they DID want to make some paper with ferns, asters, and black eyed susans!
abaca vat (rear) thistledown pulp in foreground
pressing the post, always a hit because of how the water gushes out
i do get a bit of grief over the blenders (stairs). i pick them up at garage sales, and when out kitchen blender gave out, hannah went to the mill and chose one that was still unused.
i usually dry on boards, and it's another good hand/eye skill for the kids. here they see the first sheet as it emerges from the pressed post. note my very fancy fine brush!!!
it's an honor to have my own students make paper here. one was home sick, and the others chose to make sheets for him to use in our bookworks. these kids are thoughtful. i was up early and had to nap after work!
YAY!!! love love love the pics and news of how well it went. you are such a great teacher.
ReplyDeleteblush. it was fun...and exhausting. they really got into it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a FABULOUS and creative life you live! It's lovely to see you pass on your enthusiasm and love to others. You truly are a blessing, my friend!
ReplyDeleteI'll bet that it was an experience they'll value for a very long time.
ReplyDeletethat small movement to lock the fibers together can be magical for those kids.
ReplyDeletemargaret i woke exhausted today!
ReplyDeleteneki, exactly. i teach them to watch the surface carefully after the little shake, as it magically becomes paper.
poof, it is magic and that will impress. i have never made paper. can i be in your class?
ReplyDeleteabsolutely! come on up!
ReplyDeleteI love these pics...and am thinking how great it must be to teach in your home studio, too. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI have done papermaking a few times with my high school art students... mostly green paper using copy paper retrieved from the teachers' work room with plant material added for interest... but also river cane paper last year (VERY textured)...have not tried thistle down, although there is lots of it around right now here in rural western NC...what were the ingredients in your pulp?...also there is much wild clematis right now in the fields and on the roadsides...wonder how it would work?
ReplyDeletetry looking at gin petty's site for plant recipes. the thistle seed heads were collected just as they started to puff--they were cooked and rinsed and beaten in a blender, water added and the pulp was ready. sheets were pulled without any additions. pressed, and dried on boards.
ReplyDeletedoing recycled paper is a noble thing, but not worth it for handmade paper. make good pulp for good, usable paper.that copier paper is full of chemicals...and ink/toner.