Papermaking is a process that I’ve wanted to explore for a long time. How creative could I get with the process? Is it really as simple as taking paper scraps, smoothie-ing them in a blender with some water, dumping that pulp in a tub, and then using a mesh screen apparatus to pull the sheets of paper out of that sloppy goopy mess? What if I wanted to mix flower petals into the watery pulp? Would that work? Could that work?
Turns out—yes—it could work, and it did work. I’m excited to share my first venture in papermaking: “In Bloom, Vol. 1”. This quartet of prints features a peony, a chrysanthemum, a rose, and a money tree leaf. The Chrysanthemum represents the virtue of Endurance. I love these things more than any other flower; looking into the center of a chrysanthemum is like looking at the face of God. They’re not content being a flower with just a few dozen petals; they want a few hundred petals. They’re insane, incredible, and the most extraordinary things ever. This block was printed on handmade paper containing chrysanthemum petals from various bouquets—gathered and hung to dry before being mixed in with the paper pulp. The DIY process doesn’t get any more handmade and analog than this!
These handmade editions are pretty small batches, with only 20 sets available. Each handmade sheet has been archivally mounted to a 12x12 black backing board for easy framing, making for a nice and clean presentation. But, if this experimental look isn’t for you, fear not—there’s also a regular edition of 50 printed on 8x10 sheets of tried-and-true French Paper kraft manila.
