The Sunday Paper #340

November 29, 2020

Papermaker of the Week: Julie Johnson

Two Bowls. Laminated handmade paper and Ash wood turned bowls. Plant papers made by Julie Johnson; lamination and wood turning by Kailee Bosch. 4″x2.5″. Created for Frogwood’s Distance Collaboration 2020. Photo credit: Lee Mahoney.

Julie Johnson is a plant-based fiber artist from Portland, Oregon. With a degree in Forestry, she has explored the artistic nuances of Pacific Northwest native and invasive plants for over 30 years. For one week, every other year, Julie brings her paper, basketry, dye, and book art skills to cross-pollinate with other artists at a collaborative art-making event called Frogwood – a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit dedicated to arts training, education, and collaborative interaction. Collaborative gatherings like Frogwood include: EMMA International Collaboration in Saskatchewan, Canada; Collaboration NZ in Whangarei New Zealand; and the Hawaii Artist Collaboration in Holualoa, Hawaii. These events draw 50-100 artists together from all over the world for a solid week of making. Participating artists come from a wide variety of disciplines including metal, wood, glass, painting, jewelry, printing, blacksmithing, surface design, etc. Working alongside the tools and knowledge of artists from such different backgrounds, Julie finds the explorations that take place at these events allow her to think, learn, and perform beyond her isolated focus and skillset. She always returns from these “art camp” experiences invigorated and inspired to take her work in new directions!

In the Studio: ‘Tis the Season for… a Giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive a FREE PDF subscription to The Paper Year 2021, a year-long online class featuring a how-to paper project every month. Members of The Paper Year 2021 will get inspired by projects designed to spark ideas that keep you creating for the rest of the month; explore creative paper techniques, including origami, pop-ups, paper weaving, book arts, paper cutting and more; and join a growing group of paper lovers online to learn and share in a warm, encouraging, supportive, creative community.

Click here to enter! 

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Papery Tidbits:

• Need some paper tips? I’ve started making short videos. Subscribe to my Youtube channel.
• The Craft Industry Alliance is having a 25% discount on memberships. I get networking, discounts and professional development opportunities that are worth so much more than the cost of the membership.

As seen in the Alberni Valley News

I like the thinking behind this work by Carol Wortner, on view virtually at the Tombaugh Gallery in Las Cruces, NM. She is exploring cultures of the world through paper via her collection of paper from around the globe, and  gifts of paper from her friends’ travels. She turns these papers into weavings and quilts.

Artist Carol Wortner’s “Flora, Lily of the West”, Tombaugh Gallery, Las Cruces, NM

I love it that this group has figured out how to do an in person event they’ve done for 15 years online. The 24-hour long Drawathon, presented by Antenna Gallery and the Paper Machine printing shop in New Orleans, encourages everyone to sketch. On Dec. 5-6, free drawing activity books, big sheets of brown paper and other drawings supplies will be available at various sites around the city. In the safety of their homes, participants will draw, draw, draw, sharing their creations via the Draw-A-Thon Instagram feed. And, how cool is this? An incredible Draw-A-Thon drawing machine can take any suggestion and produce an illustration to match.

Attendees create spiral drawings at the Press Street Draw-A-Thon Saturday, November 29, 2014 at Art Klub (Josh Brasted Photo)

Call for Entry! During COVID, many artists haven’t been able to obtain the art materials they normally use. Necessity is the mother of invention. What kinds of paper have you been using for your artwork during this unprecedented time? Paper Circle is organizing an online Works on Paper exhibition. Read all about it here, and get your entry in by the end of the year. Oh, I’m one of three jurors, and there are prizes too.

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Featured this week in my Studio shop: All About The Paper Year 2021, The Papermaker’s Studio Guide DVD, Woven Paper Lantern Workshop, & The Papermaker’s Companion.

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Thanks to everyone who has already pledged your support!

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