Papery Goodness, Art Discussion

Paper of the outside world. Georgia Tech: Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking.

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At the end of year, I get stir crazy and start signing up for stuff. This year’s crop is the Alaska class that I already mentioned, a crochet project that you may hear about if I ever get started, and The Paper Year from Helen Hiebert Studios. The subscription includes monthly instructions for a paper project, zoom meetings, guest speakers, discussions and so on.

In honor of my new interest in all things paper, I decided to do a papercraft c.v., similar to the one I did for weaving. By this I mean paper manipulation, not paper used as a substrate for writing or drawing. [Weaving In and Out of My Life]

A while back, I went on an origami binge, bought paper, folded things, virtually attended an online conference, and then wandered away.

[Gary’s Star, Origami] 2022
[Origami Dragon, Paper Art] 2024

Plus many origami links in the outside world section.

Book making has been a thing for a while, including a marvelous workshop in Tuscaloosa through the UA Book Arts Program. I briefly entertained the thought of enrolling in their university classes, but it didn’t pan out.

Bookmaking at Makebhm last year.

[Quick Books, Book Making Class #1]
[Preparing The Parts, Book Making Class #2]
[Two Covers, Bookmaking Class #3]
[Finished Books, Bookmaking Class #4]

I took a class for making an art journal, which I misconstrued as constructing the journal rather than filling a blank book, thereby making it into an art journal. Still, was a fun class. [Journal Workshop] 2024

A paper class in the style of Matisse, [In Which I Try Painting With Scissors] 2020

A letter cutout. Most of the rest of the various alphabet letters were photographs or computer designs. [Text Art: Z is for Zebra] 2015

In the past, there were paper activities that did not make the blog. Back then, I was trying to stay on topic. Trying to keep posts at least vaguely horse related. Unlike now, where I simply fling whatever I want into a post, as today. [Countdown] 2012

The photo at the top is the from a pre-blog era papermaking class at the local art museum. I saved the first piece of paper I made as a memento, thinking it would be the beginning of a long line of handmade paper. It wasn’t, or I should say, hasn’t been yet.

The rest has been fiddling with paper. Making and decorating trip journals. Cutting up a stack of postcards in an attempt to make a 3-D version of the image. And so on. As far as paper crafts go, I am definitely an amateur, even a dilettante, which I don’t mean in a bad way.

Merriam-Webster defines dilettante as “a person having a superficial interest in an art or a branch of knowledge” MW: dilettante. Sure, I’ll accept that. I have a little bit of interest in a lot of things, vide origami above. Call me a dabbler if that is a less judgemental term.

At least I got a blog post out of it.

Onwards!
Katherine