Last post of 2019

Today I am re-varnishing and re-screening my small moulds and deckles. They really worked hard this last year...

My smallest one - that makes my 3 1/2" square sample papers was made 27 years ago.....
Back in October when I visited my paper making buddies in Fresno California I saw some of the ones I made for them back in the 90's!!

The ruler in front of them is one that my step Dad used when he worked for Mobb's & Lewis - the last wooden 'shoe last' manufacturer in England!!

Sooooo...... What's next       Workshops for 2020

On the 10th January I will be teaching a Washi Workshop at Store Store https://www.coaldropsyard.com/store-store/

2nd February - Returning for a 'Fusion Experimental' workshop at the Essex Print Studio

I am unable to run my own workshops because of the exorbitant prices of studio spaces in London

November 15th and 16th...

SMALL PUBLISHERS FAIR 2019

See you there!!!

http://smallpublishersfair.co.uk/

Oct 2019

Back from a 3 week visit to America....seeing daughters, daughters' partners, grandkids and paper making friends from way back.....

CUT:FOLD:TUCK:PRESS

The workshop at Lynne Blackwell's amazing print studio (a developing project that has taken many years of hard work ... is absolutely a gem)

These workshops start by concentrating on improving the participants accuracy skills that enable the finished pieces to have a professional look and quality....here's images of their finished projects.

Workshop up date

I have arranged to run a couple of previously successful workshops at Lynne Blackburn's great facility : the Essex Print Studio.

They have put in a lot of time and work to expanding their studio.
https://www.essexprintstudio.co.uk/

On the 27th October the 'Experimental Book Making - CUT, FOLD, TUCK, PRESS'.

This workshop will explore the making of creative book structures that can be adapted for current and future projects. There will be three projects to work on during the day which will concentrate on developing the attendees measuring, cutting, folding and making skills. 

And......on the 3rd November - back by popular demand.... BRIGHT & SHINY: experimental papermaking!!!

With a nod towards Christmas Mandy will introduce you to a selection of different techniques using a fusion of traditional Western and Japanese styles of paper sheet production. You will be able to experiment with  iridescent pigmentation (hence the ‘Bright & Shiny’ !); recycled pulps and you can even throw a handful of Christmas tree needles into the mix! You can take away your beautiful sheets of hand-made paper and use them for printing on or for making lovely, unique Christmas cards.

Where does inspiration come from?

As I remake and update my 3 editions of 'Pressed' I am pondering....
* shall I make a 4th edition?
* what shall I write about?
* what will be the overall theme?

Sometimes I amaze myself when inspiration hits me.....recently I spent a week with my daughter, over from America, visiting many, many gallery shows around London hoping to find something to inspire me.
I always seem to find ideas from non papermaking/book arts shows. This time it's different again but still connected to my daughters' visit....

A week with my creative daughter always covers a plethora of discussions of visual subjects. At one point she mentioned a music video by the group Ok-Go.

and then now, a week later .....while pondering the thoughts above....I watched a few more of their videos.

I realized - 'yes' - I remember the video where they used walking gym machines.

Then I watched this one....

                                          

My OMG moment....' Colour' that's it......I am known for my pigmentation and colourific papers....

 Pressed will be about Handmade Paper - Colours

Festival of Stuff UCL

Festival of Stuff

Institute of Making

UCL

Back for the 3rd time.....love this place - lovely staff and great workshop facility.

Again - both workshops filled up in seconds! and a great 

bunch of students.

Crammed a 5 hour workshop into just 2 hours.......organized chaos - but it worked!!! again....phew

https://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/events/detail/festival-of-stuff-afternoon-papermaking-masterclass1

I had a great time at Barnard and Westford during the London Craft week. I made all the invitations using a fusion of all my different techniques of Japanese style of paper making. The design was influenced by Kyoto hydrangeas and lichen that was growing on the temple walls. The colour - racing green, was LCW's 2019 colour......https://www.barnardandwestwood.com/

Kyoto hydrangeas and lichen.

London Craft Week

Well this is going to be a busy month....

I have just sent over this image of my papers and a Japanese Su and Keta... for their marketing dept and it will be up on the London Craft Week website soon!!

Now I have to start making the invites for my collaboration with

https://www.barnardandwestwood.com/

I am quite chuffed to be invited to be part of this year's collaboration by the folks at 

London Craft Week. 

For several years I have been an advisor and in 2017 I taught a workshop at UCL's Institute of Making for the event.... Click on the link below to see the photos taken at the workshop

https://www.flickr.com/photos/97323620@N03/sets/72157680278117573?fbclid=IwAR1V8uKFIAvnbCEJ6VzzLOXKQP08jY0HAKEuL1eBTGLkNwf-SJP1tUN1MvY

Documenting collections

I am documenting as I catagorize and organise all my papers.

Daffodil 

As I look through them I realise that I have sold so many because they have departed from my collection! That's ok because I know they were brought for good reasons (to frame or use creatively).

Bouganvillea

I spoke to ladies at the Leeds Book Fair last week-end who brought the papers 'just because' they wanted them. That's really lovely!

To see the rest of the images go to this link.......

https://www.facebook.com/Mandy-Brannan-Papermaker-Book-Artist-1395680530737103/                                                     

Rose

Wallpaper Magazine Article

So excited because I was invited to have my papers in the March edition of 

Wallpaper Magazine.

The papers had been seen in my Instagram #mjbooks!!!! and I was contacted be a past colleague who works for them

They are papers made by embedding thistledown in papers made with gampi and abaca fibres!!

More updates for 2019...

The workshops at the 

https://www.essexprintstudio.co.uk/home/workshops-classes/ 

will be on the the 17th and 24th March (Sundays)

One will be the 'Fusion' workshop - this is an experimental class covering both Japanese and Western styles of hand papermaking.

The other will be the 'Botanicals' workshop - papermaking with plants and flowers.

Both classes will lead into a further workshop (date to be announced) that will look at using the handmade papers for bookmaking.
Date has been arranged......14th April

London Craft Week

My other announcement is that, again, I will be part of the London Craft Week!

This time I am so excited to be at 

https://www.barnardandwestwood.com/

Other news for 2019

Upcoming.......

My handmade papers embedded with thistledown will be in an article of 'Wallpaper' magazine's March edition.

I am planning workshops for papermaking in both Kew as well as returning to the Essex Print Studio where I will be teaching specialised days for book artists.

The aim of these workshops is to discover how to make paper, using both traditional and contemporary methodology which can be used to develop ideas for the development of a new visual language within the book arts’ format. Whether it’s using the handmade papers for the pages, the covers, inserts or collage elements, its usage can evoke an emotiveness and understanding of the artists’ intention through both the visual and the haptic content.

New for 2019

I have set up a new Instagram page that is dedicated to my paper making and book arts practice 

(no jam making pictures!!)

https://www.instagram.com/mandybrannan/?hl=en