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 Money Tree represents the virtue of Luck. Legend has it that seven leaves on a money tree cluster is good luck. But on my tree that’s chocked full of sevens… I’ve got an eight. Really doesn’t get much luckier than that. This block was printed on handmade paper containing money tree leaves from my own tree at home—collected and dried out 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.
Yes, it’s seriously not a pot leaf. But if thinking it’s a pot leaf makes you want to buy it… don’t let me stop you
