Fox Friday: Papermaking with Found Material

The workshop will open with a short presentation of paper pulp, including different techniques such as casting, printing, and embedding material in paper. Students will then learn how to make papermaking screens, and paper pulp using discarded material. The instructor will cover and paper process additives such as methyl cellulose, formation aid, and pigments. There will be an emphasis on the unpredictability of how the paper will dry as well as how the mechanics of the process (making it within one session) allow for the artist to embrace play and improvisation in their practice. Participants will then collaborate on color and pulp consistency to create their own paper pulp. Using hands, squeeze bottles, and other basic tools, they will apply the pulp to their screens to create a unique design. Collaboration will be encouraged. Students are able to make as many paper pieces as space allows, but each person will be able to take away at least one piece.

Instructor: Dallas Spears is a multidisciplinary artist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Her tactile compositions are created with scavenged materials, primarily discarded paper, which highlight joy, craft, and play as practice in the face of mounting environmental and societal disaster. She is currently an MFA candidate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.