Papermaking is an ancient tradition that has been used throughout the ages for bookmaking, printmaking, and works on paper. In this 5 week class you will learn how papermaking is its own art form.  Students will feel a connection to the ancestors through the ancient practice of hand papermaking. Get ready to have the satisfying experience of turning plant fiber into luxurious, handmade paper. Students will learn how to form basic sheets of paper with a mould and deckle in the Western papermaking tradition and then expand upon that skill by exploring ways to manipulate the pulp. Inclusions” like fragments of prints, organic materials, or thread can also be integrated into the paper and “blow-outs” to make patterns and shapes in the paper sheets. Using a wire armature, students can explore dimensional structures. Finally, students will explore the ethereal practice of color veils using dyed paper pulp that behaves like paint, in and on their paper. This is a wet process, so dress down for this class. Rain boots or waterproof footwear required. Most of this course will occur outdoors at Fleisher. Students will go home with sheets of their own handmade paper and a sculpture if they so choose. 

What You Will Learn: 

- The basics of Western hand papermaking

- How to pull sheets of paper from two plant fibers

- Using inclusions and blow-outs for texture and design

- Ways handmade paper can be used sculpturally

Please note there is no class on Friday, July 3.