The Sunday Paper #507

May 5, 2024

I am so looking forward to wrapping up the manuscript for my book, A Paper Weaving Journey (working title) and getting it off to my publisher, Storey Books, by mid-June. Writing a how-to book is not for the faint of heart, and I am delighted to be nearing the finish line. The first section of the book will cover weaving basics, which begins with strips of paper. There are so many ways to do that! Here are just four simple ideas: straight strips, leaving gaps between the strips, varying the strip widths, and diagonal strips. I’m excited to be featuring the work of many participants from my Weave Through Winter online class in the book.

——————————————————————————————–––––––

Don’t miss the Washi Workshop: North Country Shifu with Velma Bolyard, an in-person workshop in Blaine Washington (between Bellingham WA and Vancouver BC). Learn to make paper yarn and paper cloth with visiting artist Velma Bolyard, May 31 — June 02. Take beautiful sheets of handmade Japanese paper, cut them to spin into thread called kami-ito, then weave into cloth called shifu using a simple loom and needle. In this class, you can expect to work a bit with color as well, making marks on papers that will be spun up into secret-keeping textiles. Velma will bring many samples, including  her own work, as well as work by historical and contemporary artists.

Shifu is defined as a spun and woven paper textile, in which at least the weft (but sometimes also the warp) of the textile is made with paper. This textile technique was developed in rural Japan as a way to make a warm cloth. From that humble beginning it has been refined into exquisite textiles often viewed as art. Velma Bolyard has simplified her paper spinning and weaving processes over her many years of making shifu, and participants will be able to go back to their own studios and introduce spinning kami-ito into their work and explore these techniques further.

——————————————————————————————–––––––

If you can’t attend the workshop and are lnterested in learning more about kami-ito and shifu, here are two recommended books: Kigami and Kami-ito by Hiroko Karuno and A Song of Praise for Shifu by Susan Byrd.Long fibered, pure kozo paper papers work best for this technique. For those just beginning, papers in the 25g range will work well. Recommendations: Kurotani 16 / Sekishu Banshi Tsuru and Sekishu Mare / Usu Kuchi Light / Kizuki Somegami (available at Washi Arts).

——————————————————————————————–––––––

What is it like to work in a family business that dates back to 1550? Read the brief history of Pergamena, a boutique tannery located in New York’s Hudson Valley. They work with leather and parchment, which are paper-adjacent, and the CEO, Jesse Meyer makes this poignant comment about running a craft business: “Every day, we as a country are becoming further and further removed from the concept of making quality tangible goods in service of chasing the lowest cost and the highest profit.”

A scrap of parchment

———————————————————————————————–––––––

I love the way that Nancy Cohen works with paper (and glass). She describes her process as ‘thinking with her hands’ and says: “concerns outside the studio and challenges within are explored through physically pushing the boundaries of paper and glass.”  If you’re in NYC, hurry up. The show is at Kathryn Markel Gallery and is closing today.

Nancy Cohen, ‘Topography of the Body,’ (54 x 38 in, paper pulp and handmade paper, 2022)

———————————————————————————————–––––––

—–—————————————————————————————–––––––

Paper Tidbits

• The North American Hand Papermaker’s annual conference will take place in Denver October 17-19, 2024. They are currently accepting proposals for talks, panel discussions and demos.
• One more note about shifu, and this is a great intro to a fundraiser: “When your 91 year old former textiles teacher in Japan expresses a desire to come to the UK to share her knowledge and skills about a process you are equally passionate about, what do you do?….You make it a reality!” Read how Eleanor Burkett is doing just that,and pitch in! 
• French Paper is manufactured in America. Check out their latest multipack.

—–—————————————————————————————–––––––

About our Sponsor: Washi Arts is a merchant of fine Japanese papers, tools and supplies created by individual papermakers and small mills in Japan. Linda Marshall is the proprietor of Washi Arts and is hosting visiting artist Velma Bolyard, who creates original artist books and paper sculptures using her own handmade papers, Japanese Washi, and botanical print papers. Her woven books and vessels are small treasures.

—–—————————————————————————————–––––––