Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Curbside discoveries
I have to admit feeling rather defeated lately. Being unable to create anything & watching deadlines for shows pass without having anything to submit - really makes one feel like a failure.
The Universe, however, had something to say about that, for last night I discovered a fabulous curbside find. It appears that a neighbor is re-habbing their bathroom & threw out their bath tub.
Unbeknownst to them, I was looking for something to serve as a large pulling vat. With the help of my girlfriend, we stealthily hoisted the tossed out tub into the back of my car & quietly drove it back to the house.
It is now sitting in the car port waiting for me to build it a nice sturdy frame on which to sit. Joy! life is good today!
One step closer to pulling!
The Universe, however, had something to say about that, for last night I discovered a fabulous curbside find. It appears that a neighbor is re-habbing their bathroom & threw out their bath tub.
Unbeknownst to them, I was looking for something to serve as a large pulling vat. With the help of my girlfriend, we stealthily hoisted the tossed out tub into the back of my car & quietly drove it back to the house.
It is now sitting in the car port waiting for me to build it a nice sturdy frame on which to sit. Joy! life is good today!
One step closer to pulling!
Friday, June 24, 2005
In the Beginning...
Over the past couple of years, on a shoe string budget, I have been building my papermaking studio from scratch. I've been keeping a handmade journal of the process, but it was suggested that I keep an online journal as well.
So this is my papermaker's journal. I'm sure it will be peppered with non-papermaking fodder. Dealing with the 'in-betweens' of life. so, We'll see where it leads us.
I began this endeavor while at Grad school. I was the only papermaker in a Printmaking program at Cranbrook Academy of Art - so I set out to build make shift facilities that would allow me to continue with my Thesis work (sculptural prints). Seeing that I was at an art school, it wasn't hard to scrounge up various materials & I had a wonderful wood shop (& wood shop advisor) at my disposal. Unfortunately, when I left Cranbrook, I left a lot of my equipment (work tables, desks, couching tables) - thinking that I could just as easily rebuild them.
What I didn't take into account was being flat broke. Lack of foresight. I neglected to recall the cost of living in the "real world" and ended up spending my savings on a cross country move, deposit on a rental house, & oh yeah, student loan repayment.
It's now a year later & I'm just starting to get a toe-hold on the situation:
To start out, I have a few pieces of equipment, bought, salvaged or built:
Several small pulling vats: a plastic utility sink (from Home Depot), a large cement mixing tub, a 2'x3' storage tub (from IKEA)
Vacuum table: built while in Grad school (pictures and plans to come). size: 4'x4'
A plethora of small, make-shift Mould & Deckles: size range from 4"x6" to 16"x20"
Felts: made of Pelon and old Wool Army Blankets.
Wet/Dry Vac: was abandoned in my studio at school - no one claimed it (probably because it's ancient), so it became mine.
What I still need to make/replace/scrounge:
Couching Table
Paper Dryer
Large pulling vats (to accomodate 4' long Mould&Deckles)
Large mould & Deckles (I'm looking at a range of up to 48" wide, various depths.)
Work Table
Pulper
&, Oh yes, A Beater (I've actually found plans to enable me to build my own - should I be that adventurous. Otherwise I'm looking Mark Lander's Cherub or Critter)
My first goal is to scrounge up enough money to actually buy a table saw - I found one for $150 that will work. Now I just have to find the $150. That combined with a compressor and brad/nail gun will enable me to make a majority of the items listed above.
In the mean time, I just need to get back to making paper.
So this is my papermaker's journal. I'm sure it will be peppered with non-papermaking fodder. Dealing with the 'in-betweens' of life. so, We'll see where it leads us.
I began this endeavor while at Grad school. I was the only papermaker in a Printmaking program at Cranbrook Academy of Art - so I set out to build make shift facilities that would allow me to continue with my Thesis work (sculptural prints). Seeing that I was at an art school, it wasn't hard to scrounge up various materials & I had a wonderful wood shop (& wood shop advisor) at my disposal. Unfortunately, when I left Cranbrook, I left a lot of my equipment (work tables, desks, couching tables) - thinking that I could just as easily rebuild them.
What I didn't take into account was being flat broke. Lack of foresight. I neglected to recall the cost of living in the "real world" and ended up spending my savings on a cross country move, deposit on a rental house, & oh yeah, student loan repayment.
It's now a year later & I'm just starting to get a toe-hold on the situation:
To start out, I have a few pieces of equipment, bought, salvaged or built:
Several small pulling vats: a plastic utility sink (from Home Depot), a large cement mixing tub, a 2'x3' storage tub (from IKEA)
Vacuum table: built while in Grad school (pictures and plans to come). size: 4'x4'
A plethora of small, make-shift Mould & Deckles: size range from 4"x6" to 16"x20"
Felts: made of Pelon and old Wool Army Blankets.
Wet/Dry Vac: was abandoned in my studio at school - no one claimed it (probably because it's ancient), so it became mine.
What I still need to make/replace/scrounge:
Couching Table
Paper Dryer
Large pulling vats (to accomodate 4' long Mould&Deckles)
Large mould & Deckles (I'm looking at a range of up to 48" wide, various depths.)
Work Table
Pulper
&, Oh yes, A Beater (I've actually found plans to enable me to build my own - should I be that adventurous. Otherwise I'm looking Mark Lander's Cherub or Critter)
My first goal is to scrounge up enough money to actually buy a table saw - I found one for $150 that will work. Now I just have to find the $150. That combined with a compressor and brad/nail gun will enable me to make a majority of the items listed above.
In the mean time, I just need to get back to making paper.
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