Mandy Brannan

PAPER [PYPR]

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Paste Paper workshop











Historically 'Paste Papers' were first used in the 16th century for book covers and end-papers....I taught a group of MA students, this week, at Camberwell College of the Arts in the Conservation department. After their tutor discussed the historical aspects of the craft - we pushed paste paper to its limits - the students created some stunning designs and patterns that will look amazing as end papers.

Monday, December 5, 2011

wow

Just been invited to West Dean to discuss the possibility of teaching a short course - papermaking.............wow.............they found my web site and contacted me..........that was surely unexpected!!
http://www.westdean.org.uk/

Been teaching a paste paper class at Camberwell today - it went well - bit strange being back there as a guest staff person......
Will post photos tomorrow

Monday, November 28, 2011


Now it's time to make some paper for Myles Calvert - screen printer - he wants some grey paper with different iridescent fibers - so cooking up some gampi right now!

Handmade and Bound




The book fair, relocated to St Brides, was a great success....
Not just for me but for most - a great turn out!!!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

challenging week

hmmmm ........ no internet at home .........
moving out of my studio space (at least two trips a day - lots of walking)........
awfull cold . sniff . sniff

- trying to get enthusiastic about the book fair on sunday -

Handmade and Bound
St Brides
Fleet Street
London

Oh......went to the Small Publishers Fair, Red Lion Sq, Holbourn last Friday.........it was great to catch up with all my fellow book artists.......

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

and the week continues.........

A week of papermaking and working on the 'situated/default mode/mind wandering research
reworking ideas and images that have recurred in my more recent work (distorted grid spaces)

Tomorrow will see me back in the studio - only a few weeks left - and then on Friday morning off into Chelsea for the Contemporary Craft and Design Fair - Handmade in Britain.
http://www.handmadeinbritain.co.uk/?page_id=139
Up-date.......both of these were disappointing!!
Looking forward to next Wednesday when I go to for the Ligatus open lecture by Susanne Krause - Decorated Papers - where they come from and how to look after them.

Monday, October 24, 2011

past week.......




wow - didn't expect last week to end so well - even my Sunday lunch break
at work was productive!!
Sat down to eat and brain started to work - scribbled ideas on a napkin - which all seem to link up as a feasible way to jump back into the research stemming from the work I did on the 'default mode network' and what happens when we start daydreaming!
This strand will continue on my research blog!

Friday and Saturday saw me travelling down to Hastings to visit my friend Myles - he and I have been working on developing paper for his screen prints - (see my web site)
A lovely relaxing two days walking along the sea front/eating really bad food and having great conversations - even a wishful idea to buy a pub there and to turn into a gallery/workshop/living space ..... pubs selling really cheaply in Hastings!

plus - as we walked around the old part of town - I found a new addition for carrying my work/display - a small suitcase - what a gem - lovely!!

and finally..........
I must not forget ..... this is a papermaking blog......

I walked over to the studio today and processed some fibers and made some large sheets of linen and sisal paper that has a touch of golden iridescence pigment......brings me to
a quote from a pamphlet that I picked up at the conference ....

Kathy Crump (who has an amazing studio in California that I visited back in the 90's) writes..

Processing fiber stimulates and provides me with a certain contentment
and continuity in my life.
Making paper is seductive. It leads me into new areas of thoughts.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Amazing week-end





The Friends of Dard Hunter conference held at the Frogmore Papermill was an amazingly 3 days!! So much so I am rather overwhelmed by all the new friendships made, handmade paper exchanged, exciting and inspirational presentations seen, and experiencing the inner workings of one of the few working papermills left in England! What a treat!!

Photos can be seen - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FriendsofDardHunter/

Thursday, October 13, 2011


Suitcase packed with an eclectic collection of stuff!!

Backpack filled with cameras, a laptop, an i-pod and the necessary paraphernalia required
to keep all things powered up!

Off to Frogmore Papermill in the morning to meet up with fellow paper enthusiasts!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Friends Of Dard Hunter Conference


The conference is approaching - nearly time......
I'm working on the PP presentation for the opening night
and also making more Keepsake folders because more folks are attending!!
Plus - trying to think about my introductory speech - should I just wing it - no long speech writing me thinks - I'll put my thoughts into bullet points and let it develop organically on the evening....
http://friendsofdardhunter.org/uk_registration.html


Studio




Here's some photos of my studio in Herne Hill(next to Brockwell Park). I've been working there 2-3 days a week for the last year and now I'm having to pull out...... tough economic times!
Oh well, I enjoyed my time there and the walk there and back, across/up and over Brockwell Park has been a time full of thoughtful personal deliberations
concerning all matters artistic and personal.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Friends of Dard Hunter




Well, after gathering many different pulps and doing a bit of recipe experimentation
I decided to use the 8 hr beaten abaca, 4 hr beaten linen and some pigmented gampi fibers to the mix for the Keepsake folder - nice crisp paper with rattle!
I was going to add daffodil, thistledown and fern but I had some problems
getting the paper to dry.


So after some paper engineering thoughts I came up with this - with a closure flap (that was able to go through my printer) that has some movability because I don't know how many pieces will be placed in the envelope. Although I am not expecting more than 10 or 12.
Up-date.......had to make 25 - lots more papermakers attending!

Also....



While I was in Surbiton we also cooked up some tree ferns ......
They were rather tough and took forever to cook. When done they weren't as good as I expected them to be - bit brittle and not very nice. So....I bleached some of the fronds and then added them to the abaca pulp ..... ok'ish ... not that successful.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Thistledown

Went down to Surbition and made paper with Thistledown and Pine needles............. look quite good..... really like the soft look of the silky thistledown ----- devised a way to disperse them - so they don't just float to the surface. Will add a photo tomorrow!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Playing....

After the Artsmart show at Chelsea College of Art I felt like I need to get back to creating ideas with different layers of different pigmented pulps....... cotton, abaca and gampi fibers.
Yesterday I handed in my notice of intent to leave my studio...... a sad day - but in these economically trying times it seems the best thing to do.......
I think I will sign up for the papermaking course at Morley College. Then I can have a definate one day a week in a papermaking studio!! Also, it will help the course to fill up!

Had a great day last Friday when I taught a mini book structures with handmade papers at Morley College. Looks like I will participate in their Christmas Fair!!