic book and paper arts to women who have been rescued from prostitution in Kolkata and Delhi.
PFM: Tell me about that project. How did the women respond to the paper processes? Was it a cathartic experience for them? Given their history, how did they respond to your male presence?
DM: I worked with Arizona State University's Creative Writing Professor Melissa Pritchard to conduct a sampling of artmaking, bookbinding and writing workshops at several orphanages and programs that assist rescued prostitutes in India.
We used handmade paper that I had made to make journals. I taught pamphlet stitch with pages that utilize the accordion and gate folds as a means to emphasize different narrative elements of the page turn, i.e the element of surprise, etc... The girls then used the pamphlet books to write their poetry in. I think the most important thing that I noticed was how much care they took in making their books. And when finished, generally speaking they couldn't wait to arrange their writings in the pages. I don't think it was cathartic as much as just being creative and learning. But I suppose that is a part of catharsis.
Phew... I am really not sure if they responded to me any differently as the result of me being a male. At first they were very quiet and reserved, but by the end of all the workshops they were laughing and we were having fun. I think the fact that we were strange American-folk was more of an alienation than my gender.
The exercises never addressed the girls' past directly, they were always about expressing where they were at and where they want to see themselves- that was Melissa's charm, she was able to get them to broadcast a sentiment of hope for a better future. I think that is something I can take with me.
PFM: How did the project affect you? What did you learn?
First of all, I had no idea of the rise of such an industry in India. Girls are often kidnapped or sold into prostitution. It is really quite a rattling reality.
I thought my work with the veteran suffering from PTSD would have better prepared me for this kind of work, but each injustice has to be met with a keen understanding of the issues at hand. I think that's what I learned most from my experiences in India: there are no blanket solutions. As creative beings, it's important to spend thorough amount of energy in understanding the issues before attempting solutions meant to address them.
I fostered some good exercises, but in the end I was kind of treading water –meaning, I did not come adequately prepared for what I experienced. Melissa Pritchard has done this kind of thing several times … she was my saving grace!
I learned a lot. Mostly that there is so much work to be done out there. It may take me a lifetime to digest my experiences in India. I don't think that is too uncommon for westerners to say. I suppose I will leave it there.
More to follow.....
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Help Needed to Identify Mystery Fiber Plant
Dear Friends:
A request for help from John Stahl:
For many years I have been trying to set up a pulp mill to make pulp and paper from hemp, kenaf, and other non-wood fibers. This has proceeded very slowly every step of the way, but at least we finally have a small prototype built. It is currently located in one of the least stable of the world’s countries (you don’t want to know), but we will probably set it up here in Cambodia to provide pulp for a project making handmade paper, while waiting for serious investors to creep back out from the woodwork whence they have vanished since the world-wide financial melt-down.
The project was originally set up to assist kids who live at the local dump-site, eking out a precarious existence scavenging stuff to recycle. They were trying to re-pulp paper scraps into hand made paper which they would then decorate into greeting cards for sale to Western donors. The problem was that they had no idea of what they were doing (their paper was just junk that would fall apart if you tried to handle it), so I have been volunteering to help them make much better paper.
They have already built fairly decent moulds and deckles from primitive tools and native materials, and we are now working on a very primitive Hollander beater. The design I gave them features a hand crank with a mill-stone for a beater roll, which will still put them miles ahead of pounding pulp with sticks. Of course I know that the shaft will have to be fitted with a pulley, belt, and motor, but when they tell me “there is no power available,” I pretend to accept that, for now.
Cheap labor they have plenty of, and there are willing hands (and backs) ready to take a turn at the hand crank – these kids are desperately poor, remember. (“Oh, you want to add on a motor after all? What an excellent idea . . . ”)
To strengthen their pulp, I want to cultivate kenaf, and I am working on getting seeds over here, but I found a wonderful fiber plant that seems quite amazing to me. It was so tough that I could barely pull off a cutting, but I have succeeded in getting a healthy cutting started. It is a good thing, because the original mother plant has been destroyed to a road-widening project.
This plant is so good that I am sure it is a known fiber plant, and I am seeking help to identify it. If anyone has any familiarity with tropical fiber plants, please write to me directly at tree@tree.org and I will send along some photos of the plant to help with identification. I am just waiting for it to flower and produce seed, and then I want to start up a plantation.
By the way, some years ago I sent out free packets of kenaf to lots of people who requested it, and if any of that kenaf is still in cultivation, I would love to get a packet of seed sent to me here in Cambodia (write for my address).
Also, while I am writing here, does anyone have experience with roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa)? It is a smaller version of kenaf, but it features wonderful red calyxes, the source of the hibiscus in Red Zinger tea. It is “cultivated primarily for its fiber” so I have the idea of cultivating it as a dual crop to make it profitable for the local farmers.
I am trying to quit drinking coffee which (unfortunately) is unusually good over here.
A request for help from John Stahl:
For many years I have been trying to set up a pulp mill to make pulp and paper from hemp, kenaf, and other non-wood fibers. This has proceeded very slowly every step of the way, but at least we finally have a small prototype built. It is currently located in one of the least stable of the world’s countries (you don’t want to know), but we will probably set it up here in Cambodia to provide pulp for a project making handmade paper, while waiting for serious investors to creep back out from the woodwork whence they have vanished since the world-wide financial melt-down.
The project was originally set up to assist kids who live at the local dump-site, eking out a precarious existence scavenging stuff to recycle. They were trying to re-pulp paper scraps into hand made paper which they would then decorate into greeting cards for sale to Western donors. The problem was that they had no idea of what they were doing (their paper was just junk that would fall apart if you tried to handle it), so I have been volunteering to help them make much better paper.They have already built fairly decent moulds and deckles from primitive tools and native materials, and we are now working on a very primitive Hollander beater. The design I gave them features a hand crank with a mill-stone for a beater roll, which will still put them miles ahead of pounding pulp with sticks. Of course I know that the shaft will have to be fitted with a pulley, belt, and motor, but when they tell me “there is no power available,” I pretend to accept that, for now.
Cheap labor they have plenty of, and there are willing hands (and backs) ready to take a turn at the hand crank – these kids are desperately poor, remember. (“Oh, you want to add on a motor after all? What an excellent idea . . . ”)
To strengthen their pulp, I want to cultivate kenaf, and I am working on getting seeds over here, but I found a wonderful fiber plant that seems quite amazing to me. It was so tough that I could barely pull off a cutting, but I have succeeded in getting a healthy cutting started. It is a good thing, because the original mother plant has been destroyed to a road-widening project.
This plant is so good that I am sure it is a known fiber plant, and I am seeking help to identify it. If anyone has any familiarity with tropical fiber plants, please write to me directly at tree@tree.org and I will send along some photos of the plant to help with identification. I am just waiting for it to flower and produce seed, and then I want to start up a plantation. 
By the way, some years ago I sent out free packets of kenaf to lots of people who requested it, and if any of that kenaf is still in cultivation, I would love to get a packet of seed sent to me here in Cambodia (write for my address).
Also, while I am writing here, does anyone have experience with roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa)? It is a smaller version of kenaf, but it features wonderful red calyxes, the source of the hibiscus in Red Zinger tea. It is “cultivated primarily for its fiber” so I have the idea of cultivating it as a dual crop to make it profitable for the local farmers.
I am trying to quit drinking coffee which (unfortunately) is unusually good over here.
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