Lost Harmonies

My friend and sister artist (sounds better than fellow artist, right?) has a lovely installation up for another week at Disjecta here in Portland. She did these giant papercuts based on the four cycles of creating using Tyvek, which she suspended from the ceiling like banners. They are painted on both sides by 4th graders at her daughter's school. These same kids visited my studio last fall and made paper. Anne put together a sweet little book that you can look at (and buy) through Lulu.com. There are pictures of the kids and me in the studio on pages 7 & 8. 

Papermaking on Sesame Street

I just discovered that the Sesame Street video I was in many years ago is on Youtube. I worked with filmmaker Josh Selig to script and create this video, which was produced at Dieu Donne Papermill. I love the lyrics he wrote. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pId8pKyt9rE

Pacific University Residency

This week I did a residency at Pacific University. I visited the papermaking class, introduced them to overbeaten abaca, and had each student do a shrinkage experiment. I also lectured, screened my film and did critiques with a handful of seniors. I was impressed with their work and felt it was much more professional than way back when I received my BA at the University of the South. My exhibition, "Line Dried", which is pictured here, was on display in the library. 

Here is my statement about this body of work:

I work in collaboration with my medium -- handmade paper. This installation was made by draping wet sheets of paper over a clothes line. As the sheets dried, they contracted and twisted into these forms. I then stitched the washers onto one side of each form, creating thread patterns on the other side. The images resemble constellations, plant forms, fireworks, the big bang, etc. – metaphors for conception, growth, birth, life. I see all of these things as magical and mysterious, and this ties into my fascination with paper and the magical and invisible occurrences which take place throughout the papermaking process.