Snail Mail
The Sunday Paper #305
March 29, 2020
Paper of the Week: See Through Assortment
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In the Studio:
- I’m going to be one of several guest artists on Alyson Stanfield’s Teaching Art Online Summit this Wednesday, April 1st. This is for artists considering teaching classes or mentoring online, and it is running on the “pay what it’s worth model” (new to me, pretty cool idea).
- Earlybird pricing for Flexible Book Structures ends April 1st (no fooling)! Join us and learn to make six book structures in this online class, which begins on April 15th.
- Need a project for the kiddos (or yourself)? Here’s a Spring Shamrock video tutorial, which could double as a snowflake (it is still snowing here in Colorado). This can be made from any paper. Send me a photo if you try it!
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When I was in Japan last fall, I had the opportunity to meet up with Richard Flavin in Tokyo and interviewed him on Paper Talk. I’m sorry our recording isn’t the best, but I hope you’ll have a listen. You might be familiar with Richard’s illustrations of Japanese papermaking in Tim Barrett’s book of the same title. Richard grew up in Boston, and he learned about woodblock printing and handmade paper when he was in the army in Korea and traveled to Japan, where he has lived and worked since 1970. We met to talk about his work with paper in the gallery that he and his textile artist wife Ryoko Haraguchi, run. I didn’t get to visit his papermaking studio (Jionji Press) in Saitama Prefecture, but you’ll find pictures of his papered floors and kitchen cabinets in the show notes. Enjoy our conversation!
Snail mail to the rescue! Chandler O’leary is an amazing illustrator, artist, wordsmith and all around great gal. Greetings from the Best Coast, a companion book of postcards to her popular Best Coast book was just released this week, and she had in person book signings scheduled for this weekend. Well, as you can imagine, Chandler is at home instead, but we can still support her by making purchases via her online shop! This set of 32 postcards (2 each of 16 designs) is perfect-bound in a hard cover (and it is just $15).
As Chandler says, we are all armchair travelers now. You can also get an autographed copy of Chandler’s book, The Best Coast, an illustrated travel guide that celebrates the West Coast’s historic highways (I snapped one up when it came out last year). Chock-full of unusual facts, hidden history, and Americana (not to mention Chandler’s illustrations!), The Best Coast is an offbeat road trip guide that tells the story of the diversity and depth that created the West Coast we know and love today.
I’m going to be promoting artists as I can here on the blog to help them replace some of their income during the pandemic. Please reach out if you have a paper product to sell (or a paper tutorial to share) that you think my readers might enjoy.
This is kind of fun. A few years ago, I did a quick video tour of Priscilla Robinson’s studio when I was in Austin, TX. Check out this video that her gallery, Wally Workman, created. They mixed in additional still images of Priscilla’s work to create a new video.
Jade Quek writes a fantastic round-up of paper and book-related goings-on. Here’s a link to her online calendar, and you can also sign up to get her monthly e-mail: jsqcentral-workshop@yahoo.com.
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The News from Here:
Colorado finally received shelter in place orders on Wednesday. • I know someone personally who has COVID-19 here in town (he is in the hospital) and have heard about someone in another state who presumably had it and recovered (he was not tested). • Sadly, two people, from my community of 50,000, have died (one was a man in his 40’s, the youngest to die in the state, a father of three). • My husband’s company reduced his (and most of the company’s) hours and salary by 40%. • Ted reads everything he can about the virus (I cannot bring myself to do this, but I absorb plenty), and he has purchased plastic to quarantine our loft, in case one of us gets sick. • This is sobering.
On the bright side, as people try to stay in business online, our grocery stores are offering online ordering and curbside pickup (heck, maybe they offered this already); my health club is starting an online Virtual Gym; we are getting out when we can to help others by delivering food and loading trucks through The Salvation Army; I am still questioning the movement to make face masks (are they safe? will they work? will they get to the right place? but I am thankful for the energy some of you are putting into this!! Paul DeGraaf (find him on FB) has designed a one-sheet paper face mask that is going viral. Who knows? Maybe paper will save the day! And my goodness, our health care workers and those who work in essential jobs are my heroes (I enjoyed this interview with a sanitation worker in the Bay Area titled “Showing up for Work During a Global Pandemic.”
Please be careful and take care of yourself. Help out where you can, and know that I appreciate you!
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And a treat! I posted a challenge to members of The Paper Studio, to create something from a square of paper. Look at this adorable Easter basket that Lore Spivey made. And you can see how to make your own in the photo!
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| Featured this week in my Studio shop: Flexible Book Structures online class, The See Through Assortment, The Paper Lovers Package, and Thick Abaca Sheets. |
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