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.

One Year Down

My Spring semester is over, which is hard to believe (where did the time go?) but even more unbelievable is that fact that I have completed my first year of graduate school. It seems like only yesterday that I was wondering what I had gotten myself into and having anxiety attacks about whether or not I could hack it as an art student. I'm happy to report that this first year has gone better than expected and, even though it will likely take several more years to complete the degree, that's alright with me because I actually like what I'm doing. For once in my life, I'm not rushing through to get to the next thing, I'm enjoying the journey. Without a doubt, I know I'm right where I'm supposed to be. 

Now that I'm off school for the Summer I actually get to have one day off a week and I must admit, I don't really know what to do with myself. Yes, I have plenty of things I could work on, but not having that nagging feeling that I have some kind of looming deadline is a little odd, but I also feel lighter and more well-rested. I'm definitely going to throw myself into some new projects this Summer, though. Not having to produce work for class gives me a little more freedom to experiment and I'm excited to see what comes out of that. 

Anyway, I'm still keeping busy between work and my apprenticeship at the Morgan. I'm already halfway done with the apprenticeship, which is actually something that makes me incredibly sad. I love being there so much that I don't want to leave. I love every bit of my work there. Today Aimee and I went to Home Depot to get 12 bags of potting soil for the garden. Not only was it the hottest day we've had yet this season, but we loaded those heavy bags into two shopping carts and then into the car on our own. I was covered in dirt and sweat and it was tiring but I found it wholly satisfying. Working with my hands is engaging and I like that I get tangible results from the work I do- I put the time and effort in and I end up with beautiful, simple paper. I wish I could spend all my days at the Morgan making paper. It feels right, it feels like home. I am a papermaker. 

All Work and No Play

I'm not going to lie, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. While I enjoyed the week off of school for Spring Break, I'm dying for something more substantial-a real vacation or maybe just some days off where I don't actually have any obligations or errands to tend to. I spent most of my break playing catch up on things for class and working at the Morgan. I indulged in a little reading for pleasure, a rarity these days, as I'm usually stuck with my nose in a textbook, and I even got a few workouts in, hoping that more regular exercise will give me the extra energy that I so desperately need.

Even though I got a lot done, if I'm being completely honest, I procrastinated on a few things as well, namely, my research paper for the Dada and Surrealism class I'm taking. In fact, I'm putting off working on my paper in favor of writing this blog instead. I hate writing research papers. Not because of the writing part, that part is usually pretty easy for me, but I'm terrible at the length part. I'm better at saying what I want to say in as few words as possible than I am at reaching some pre-set page limit. Anyway, the deadline for this paper is rapidly approaching and there is only a little more than a month left of the semester, which means I'm starting to really feel the pressure. I'd like to just buckle down and get some serious work done on this paper and on my pieces that will be due when I have final critique, but in order to settle in for a good long chunk of productive work, one needs free time. I don't have free time, so I'm trying to squeeze everything in during the couple of hours I might have in the morning if I get up early enough or in the evening, after I'm already mentally a physically exhausted from work, school, the apprenticeship, life in general, etc. Have I bitten off more than I can chew? Probably. Am I going to make it through? Absolutely. Because there is no other choice. I'd cry about it, but that would just take too much time. In the meantime, I'm just going to have to deal with feeling overwhelmed and fighting the growing urge to blow everything off and quit these responsibilities in favor of napping on the couch with the dog, eating chips and watching television in my pajamas.

Working With My Hands

I'm officially on Spring break, and not a moment too soon. I don't know if it's this never ending Winter or the fact that I'm over-committed and overwhelmed, but I can never seem to get enough sleep. I'm planning on catching up over break, as well as attempting to finish some projects for class. Hopefully, productivity won't get overlooked in favor of nap time.

Even though it's officially Spring according to the calendar, the snow still falls and I feel like I'll be wearing my giant down parka forever. We've had a few nice days, though. On Tuesday Ivey and I took our lunch out on the stoop at the Morgan and ate with the wonderfully warm sun shining on our faces. It's important to enjoy each nice day as it comes.

After lunch, we started planting Tororo-Aoi seeds. Tororo can be used as a formation aid in Eastern papermaking. A formation aid is necessary in order to keep the fibers suspended evenly in the vat so that uniform sheets can be pulled without having to constantly stir. We've been using PMP, a synthetic formation aid, thus far, but the Tororo seeds should eventually turn into something we can use as a natural formation aid.

Ivey and I also worked on gluing, plugging, sanding, and varnishing the papermaking frames that Tom made. All the sawdust and elbow grease made me feel very industrious. It also reminded me of my grandpa, who was an amazing, self-taught woodworker and enthusiastic gardener. I feel like I'm following in his footsteps, and I'm learning how much I really love working with my hands. There's something wholly satisfying about putting your hands in the dirt or making something that serves a purpose. It makes one feel self-sufficient and able, something I think I lost along the way while working at a desk all the time, staring at a computer. I love every bit of working at the Morgan because I'm always learning something new and I'm using both my brains and body. I can feel myself growing stronger from lifting buckets full of water and loading the hydraulic presses with heavy wooden boards. My body feels functional in a way that it hasn't since I had back surgery two years ago. Sitting all day at a desk like I do for my regular job makes my lower back ache. Physical labor makes me feel competent, empowered, and healthy. I even have a smile on my face while I'm scrubbing out vats and cleaning the pots we cook fiber in. Honestly, I could do this kind of work all day, every day and never tire of it.

Student Annual

 I am pleased to say that a piece I made was accepted into this year's student annual exhibition. The opening was last Thursday evening, so I drove out to Kent just to see it. I have to say, I was both impressed and humbled by the pieces I saw in the show. The work of my fellow students is absolutely amazing and I'm honored to be studying amongst such talent. Best in show went to my studio mate, Liz Debellis, and I couldn't be happier for her. Her weavings are gorgeous and it was so nice to see her work in the gallery. I get so used to seeing everyone's work hanging in the studio for critique, that it's kind of shocking to see it in another environment. It gives new life to the piece. I wish I could say the same for my piece. Seeing it in the gallery made it look so small and insignificant. It made me realize that I have a lot of work to do in order to keep up with my peers. While I don't like feeling badly about my work, I do appreciate the renewed sense of drive and dedication that comes from seeing what others around me are making. Besides, I don't have time to mope. I'm too busy trying to improve my work and giving it my all. The show will be up until the 20th of this month, so if you find yourself in the Kent area, stop by the School of Art Gallery and see all the wonderful work on display.

Friday morning, I headed to school early because we had a vising artist coming for a lecture, as well as generously giving us individual critiques. The artist is Andrea Donnelly, from Richmond, Virginia. She's an incredibly gifted weaver and such a nice person. She had a lot of great things to say about my work, as well as giving me some really spot on insight about it. After her lecture, all the textile students had a potluck for Andrea back at the studio, where we stuffed our faces and asked Andrea all kinds of questions about what it's like to be a working, professional artist. It was a really valuable experience and a great way to end a busy, stressful school week.