I started paper making in 1974 in San Francisco. With a background in printmaking, I had trained as a fine print curator at Tamarind Lithography Institute in Albuquerque where mostly European print papers were used.

 

Moving to San Francisco, I learned that the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic had bought the plans for a paper making workshop (and then built it) from Howard Clark, of TwinRocker Paper Mill. After volunteering there for a year I bought the entire workshop when they decided to close.

 

The studio now has the original Hollander beater, 4 lb capacity, from Howard Clark's first plans and 2 Critter beaters, capacities of 2 lbs and 1 lb, from Mark Landers.

 

In one method of paper making, deconstruct clothing and fabric of 100% natural fibers - cotton, linen and silk - cut it into pieces, beat it in the Hollander or Critter beater, and reform the pulp into sheets of hand made paper. At other times I start with the raw fiber, such as kozo or flax.

 

The color of the paper comes from the color of the material used. Fibers and colors are blended for richer, more intense colors for the stationery sets. Neutral colored fibers - abaca, cotton, kozo and flax create the softer, more natural colors.

 

I returned to Texas in 1982 with my equipment on wheels and continue to work with fiber in as many creative ways as I can.

 

*During a week in Fabriano, Italy at the Museo della Carta in 2003. I worked with their Maestro paper maker, their fine pulp, and watermarks.

*In 2010 I spent a week at the Williams Museum of Paper in Atlanta, Ga. learning to make paper in the Japanese manner, have been exploring this technique since then, and have added this type of paper to my paper stock.

*A 5 day workshop at the Awagami Paper Factory in Japan, gave me more experience in Japanese paper making, August 2016. During this trip I visit Echizen, in Fukua Prefecture, where I had the honor to meet Ichibei Iwano, the 9th generation of the Iwano family to make paper. On to Mino Village and the wonderful paper museums there.

* In 2018 made a tour of 3 French paper mills: Ruscombe Mill outside Bordeaux, Le Moulin du Veger in Puymoyen and Richard de Bas in Ambert.

 

Paper made by hand is a little known and fading craft yet it is kept alive around the world in small commercial and private studios by hard working crafts men and women. 

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Bravo!