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Hand papermaking at Alice Birmey School, December 2004
On display at Belle Coolidge Library, May 2005
Teachers: Lisa Lavy, Kindergarten, Rebecca Rutledge, Pre-kindergarten.
Lynn Eder, artist
Children were introduced to the art and process of hand papermaking by first making a sheet of white paper and by then applying red and pink pulp onto it. Once water is absorved by sponge, the pulp becomes paper instantly, though it was still wet! The pieces were dried and used to make valentine cards to share with friends and family.
The students repeated this process for several weeks.
It was great to see them become more and more confident about shape, color and composition. The artists also learned to attach a variety of collage materials such as ribbons, pipe cleaners, netting, feathers, and colored tissue papers to the handmade paper.
One project was to make a handmade paper piece that was about creatures and plants that live "Under the Sea". They then applied shells, sequins and ribbons or twigs to a large piece of blue construction paper to complete the underwater scenes. The artists also drew starfish, octopi, turtles and even whales onto the blue paper.
Another project was to create "Scenes of Spring", ranging from flowers, complete with bumble bees, to trees, balls, and other springtime activities. They also attached brighly colored yarns as fringe, doing each piece of yarn carefully and patiently. It was very evident as these projects progressed that the students were thinking more and more critically about their compositions- what was used and where they placed their colored pulp and the collage materials.
Twighla Thao
Oscar Ramos
John Gomes
The very young artists love the papermaking: the water, the pulps, the collage materials. After first saying "Yuk" to the idea of putting their hands into water and pulp, they became enthusiastic about the procedure. Never did anyone ask: "What should I make?"
With each project they became more confident and adept at making artwork "from scratch" that is truly their own.
