Hand Papermaking?

Hand Papermaking? Why?
The SAA is now offering classes in papermaking. No, not the reams or pads you may be thinking about; but handmade paper. Paper is such a basic commodity that it rarely captures our attention or interest; yet, we would be lost without it-- particularly as artists. Paper plays a pivotal role in art making; yet, it is under appreciated. Where would that graphite, ink, watercolor or pastel sit if it wasn’t for paper? What would papier mache or origami be without paper? It is an essential element that presents artists with choices and challenges. Like every other art material, the more we understand, the more we can use it to our advantage.

Who Invented Paper? There is no single source identified as the first paper ever made. There is agreement that it came out of the Far East; China and India have the oldest paper samples and histories. In the 13th century, paper was being produced in Italy and Spain. By the 15th century, papermaking was common across Europe and with Gutenberg’s invention of the moveable type printing press in 1438-40, the demand for and quality of paper increased dramatically. Sheets of paper made from a variety of fibers with a range of qualities were being made across Europe. By the 18th century, Italy and England set the highest quality standards for handmade paper and continue that tradition today.

What is paper made from? Paper is made from the base cellulose structure of plant material; the purer the plant material, the higher the quality of the paper. For example, we all know that newsprint is very low quality paper. This is not because it is thin, it is the residual acid left from the quickly processed wood chips that reacts with air and light to break down the fibers which causes them to discolor and break. The highest quality printmaking and drawing paper is “100% rag” meaning that it is made from cotton fibers. Initially paper was made from rags (old clothing) hence the term. Although there are now more direct sources of cotton fibers for papermaking, many hand papermakers use all natural fabrics like denim, linen, and canvas for their paper; the trick is avoiding any synthetic fibers.

How do you get from fiber to paper? (Western or European Style Hand Papermaking)

The fibers have to be separated and suspended in water. This happens by “beating the fiber to a pulp.” Today beating is done by a machine called a Hollander Beater. (The first beater of this type was created in Holland in 1680.) The pulp is then added to a vat of water. A deckle mould is then dipped into the vat. The pulp is distributed evenly across the surface of the mould and water drains away. This sheet of paper is then transferred from the mould to a felt. The stack of felts, with the sheets interleafed, are then pressed to remove the excess water and physically bond the fibers of the paper. After pressing, the sheets are dried under restraint to keep them flat.

Sounds like a lot of work...

For most applications, artistic or otherwise, purchasing machine made papers is the way to go. However, as an artist, making paper can offer a broad spectrum of creative opportunities and processes that cannot be purchased off the shelf. Join me for one of my introductions to hand papermaking workshops to get a glimpse of the possibilities. The next workshop is Saturday, July 24th. You can find all the registration information at http://www.springfieldart.org/ or contact the SAA office at (217) 523-2631.