Handmade Paper with Middle School Students (Part 2)

Pulling sheets of corn and abaca fiber pulp with a mould and deckle

In my classroom, the 8th grade Art 2 students at Oakville Middle School each made five or more pieces of handmade paper from the corn, abaca and cotton fiber they helped process.  When they weren't making paper at one of the four workstations, they were designing the pages for their own handmade book.

 Multiple workstations set up with pigmented abaca and cotton pulp

 Moving a freshly couched sheet of pigmented abaca and cotton paper onto second tray to be sponged

Sponging excess water through a layer of pelon "felt"

Rolling the damp paper flat with rolling pin (bottom) and couching a sheet of paper (top right)

Removing the top pellon "felt" (bottom) before moving paper to the window to dry

HMP drying on classroom window overnight with students' nametags on each sheet

Students experimenting with colored pulp

More experimenting with colored pulp



Handmade Paper from Corn Fiber with Middle School Students

My Art 2 8th grade students at Oakville Middle School are currently learning the process of making handmade paper from plants. Although my school is located in the suburbs south of St. Louis, I live almost an hour away, northeast of St. Louis at the edge of the Illinois prairie. Corn leaves and husks, collected from the field across the lane from my home garden, were cut into small pieces by the students, soaked overnight and cooked in sodium carbonate in the classroom.

When the corn pieces were cooked until the fibers pulled apart, the pot was cooled. The fiber was rinsed until the lignen was removed from the fibrous cellulose.

Since we do not have a hollander beater at school, the cooked fiber was processed (macerated into individual fibers) in my Mark Lander "Critter" at my home studio and returned to school the next day. I did add some cotton and abaca to the corn fiber in the beater so the pulp would drain slower when making sheets of paper.

When teaching adults, I add formation aid (added to water in vat of pulp to raise the viscosity and slow drain time when pulling sheet of paper) and sizing (added to water in vat so dry paper may be painted on with a wet medium later) to the vat, but the sizing caused a rash on the hands of one student a few years ago. Now, I include formation aid and sizing only on the vocabulary study guide for my middle schoolers.

Since the students will be using colored pulp in addition to the corn pulp, they soaked and beat up cotton and abaca linters with a wiz mixer in the classroom. Everyone had the opportunity to take a turn.

Pigment and a retention agent was added to color the pulp for papermaking next week.  Besides experiencing the process, the students will also be expected to learn and understand the vocabulary, basic chemistry and history of papermaking.  Students will be assessed for this project through observation, group/individual discussion, a reading/research written response, a written vocabulary quiz, and the final development and creation of their artwork.

Foundry Art Centre Award

Four awards were given last evening at the opening of "Paperwork: In, On, and Of Paper" at the Foundry Art Centre.  I was very honored that "Stone Circles and Estuaries" (on the right above) was selected by Juror Joan Hall for one of the three supporting awards. 

Elizabeth (center) receiving award from Joan Hall (right)

The second supporting award went to Donald Horstman from Fenton, MO for his mixed media book, "Turning, Turning, Turning;" and the third to Shirley Nachtrieb from St. Louis, MO for her watercolor painting, "Journey of the Souls." The Best of Show went to Jessica Star from St. Louis, MO for her paper, steel wool and wood sculpture, "To Accept the Loss of Two Elections." 42 artists from around the country were juried into the exhibition for their prints, paintings, baskets, drawings, sculptures, collages and mixed media that were in, on or made of paper.

Elizabeth speaking about her work (not in view) with visitors

Join us at the opening of "In, On and Of Paper V" at Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles, MO this Friday March 11 from 6-8pm!

Stone Circles and Estuaries (16x50")

Please join us for the opening of "In, On and Of Paper V" at the Foundry Art Centre, St. Charles, MO, on Friday, March 11 from 6-8pm.  Two of my handmade paper landscapes (shown here) were accepted into the exhibition, juried by papermaker Joan Hall. Both pieces constructed of handmade papers made from various fibers, walnut dye, indigo dye and mixed media were inspired by my photos and paintings of the china clay pits, disused tin mines, iron age ruins and seascapes of my husband's homeland, Cornwall, UK.  The exhibition will run March 11-April 29, 2011.

Tin Mines and China Clay (16x35")



Building Frames for the Foundry Art Centre Show

Busy making frames for two of my Cornish handmade paper reconstructions that have been accepted into the next show at the Foundry Art Centre, "Paper Work: In, On and Of Paper V" in St. Charles, MO. Decided to change the style of frame I usually make for my drawings and paintings to show less wood on the face which visually now feels lighter.  The two pieces that will be in the show are hanging over my left shoulder on this pix from my July 24, 2010 post.

At the time of the Main Street Art Gallery Show, I had decided to hang each piece without a frame, but the change in humidity continually caused the paper to move, curl, relax, then move again. The constant shifting made me a bit anxious and very unsatisfied with the overall presentation. Thus, I mounted each piece to foamcore with tabs of kozo mulberry paper.  But that alone still did not satisfy my desire to put a box, or line, or frame around this body of work.  When the framing is complete, I'll post a few more photos. The show at the Foundry opens March 11and runs through April 30, 2011 with the artists' opening from 6-8pm on March 11.

New Year - New Studio

After remodeling the kitchen last summer; sorting, purging, packing, and painting the entire kitchen and 2nd floor; reorganizing two attic storage spaces; installing 2 skylights on the second floor; refinishing the stairs; setting up a guest bedroom; and reorganizing the contents of three studios into one ... the new dry studio is FINALLY a reality.

And what a difference it makes working in a dry, warm environment in the winter. And what a winter we have had here in Edwardsville!! I am beginning to think we have returned to living in Upstate New York again. The wet papermaking studio is still in the basement and will be remodeled and reorganized when (or if) the snowy weather ever breaks. At least the first and second floors are now bright and welcoming.



Kitchen Remodel 2010



With almost everything in the studio in place, the Cornwall "Tin Mines and China Clay" series of handmade paper constructions continues. The only good thing about a frozen world outside the studio window, is that the garden does not yet beckon me to come out and play.  The same can not be said for my little dog, Dommino.

ARTEAST is this weekend in Madison County, IL!!

If you are looking for something to do with your family this beautiful fall weekend, please come to Eden UCC in Edwardsville as your first stop on the ARTEAST tour through Madison County, IL.  More than 150 artists will participate this year by opening their studios or exhibiting at a wide variety of locations.  I will be one of nine artists at Eden Church exhibiting my latest artwork.  All venues are free and many sites will not only have a large variety of  art on display, but many of the artists will be demonstrating thoughout the weekend.  For more information, pick up a tour map at Eden UCC or at Jacoby Art Center in Alton, IL.