Last day of the year!! 2010

Yellow rose petals - they look like cornflakes......

Thought I'd prepare some inclusions for making paper in the New Year. I have really got in a bit of a slump - not sure why - maybe the weather has alot to do with it. The studio has been so cold that I have lost the early momentum. Or maybe the job at Selfridges has sapped my brain. So - time to get my papermaking going.

Also I have been working on several ideas for books. One is about how I can present the samples in a book form that's pleasing to the eye and to a potential customer - my friend Carolyn Skei has been bugging me to do this for years - why does it seem so difficult hmmmmm The other book idea is on the theme of architectural patterns and thoughts that surround me in my new life in London.

Spots

Making paper with spots - not easy - bit of a challenge

OK - where did the last month go - the last entry was on the 16th Nov. I was really busy getting ready for the Handmade and Bound book fair and a open house week-end at my studio!

Handmade and Bound - was very crowded - almost to many visitors! It got rather full and folks were unable to see the work. Plus many exhibitors lowered their prices - they have to be careful because it devalues the art form!

http://www.handmadeandbound.com

wow ...... the rowan leaves ..... lovely with the handmade paper ... they are embedded between a layer of gampi fibers and abaca

mmmmmmmmmm

on the way home from my studio a rowan tree was dropping it's leaves ...... I have been waiting for these for a while .......

Teaching..

Traditional Japanese Style papermaking workshop ...... Frances Bardsley School, Romford.


It was an enjoyable two days of teaching ..... interesting papers were created!

I've been over to America, done some teaching, and recovered from two colds - now time to start making stuff to sell at Handmade and Bound!

Cards and small note books using the fern papers - great as gifts........

Last two weeks at my studio space in Herne Hill

Spent a lot of time making paper - really love the walk to and from - across Brockwell Park, Brixton. Memories of childhood - all the conkers!!!

The most interesting papers made during this time were the ones that used the ferns. Really loved the results, and when combined with other fibers - !!!!!! - don't think these will end up in paper packs - will keep these for book making or ????

Pine needles - again.........

Gave the pine needles a second chance to redeem themselves . thought I'd use them for the Yahoo papermaking group project - second papers - (see the first ones in an earlier post)

I combined the needles with pigmented gampi and abaca - using some iridescent cloisonne green.

The iridesence gives the paper/pine needles a rather nice effect - though difficult to show on line. I liked the results so I added more green gampi and used the resulting paper for this year's Christmas card.....

Papermaking in Surbition

A couple of days cooking up garden fibers with Jane Cradock-Watson in Surbiton (and a trip to her allotment!)

..... few surprises - Honesty, Lunaria annua, seeds! After cooking they became quite translucent and delicate.

Garlic peels pulp

The garlic peels produced a delicate pulp that we found worked well with the Honesty seed pods with a lightly copper pigmented or green pigmented abaca back sheet.

The trip to the allotment - raspberries, blackberries, melons, runner beans, carrots, a cabbage, a berry fruit that exploded with flavour in the mouth - a cross between a gooseberry and something else (will have to be reminded by Jane) - and some amazing deep purple beans that had some interesting leaves that were starting to turn - had to photo - maybe the inspiration for making paper in my new studio me thinks!!

Finished making 70 2"x 3" pieces of handmade paper for an Yahoo papermaking group project! I will send these of to the States and receive a hand bound portfolio style book with tons of samples from artisans around the world - exciting stuff!!

up - date

2 day workshop http://www.fbsarts.co.uk/ teaching Japanese Style paper making and bookbinding.

Short course at http://www.csm.arts.ac.uk/ 'Papermaking for Artists and Designers'

Got a new website (which is still in the process of being built) http://mandybrannan.co.uk/

Found and put a deposit on a studio space - now I can really get busy making paper!! Its about a 20 min walk from where I live, near Brockwell Park!

In a group exhibition with MA's from Camberwell http://upsideart.wordpress.com/

Lastly - maybe - teaching at http://store.falkiners.com/store/ - in negotiations

Fern

Yesterday I rescued some fern fronds...... let's see what they look like when they are processed - hope the results are better than the pine needle paper.....

........................

The pine needles made rather softish paper when added to the abaca - no way could I make a sheet with just pine needles - thought I'd add some gampi that I had in the fridge - a pinky flesh colour - looks really nice in the vat but dried to rather unexciting beige.

Overall - a bit of a disappointment!!

Pine needles...hmmmm

Christmas tree pine needles - after Christmas they seemed to love flinging themselves off their branches! - Now I'm trying to prepare the ones I saved and they refuse to let go easily!

But... Quite like the branches when they are removed - leaving small circular shapes.

Previous classes I've taught..

While I was looking for some images for a class proposal I came across these - really enjoyed teaching these 'assemblage with found objects and text' classes at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts- they were different from the usual papermaking or book making classes.

Looking back.

As I really should get serious about the papermaking side of my practice - (studio/supplies/shows/small income maybe) I thought I'd look back at some of the artists that have influenced my work and techniques.

This work is by an artists that came to Fresno to teach a workshop (early 90's) and ended up staying for quite a while - can't remember how long but it must have been at least a year!! Karen Stahlecker. She stayed in Kathy Wasika's guest house and became envolved with us Fresno/Clovis based papermakers and other artists in the area. It was during her workshop that I became interested in her pigmenting and process techniques that greatly influence my papermaking then and now!

This is the work that I helped erect for her gallery show at the college.

Whistable,

This was a really lovely place to have a book fair - I thoroughly enjoyed my day - talked to some friendly book artists/teachers/folks on holiday.

I sold lots of paper packs and had some interesting feed-back from Simon regarding the RIBA pop-up shop.

After the show I brought fish and chips to eat down on the beach - a purrrfect end to a great day.

Some of the other folks I met there................

Oh ..... while sitting at the show discovered a new trick on my camera - see above picts!!!

Handmade & Bound goes to the seaside!

http://www.handmadeandbound.com

Off to the seaside with Handmade and Bound

As all my books are at the RIBA Pop up Gallery - had to make some more editions of 'Situation' and 'Architectural Elements'. I will be sharing a table with Jane Craddock Watson - never been to Whitstable, Kent!
I'm putting together lots of my handmade papers to take. It will be good to see if they
attract any interest!

RIBA - Festival of London Architecture

Been meaning to work on some unfinished books that look at architectural elements of 30 St. Mary Axe - being asked to submit books to RIBA's Pop-up shop for the Festival of London Architecture was the push I needed. Spent most of last week working on them as well as making more of the 'Situation' and 'Elements of Architecture' books. It was good to be really busy making them, rewarding - cutting - folding - gluing - it's been a while!!!!!

Made a couple of small notebooks using some of my grid papers

The lines on the covers are created using a embossing tool