The Woman Who Printed the Declaration of Indepence
The Sunday Paper #319
July 5, 2020
Papermaker of the Week: Ray Tomasso
It is with great sadness that I share the news that Ray Tomasso passed away on June 25th. Ray was papermaker and artist who welcomed me into his Denver, CO studio a few times. It was always stuffed to the gills with projects, an amazing library, his artwork, tools and materials, and Ray was always happy to show me around and talk about papermaking, techniques and projects. Among other things, Ray devised unique methods for creating his monumental sculptural wall pieces, and he was instrumental in bringing the Davis Hodges beater to life (20-30 were produced, I owned one for many years, and I hear about them often). RIP Ray. Here’s a lovely obituary by Denver arts writer Michael Paglia. I also had Ray on Paper Talk in 2017.
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Inside the Studio: The Trip to Red Cliff
I have always wanted to make a video of the last bit of my drive to my studio in Red Cliff, Colorado, but I’m always driving! I took this video on a recent trip when I was a passenger. We drove into town on the high road and then out of town under the Green Bridge. We did not go by the studio and I should have been filming horizontally, but oh well! Enjoy the views. If you’ve come to Red Cliff, look for the Green Bridge Inn and Mangos.
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Papery Tidbits
- Like many organizations, the North American Hand Papermakers Conference is going online (October 15-17, 2020). There are several calls for entries to present and exhibit at the conference.
- My summer online class, Paper + Light begins this Wednesday (July 6th). Sign up for 4 weeks ($145) or 8 weeks ($260). It’s not too late to join us!
- Arnold Grummer’s is having a 15% off flash sale through July 7th on papermaking supplies and their beautiful presses. Use promo code FIREWORKS.
- Hand Papermaking Magazine is having a really cool fundraiser! 60 contemporary papermakers and paper artists (including yours truly) have donated bundles of 10-12 sheets of medium-sized handmade and/or hand-decorated paper. YOU can receive a surprise bundle by making a contribution of $100. Everyone who “spins” wins a bundle of handmade paper!
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I’m promoting artists 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 that you think my readers will enjoy.
Wowza! Ed Fairburn repurposes old maps by transforming them into beautiful, highly-detailed portraits.
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