The Sunday Paper #249
March 3, 2019

Paper of the Week: Watercolor Paper

Oblation Papers & Press has just released a new product: handmade watercolor paper. This soft-white paper is ph-neutral, made from 100% recycled cotton and crafted by hand in their Portland, OR shop. This latest product makes Oblation the only company to manufacture watercolor paper on the west coast, and one of the few companies in the world to offer 100% handmade, vegan watercolor paper, crafted from recycled materials.

I laughed out loud when I read this headline in Veg News: “Portland, OR-based letterpress shop Oblation Papers & Press recently developed a vegan watercolor paper that rivals that of the top-regarded French papermaker Arches but without the use of animal products.” It sounds like a scene right out of Portlandia! But with all due respect, this is an outstanding company that I worked for back in the day, and one of the premiere paper stores in the country. It is a clever marketing angle, and I’ve seen it used by another paper company. I wonder if most watercolor artists are vegans…

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In the Studio:
Last Call! My biannual online paper sale ends tonight at midnight (MST). Treat yourself to unique handmade papers that you won’t find anywhere else in the world! Here’s a link to the sale page, and click on the image below to watch the video about the various paper packages: The Maker’s Paper (abaca with embedded washers), honeycomb cover papers, translucent abaca, honeycomb watermarks, the How-To Package, and some sweet little Japanese coin pouches.

Paper Tidbits:

• I interviewed Ron & Jennifer Rich on the Paper Talk Podcast a couple of years ago. They’re the owners of Oblation Papers & Press, the urban papermill in Portland, OR mentioned above.
• WOW of the Week: I was so happy to “meet” Fides Linien this week when I contacted her because of a technical issue with her paper sale order. I discovered that she used my book, Papermaking With Plants, as a resource for The Fancy Pads Project in Uganda, which empowers girls to make their own zero waste sanitary napkins so they don’t have to drop out of school. I can’t wait to learn more and will have her on the podcast!
• My brand new online class, Flexible Book Structures opens for registration tomorrow, but the web page is ready now. Take a look, and I hope you’ll join me in creating six innovative book projects that will surely inspire more!

Speaking of book structures, I adore the work of Su Blackwell, who brings fairy tales to life in her books. Su has a paper-sculpting revolution going on over on Kickstarter, to create Into the Dark Woods, an illustrated activity book, aimed at adults and children.

© 2019 Su Blackwell

It was so fun to see Rosston Meyer and read the Q&A with him in 303 Magazine. Rosston is a fellow Coloradan and member of the Movable Book Society. His company, Poposition Press, is an independent, one-man publishing house that makes pop-up books with original art from artists of all styles. He’s a curator, a designer, a problem-solver, a paper engineer, a collector, a comic book fan and so much more — and all of those interests and skills coalesce in his customized pop-up books.

Check out this Bird Box Challenge by Paper For Water, an amazing organization started by a family in Dallas to bring water to the thirsty. They decided to try folding a 30-piece origami blindfolded! The results? You have to watch this clever video to see it!

 
I love this post over in Club Paper by Sonja Brys. She showed us her entire process from recycling paper to a finished book! You can join us over in Club Paper and share your work by answering three simple questions.

Are you looking for a job in paper? The Morgan Conservatory is currently accepting applications for the position of Executive Director. This Cleveland-based institution is a hot spot for handmade paper, and I can’t wait to see who lands this position. Good luck!

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