Ecoprinting

A rainy Sunday evening is the perfect backdrop for reflection. I just spent another wonderful weekend workshopping at the Morgan. This time around I took Ecoprinting with Velma Bolyard. I didn't really know what to expect going into it, but I am astounded by all of the things I was able to create in just two days, and I wasn't even the most prolific artist in the group.

The process itself is easy, loose, and instantly satisfyingly. We began by roaming the alley behind the Morgan, clipping bits of bushes and flowers, picking up any random piece of metal that might be lying on the ground. We then folded these bits of leaves and petals, found objects and ephemera into bundles of paper. We secured the packages with bits of string and wire, metal clips and scraps of fabric. The bundles were then covered with water and cooked in a large metal pot. A lliquor of botanical juices was produced for the bundles to marinate in and the smell enveloped us as we worked, earthy and aromatic.

The prints that resulted are both gritty and breathtakingly beautiful. I think what's so magical about the process is that it's more than the sum of its parts. You combine these simple, organic materials and wind up with something that is malleable, growing, alive. I thought my ecoprints were impressive when I first undid the ties of my freshly cooked bundles, but just a few short hours later, when I unpacked the weekend's stash of prints at home, I was amazed by how much they had changed. The printed shapes were more defined and the colors had continued to develop, like a photograph. I'm sure they will only get better with time. 

Naginata Beater

Last week, the Morgan got a much anticipated addition the beater room: the naginata beater, custom built for the Morgan's Eastern Paper Studio by David Reina in Brooklyn. It's only the second beater of its kind in the United States and the only one made of stainless steel. the other naginata beater lives at the University of Iowa's Center for the Book.

Beaters of this design are used in both Japan and Korea, and they are ideal for use with Eastern fibers because, rather than cut the fibers, the curved blades tease them apart, leaving the fibers as long as possible, which makes for stronger paper.  The impressive stainless blades on our machine were cut with a water jet and it can beat up to five pounds at a time. As far as beaters go, this thing is sexy. Although Aimee got to test the machine out a couple of weeks ago in David's studio, the rest of us were dying with anticipation of its arrival.

The naginata came in a huge, wooden crate, lowered in the alley off the back of a truck. The crate was held together with about a million screws and the only way to get the beater out of the box was to unscrew all of them. Kirsten and I were so excited to get the thing out of there that we both took to the power drills with enthusiasm.

After all the build up, I couldn't miss our naginata's maiden voyage at the Morgan. I don't normally go to the Morgan on Fridays but this was one event not to miss, so I came in just to see her off.

I'vey and I drained the gampi we cooked yesterday and watched as Aimee filled the beater's steel drum with the fiber and water. In just fifteen minutes, the gampi was sufficiently beaten and I can't wait to make paper out of it. Without a doubt, the naginata is a game changer.

Marbling Madness

The best workshops are the ones that leave you feeling completely exhausted, both physically and mentally. I had the pleasure of taking just such a workshop this past weekend at the Morgan. I had long been interested in learning how to marble paper, so I was excited to take a two-day workshop with master marbler Steve Pittelkow. We had a big group-13 people, so we had to share vats, but it was nice to work with a partner. Working so closely with other people means getting to see all the fantastic results others are getting, which is one of the best parts of the workshop experience.

I really enjoyed learning how to marble. It's a very accessible medium, something you can do in your own kitchen without a lot of specialized equipment, and easy enough to do, although I suspect lots of practice is required to do it well. I left with a huge stack of beautiful marbled papers and, as a reward for assisting with the workshop and scrubbing out the vats at the end, Steve was nice enough to let me select two sheets of paper that he marbled himself. He also let me take some of the leftover marbling supplies and paper so I can continue marbling at home. Once I get some more practice in, I'm hoping to try marbling on fabric, as well. In the meantime, I have all these lovely marbled papers to play with.