About
This is an introductory to advanced course in the ancient Korean technique of joomchi or felted paper. In this context the word 'felted' means that this method of fusing papers uses some of the same hand tools and styles of manipulation that one can use in making felt from wool fiber. In both cases, the main tools are the hands and water.
The 2-day workshop will include:
- A history of hand paper making using long fiber papers especially mulberry fiber as it is still practiced around the world.
- Building collages without glue or other usual methods of adhesion relying instead on the natural process of papermaking.
- Working paper by rolling and by hand and then shaping the papers into a 3 dimensional form or cast the assembled layers into strong, stiff shapes.
- Exploring the options for final texture from a soft, fabric like finished product to a stiff, highly crumpled sheet.
Color in your composition will come via the dyes in the long fiber papers you use or in surface design at any stage of the process ...as always color and pattern can be an important or subtle element in your composition.
What you will do with the finished felted paper is up to you...shape into jewelry or a vessel and prepare for hanging on the wall.
Details:
- A materials fee of $30 is included in the class tuition. The instructor will supply multiple sheets/pieces of long fiber paper from Korea and Japan, vintage book pages from Asia, specialty products used in treating the surface of the finished pieces, and other miscellaneous items.
- Skill Level: Universal -- All skill levels are welcome.
- Ages: Ages 14+ Welcome.
- Bring a bag lunch. BARN has a refrigerator and microwave available in the kitchenette on the lower level.
Students Need to Bring the Following Supplies
(download file: Supplies to Bring for Zia Gipson.pdf):
- 1 Corrugated plastic board (No smaller than 20”x 30”). This is the plastic material used in signage. You could buy from a sign shop or plastics store or http://www.dickblick.com/products/corrugated-plastic-panels/. This is used to move the fragile wet paper compositions to drying areas. You could also bring a wooden board or a window screen (with frame), stiff plexiglass or stiff thick cardboard covered with plastic It needs to be FLAT and sturdy enough to not bend under the weight of wet paper.
- 1 Round wood dowel (1” thickness and at least 24”length). Make sure the dowel is not warped! It should be straight. The wet paper compositions will be rolled up around this.
- 1 Water sprayer with adjustable nozzle– This can be a spray bottle or a clean garden sprayer
- 1 used towel (larger than the corrugated plastic boards),
- Waterproof apron and old clothes...paper dyes may run
- One or two zipper lock plastic bags
- Rubber or other gloves as desired
- 4” cheap flat paint brush and water bucket or a container that fits the brush (we have yogurt containers for your use)
- Any kind of mark making tool
- Scissors or paper cutter
- Scraps or sheets of paper of any kind. You will experiment with these to see which fuse easily and what effect they have in your composition. You may try tissue paper or crepe paper, If you can easily find it, you may also choose to bring additional sheets of long fiber mulberry paper to add to that given you in class. Zia recommends you try Hanji or Korean mulberry paper available from Hiromi Paper in California or Paper Connection on the east coast. In theory, at least, any long fiber paper of any origin should work.
- Resources:
https://store.hiromipaper.com/products/korean-hanji-series?variant=51658003339
https://shop.paperconnection.com/collections/hanji-papers
Instructor Bio:
Zia Gipson studied papermaking for several years and traveled extensively in Asia. She has exhibited her art at numerous museums including the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum, and New Bedford Art Museum. Her work has also been exhibited internationally including in South Korea and Greece. Images of her art has been featured in books such as "Pattern Base" and in magazine articles.
Zia Gipson Artist Statement: 'I chose my media and materials depending on the ideas and structural concept I am pursuing. Conceptually I am interested in the loss of culture especially languages and craft tradition. Of late, I have been making work that refers to the loss of handwriting as evidence of personality, culture and use of our hands over machines. I travel widely incorporating ideas and imagery from these experiences.
As a feltmaker I employ a variety of techniques including collage, strip felts, needle felting, and laminated or nuno felt. I use a variety of fibers from merino wool to silk and synthetics.
In mixed media pieces I use acrylic gels and mediums, dyes, paints, and other mark-making materials on paper, wood and fabric. I incorporate stamps, stencils, screen printing, computer-generated imagery and hand and machine stitchery for additional pattern and depth. For the last three years I have been making a variety of handmade paper objects using both Western and Asian papermaking techniques including 'joomchi'.
