The Sunday Paper #290
December 15, 2019

Paper of the Week: Japanese Paper

I plan on posting more images of the papers I acquired in Japan, but here are the sheets made by makers I met. From left to right: two heavier weight sheets of Japanese kozo paper created in Yamaguchi Shohachi’s studio; two thin whispy sheets of mitsumata paper created by Chie Honma; a gorgeous lace paper that I purchased at Ozu Washi in Tokyo (I asked where it was made, but didn’t write it down, darn); two lace papers from the studio Ryoso Yanase, and some swatches of kozo paper made by living national treasure Ichibei Iwano, the bottom right corner swatches are painted with kakishibu (persimmon tannin). You can read more about my two-week trip to Japan in these two blog posts: Japan – Part 1 and Japan – Part 2.

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In the Studio: Weave Through Winter

Registration has just opened for Weave Through Winter, my upcoming online class (starts 1/16/20).
Do you want to jump start your creativity in the New Year? Crave the inspiration you get from the act of making? Love beautiful papers? Have a desire to connect with others who share these same goals?
Click through to watch the video, read all about it, and register. This is the second time I’m doing this class, and we had so much fun last year! Register by the end of the decade (12/31/19) to receive early bird pricing. Oh, and I’ve partnered with Washi Arts – they are putting together a paper kit filled with luscious Japanese papers.

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Papery Tidbits:

• Have you listened to my interview with Robert Lang on Paper Talk?
• Thinking ahead? I’ll be offering my online class Flexible Book Structures II in late spring, 2020.
• Uppercase Magazine is seeking contributors for The Fine Art of Paper.

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Wowza! Nguyễn Hùng Cường has been folding origami since he was seven (23 years). I love what he says: “Surrounding us are many beautiful things that we have our own way of perceiving. Therefore, I want to demonstrate my feelings about the surrounding world with the language that I’m most confident with – origami.”

Some of Cường’s origami works made from Việt Nam’s traditional dó paper. Photo courtesy of Nguyễn Hùng Cường

I thought this was a clever idea! Origami For Mainers by Strong Arm Bookbinding & Stationery. Now who is going to create origami for the rest of the states (or maybe someone has)?!

Are you going to join me in creating the twelve unique paper projects in The Paper Year? Watch Hazel and Bowen show you how to make Plantable Paper, a project that was contributed by Arnold Grummer’s. This isn’t just a how-to book, but also a calendar and a planner – I can’t wait to see how everyone decides to use the planner pages! These are still available (shipping daily) and there’s a paper kit that includes everything you need to make the projects.

I love what this writer Blaykyi Kenyah reads into this work by Whitney Ramage (1800 paper boats). “The show is not a celebration of futility, but of the fruitful possibilities that exist therein. This is at the root of many scientific discoveries, and also of the Japanese art of kintsugi. Now I’m going down the rabbit hole to find out more…

Have you ever wondered why paper (in the US) is 8-1/2″ x 11″?

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I love this one sheet wonder, a tiny ornament I received from an online class participant this week! Isn’t it sweet? What a lovely sentiment, to ornament-ize snail mail, which is as we all know, is dwindling. The sticker and wax seal are clever, not to mention the lovely batik paper! Thanks so much, Caryn.
Do you have a One Sheet Wonder? I am curating a gallery section in my new book to show off the potential of paper (featuring artwork, graphic design, fashion design and other wonders created from one sheet of handmade or machine-made paper). Fill out this form if you have something to share, and feel free to pass it along to other paper artists (deadline: 1/15/20). Although I can’t promise that your image will make the cut (there are so many factors involved), I plan to start showing off your One-Sheet-Wonders on the blog (like I’m doing today), leading up to the book’s publication.

Featured this week in my Studio shop: The Papermaker’s Package, Vertices, an artist’s book, The Paper Year, and The Paper Lover’s Package.

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