I've moved to Baltimore

Dear blog readers,

Life happens when you you are busy making other plans. I started this blog with the intention of writing atleast for a year about "art in Athens." But it so happened that my husband and I moved to Baltimore unexpectedly and so as you can see, I will have to discontinue posting on this blog.

I might post about art in general on this or a new blog but definitely the focus cannot be "art in Athens,"as I cannot talk to artists in the area anymore.

That said, I must express how much I liked this blog and intereactions with local artists that it brought along. In some ways, I became one of "Athensians" by interacting more closely with the artists and the local community. Thank you all for reading the posts and encouraging me through emails and comments. I truly appreciate your response.

Hope I keep seeing you in the blogosphere!

Ash

Taking a trip down the creative route: how Bonnie conceptualizes her work

The thing that struck me about Bonnie was her enthusiasm for trying new techniques, testing new ideas. I think this passion helps to keep her work (any artist's work I imagine) fresh and satisfying. I could sense the adventure in her work, a desire to try something new, to get beyond the “expected.” Most of her fused glass work contains a “surprise” element. I especially liked how she used bones as design elements in a series of decorative fused glass work.

So during my interaction with Bonnie, I tried to trace the inception and transformation of a creative idea. How does an artist's mind work? Bonnie shared with me this very very valuable but invisible process. She described how she incorporated deer bones as design elements.

“I found the deer bones in the woods. And I thought they were a wonderful design element because there is something timeless about bones. Because they are so beautiful and usually unseen,” she explained. The theme followed in a variety of decorative pieces, each piece displayed a new variation. Now she wants to continue that theme in three dimensional artworks.

From creative stand point, Bonnie said, one piece leads to the next piece. She quoted her poetry professor at Ohio University who said “ ‘even if you’re working on this you are always working on the next one.’” Bonnie said that’s true of her glass art too.

“When I am working, I keep I my mind open to new ideas,”she said. Bonnie pointed out a seemingly obvious but a really important and interesting fact: When she is making a particular creative choice for a particular piece; she is also eliminating many other creative options. So as one design takes shape, she continues contemplating “what if I’d have done that instead of this.” And the creative journey continues.

“The more I work, the more ideas come to me: the vocabulary of shape, form, rhythm, repetition, color and light... the more choices you see, the more possibilities emerge,” she explained.

Here is a series of pictures wherein Bonnie used bones as the design element. With each piece she tried something new, something that she didn't do in the earlier piece. One piece emerged from the other. (pictures are not in the order of production).

The arrangement below is a crude reproduction of how these different elements are fused together to form the design. (That's where her vision comes into play!) The trace of bones is created using black glass powder. Other components such as the pattern bars, other glass items are placed and then everything goes inside the kiln with layers of glass on top and at the bottom (if) required. It could take many number of firings till the desired design takes shape!

Be original...

Originality matters to her. But that is not to say that she doesn’t keep track of what’s happening in the art world. There are some artists whom she respects and buys their books to learn new techniques. But rather than merely emulating, she incorporates those ideas in her projects in her own way.

She tries to imbibe the same outlook in her students. Bonnie is wonderful at sketching, so her stained/copper foil glass designs are original and inspiring. She encourages students to try new designs, even if they are not as accomplished as her in sketching. She showed me how anyone can create new designs using just a set square and a pen. She made a quick design on graph paper, simply letting one line lead to the other. An original design emerged before me within seconds.

She is also quite meticulous about taking notes while firing up pieces for fused glass work:detailed notes of what worked, what didn't. So, it's not just the creative instinct but also the discipline that lightens up the world of art with novelty.

The Notebook: what was right, what went wrong!

Limitless possibilities...

I asked her why she continued to work with glass. She said she always finds more things she can do with glass. “You could spend a lifetime but not explore all the facts,” the words revealed her true and limitless passion for glass. She also loves her teaching job. “Magic of teaching is that you are always learning,” she said." The questions from students broaden my horizon."

Charming beautiful Athens...

Bonnie enjoys living in Athens. “Athens is a very small town. But the food is very good, the music is very good, art venues are very good and the university culture is sophisticated,” she shared her love for Athens. She feels fortunate to be able to enjoy such "cultural sophistication." She goes back to New York to visit her family and when she misses big museums and Broadway.

Bonnie exhibits her work also in a gallery in Marietta called “Riverside Artists”. She has significant amount of work on display there. When she has a day off from the school, she spends time in the gallery. It’s a co-op owned by 16 artists.

You can also visit her website to explore and buy her work.

Artist's tool box: equipment for hot and cold glass art

This post contains pictures of tools that are used to create and repair glass art. Those tools in the masters' hands that help them translate their imagination to reality. The tools might be dull, mechanical, mundane but the art that emerges in the end is anyhting but ordinary. So check these guys out! I took these pictures in Bonnie's studio in Athens.

The machine that is used to make glass beads. Bonnie showed me how a glass bead comes to life. A star is born! The way it takes shape is marvelous..simply beautiful.

This is a handheld glass cutter. You put a clear glass on a shape drawn on paper and run the cutter on the lines. I tried my hand at it. It's amazing how such a tiny thing can cut quite a thick piece of glass. Enjoyed it!

Take a look at the unassuming copper foil and the mundane solder that bring together eclectic glass pieces to form a design.

This heavey thing is used to pound glass pieces into fine powder that is used to create effects. Bonnie showed me fine powder of black glass that sparkled and shined.

Here is the big bad metal boy: the kiln. It is used to melt glass to create fused glass pieces. The kiln has a digital control panel and can handle temperature of upto 1800 degrees.

Visiting the mystical world of stained and fused glass with Bonnie Proudfoot (Part I)

I met Bonnie Proudfoot in her studio at her residence in beautiful countryside of Athens. Upon my request, we had decided to talk in her studio. Conversing with artists in their studios (where they can show me around) is fun and also educational. Talking with them in a studio has two distinct advantages. For a novice art writer like me, the context of studio helps understand “technical aspetcs of art” better because I can see the machinery (and exactly know what they are talking about). It also helps to bring out nuances of "work routines" of artists. So I am grateful to Bonnie for welcoming me into her creative space and sharing secrets of glass art with me, quite patiently.

As soon as I stepped into the studio, decorative glass art pieces on the wall caught my attention: a large half-circle shaped piece in the window, a bright colorful wall piece depicting a chicken and many other fused glass art pieces. The studio wore a busy look--it was full of materials and machinery required for Bonnie’s glass art. A huge white machine (which I later learned was a kiln) sat on one side. There were sheets of coloredglass arranged in a cabinet across from the entrance. I could picture Bonnie in the studio, engrossed in her work on a quiet summer afternoon.

The art piece by Bonnie Proudfoot installed in the window of her studio

Bonnie has been working with glass for more than 30 years. Her love for glass started with a casual college job at a studio that made glass lamps and repaired stained glass windows in Buffalo, NY. “That looks like fun, I will do it,” Bonnie recalled her reaction as she began working in the studio. She did that job for a year and found herself extremely fascinated with glass.

She mentioned that stained glass windows are being built since the 1100s’. In stained glass technique, colorful pieces of glass are fitted into channels made of lead and joined together to form different designs. Many churches have old stained glass windows and those often need to be restored, as over the years the lead stretches and the cement that holds the pieces together breaks down.

Another colorful and well designed art piece by Bonnie Proudfoot

In the 1900s’, copper foil method, which tends to be more free and allows greater freedom to put more intricate designs together, was introduced. In that method, a copper foil is wrapped around the edges of the pieces of glass and then soldered together to make a design. Bonnie is an expert in that method as well and has made numerous lamps, windows, and other types of art pieces. She has exhibited her work at many art shows.

Bonnie enjoys creating glass art for church windows. “Church windows are important because they are spiritual symbols,” she said. She showed me the pictures of leaded stained glass window project she completed for a chapel in a vey big church in Lynchburg, Va. She also repairs stained glass windows to date.

Bonnie is an accomplished fused glass artist too. In fact, she is well known for using this technique to create decorative art pieces. Below, you can see an elegant art work created using that technique.

Fused glass art work by Bonnie Proudfoot

Apart from being a professional artist she also teaches full time, courses in art appreciation and communication, at Hocking College. It’s only fitting that she designed the glass program at Hocking College. She came to Athens in 1996 to pursue doctoral program in creative writing at Ohio University. After finishing her coursework, she accepted a teaching position at Hocking College. Her undergraduate degree is in art education and she has two masters­­­­—one in creative writing with a secondary concentration in fine art, and the another in English literature.

More about this wonderful artist and her artistic endeavours in the next post.

Running an art store: an art?

In this post, I continue my conversation with Gloria, the owner of Court Street Collection (in the picture below):

Challenge of running an art store

When I asked Gloria what was the most difficult part of managing an art store, she said economy is posing a challenge and she is trying her best to keep the business afloat. She also said that the local community has been very supportive, especially since the downturn, and has been helping the store by buying locally.

But I saw Gloria doing her bit for the community too.The two times I was there in her store, she gave away two art pieces for local auctions, proceeds of which would be given to charities in the area. The requests typically come from OU students, representing various on-campus organizations.

Artists and the OU connection

Gloria knows most of the local artists very well and has developed rapport with them over the past number of years. The artists display their work in the store and get paid when the art work gets sold. This kind of an arrangement is not very common in the market and is a testimony to late Sue’s and Gloria’s goodwill among the local artists.

Gloria went to Ohio University between 1970-75 and majored in English. At that time she also took the glass blowing program offered at OU.

Most of the artists who showcase their work in her store are more than 50 years old and have settled in this area. Gloria said many of the artists who went to school at OU in the 70s,’ decided to live in and around Athens. At that time the land in and around Athens was inexpensive and they found Athens to be a fun place.

I wonder what has happened since. (Probably I should talk to someone in the OU art school.)

Selecting an art piece

I was curious as to how she picks artworks for the store, particularly when the customers always expect to find something unique . She said she looks up the internet,travels and reads magazines to keep abreast of new trends and new artists. Sometimes the artists test their new creative ideas by exhibiting one or two pieces in the store, to gague audience reception.

Some of the popular art pieces in her store are stain glass works of John Matz (Sunflower Glass) and ceramic cats by Mary Dewey (The Dewey Studio). Their artwork is exclusvely (in Athens) available at Court Street Collection.

Ceramic cat by Mary Dewey, sitting on top of a cabinet in the store

Gloria's favorite

What was her favorite art piece? I asked her in the end. She showed me a basket of thin silver wires. At first I didn’t quite understand the magic that basket could create but when Gloria held it in the sunlight it shimmered, reflecting the sunlight, and looked incredible. It is made by a local artist, Cindy Luna, a good friend of Gloria. Cindy sells her art all around the country.

Shimmering basket by Cindy Luna

Being an artist herself, Gloria brings a unique vision to the art store. Coupled that with the community spirit, Court Street Collection is an important stroke on the local art canvas.

And one of my favorites !

I will end this post with a picture of one of my favourites: sea salt lamps. And besides looking pretty, they are also supposed to soak up the negative energy around..(Don't know how true is that?) These lamps are not locally made though.

My favorite lamps, sitting pretty on the shelf

Priceless Art?

Josephin you asked about the prices of artpieces at Court Street Collection. I was wondering about the prices too! (Tell me..what can grad students really afford? But I really hope I (we all) can start earning enough money soon to own at least some of those wonderful art pieces in the world..what say? )

Although I don't have the complete price range I know the least and the most expensive pieces in the Court Street Collection.

The jewellery by Billie Sarchet under the Bird Girl label is priced at about $25 (makes me feel better! she also has jewellery on sale sometimes that's even cheaper). The most expensive art piece is the glass art by Bonnie Proudfoot at $ 575. But don't be intimidated, there are many itmes that fall under below $100 category. Both the artists are from around Athens.

Art piece by Bonnie Proudfoot...isn't this gorgeous?

Bead and stone jewellery (Jo.. for you !)

More later..Enjoy the beautiful sunshine!

Art Wonderland : Court Street Collection

Court Steet Collection, an art gallery/store that showcases and sells art and craftwork, is truly a wonderland for me.  As the name suggests it’s on Court Street, in uptown Athens. (To be precise, the address is 64 N. Court Street.) As soon as you set foot in the shop, you will be amazed by the art work on display. The shop presents an eclectic mixture of ceramic art (vases, cutlery, and sculptures), scarves, pillow covers, frames, lamps, jewellery, and many other really interesting pieces of art for sale. There is also a variety of glass art made by using different techniques like fuse glass, stain glass, and blow glass. It’s a riot of colors, shapes, and textures. And I really like the "gallery like" feel of it.

Court Street Collection in my mind is a place that represents many artists’ passion, unbridled imagination, and creativity, under one roof. According to Gloria, the owner of the store, about 70 percent of the art work is sourced locally from the artists in and around Athens. That’s why it became the next stop on my journey to discover the art and the artists in and around Athens.

History

I talked to Gloria to familiarize myself with this wonderland. Gloria gave me a peek into the history of the store. It was established in 1980 as a co-op by several artists in the area, to showcase and sell their art work. The artists ran it themselves. They owned it for about two years. After that the store was bought by Jim Gleason and late Susan Gleason. “Sue really made it into the store that it is today,” Gloria said.

Though not an artist, Sue had a great taste and she loved American craft. Gloria mentioned the Gleasons attended art and craft shows in New York, Boston to bring American craft from different parts of the country to Athens.

Sue and Gloria were good friends. Gloria used to exhibit her own work—blow glass work—in Court Street Collection. That’s how she knew Sue. If the Gleasons were going for a vacation, Gloria would step in to manage the store for that time. After Sue’s death in 1998 (a battle with cancer), her family ran it for some time. Gloria managed it for them for a couple of years, before buying it from Jim Gleason two years ago. 

There is an article on the wall that pays tribute to late Sue, recalls her artistic vision and captures the journey of Court Street Collection since its early days.

Though it’s a store, it doesn’t feel like a “commercial” space at all; may be because of Gloria’s artistic vision, and her warm nature. More about the store, the owner, and the artwork in later posts.

Art program and “good food” for the school kids in Nelsonville - York School District

Sara Gilfert , the art director of Paper Circle mentioned that the current executive director of Paper Circle Barb Campagnola started the art program for children.  Sara said in Nelsonville-York School District, no art is taught in the schools. So Barb along with her colleagues, inaugurated a unique art program for the kids in the area. It’s held every summer. They also collaborated with other studios on the Square so children can enjoy sculpting, painting, papermaking, theater production and many different arts. To me it looked  like an intensive but fun experience for children to learn about arts in thier summer vacation.

Food and fun                                                

Soon Paper Circle artists took their community service to the next level. They also included a “good food” program for the school kids. “There is a real need in the area to learn about what good food is,” Sara said. “This is an economically depressed area and children here are not aware of good food.” 

So they added the food element to the art program. They employ a chef to make food available to children. Also, older students do the “kitchen duty” where they learn how to make nutritious food and how to make it available in large quantities. Older students also get paid a little for their “kitchen duty.” The meals are provided free of cost considering the low income profile of the area.

Changing Artists

Another innovative and thoughtful program offered by Paper Circle is the “Changing Artists” series. Through this series, they invite an artist working with another medium to spend a year at Paper Circle.  Sara mentioned that currently Nancy McCauley, who makes bronze sculptures  (and also a painter,) is exploring the world of paper art at Paper Circle.

I think it’s a great idea to have artists working with other mediums work with paper because it facilitates a crossover of different skills and points of view. The experience can enrich the artist by introducing him/her to a new medium and probably also inspire work in his/her original medium.

Sources of funds for Paper Circle

Paper Circle is a not for profit organization. It gets grant from the Ohio Art Council. They also accept donations. Proceeds from the sale of paper art made by the Paper Circle artists, and a token fee for the workshops, are other minor sources of income.

(This is the last post in the series that covered Paper Circle.)

Paper mache tree and colorful paper bowls

Paper Circle offers paid/unpaid internship program that lets interns use the studio equipment, and showcase and sell their work. Currently Susie Thompson is the Paper Circle “artist in residence.”

Susie explained me the process for creating paper mache tree that sits in the studio.

Paper mache tree created by Susie

The process: (as told by Susie Thompson)

# The structure inside the tree was made from foam core and cardboard.

# Susie cut out 2, two dimensional tree shapes; and interlaced them.

#Then she wrapped it in window screen.

# Like “frosting a cake”(I liked the analogy) , she slapped paper mache on it.

# She used real branches for the ends.

# Originally she used paper made of banana peels and abaca..but didn’t like the result.

# So then she started covering it with pigmented dark brown Japanese tissue paper.

# She moved her fingers through the bark to give it the bumpy, uneven look.

She also mentioned that paper mache is really versatile can also be used to make masks etc. Susie said the tree is the first sculpture she made and now wants to make “the whole forest.”

Colorful paper bowls

I saw those colorful paper bowls in the studio and asked Susie the procedure.

Bowls made by Paper Circle artists.

The process:

# Susie said the bowls are made of recycled paper.They ripped the paper apart and turned into pulp.

# Pigments were used to get different colored pulps. They used the fabric dye called RIT.

(Susie recommends applying thin coat of vaseline on the insides of plastic bowls.)

# The next step was to drain water from the pulp and to press the pulp on the insides of the bowls.

(Pressing with sponge helps to get rid of excess water and hardens the layer.Thickness of the bowl can be adjusted through the quantity of pulp used and how hard it is pressed.)

# Different colored pulps were used to create patterns.

# The paper bowls need to dry in the plastic bowl: either in the Sun or could be set in front of a fan.

Susie said it takes about a week for the bowls to dry. Then the paper bowls start popping out of the plastic bowls. Even after taking out from the plastic bowls, the paper bowls may still need to be dried for some time.

# She spreaded glue to make a protective coat.

Susie said the bowls should not be used for eating but are great for decoration. She uses the bowls to organize her desk.

Art related events at OU this week

Checkout this week's are related events @ OU (From The Post)

Sara Gilfert: an artist unstoppable!

No doubt I was excited about the paper making experience at Paper Circle, the paper and book arts gallery, at the historic Square in Nelsonville. But even more than the excitement, I was amazed by the enthusiasm of Sara Gilfert, the founder and art director of Paper Circle. Sara will turn 80 this June, but her energy and love for the paper art and the community, remain boundless. I interviewed her in the studio, and she generously shared with me the story behind Paper Circle and as mentioned in the previous posts, gave me a demonstration on handmade paper making.

The beginning

Before being “infected with the love of paper” Sara worked with fabric. She taught fiber art at Ohio University from 1980 to 1985: weaving, knitting, dyeing, crochet, batik, all the differnt things related to fiber. Her art studio at home was built around these fabric art techniques which she had learnt 10 years before that. She also owned a yarn shop at that time.

Introduction to paper making

Sara said she became interested in paper art in the late 1970s'. A friend introduced her to paper making at that time. As the luck would have it, in 1980 she had the chance to learn the art of Japanese paper making when she joined her husband on a visit to Chubu University in Japan, for three months. While in Japan, Sara had the opportunity she described as “god sent and wonderful,” to visit the studio of a Japanese paper artist. From him, she learnt the traditional Japanese method of paper making.

After returning from Japan, she slowly turned her fiber art studio into a paper art studio. In 1985, Ohio University closed the fabric art department, a nationwide trend at that time. As her interest in paper art grew, she let her lose the fabric art materials. She began using paper as the medium for her art; using paper for creating all kinds of imagery and forms.

Art work by Sara Gilfert. The colors you see in the work is not paint but are obtained from using colorful paper. It's a pretty big piece and is mounted on one of the walls in Paper Circle studio.

Next 10 years or so she found herself to be extremely busy, helping her husband set up his engineering business. Though an artist at heart, Sara taught herself double entry book-keeping and learnt to run a small business, to help her husband. She smiled recounting how she learnt book keeping "the hard way." The accountant in me empathised with her.

Through this period, she intermittently worked in her studio.

Paper Circle: the concept

After almost 11 years, she longed to get back to the “full-time artist” job. "I better return to my studio becuase that's where I have my health," she recalled her thoguhts at that time. In 2001, the idea of the public funded “paper art gallery” was lingering her mind. Sara said she was thinking of a space where she could work with her fellow artists and share her knowledge and the eqipment for making paper, and her in interest paper art, with the community.

Then in 2001, a friend from ‘Rural Action’ joined her in her studio at home. She was Sara's first intern. They used to get together every week and Sara taught her the skills she knew. Within a year three more apprentices joined her. They brought together different talents and experimented with paper art in the studio. Sara also shared with them her "vision" of Paper Circle.

"Paper Circle" is born

Sara's studio at home was built for one person, so for four artists they needed a bigger place. Sara definitely had the “concept” of Paper Circle in mind that was bigger than just a studio and started to put the word out. They started looking around for a new place and that’s when they found the current place at Nelsonville’s historic Square. Paper Circle—“the circle round the Square,” (I used "The Circle Around the Square" phrase as a descriptor for Paper Circle but actually it is a name of the program offered by them for children) was inaugurated in 2003, with Rural Action as a fiscal agent. Sara moved the equipment from her home studio to the new studio.

I think with so many other art galleries and studios around, the Square seems to be a perfect venue for Paper Circle artists to continue with their artistic endeavours.

Paper Circle: then and now

When they moved, the place was in a bad shape. Sara recalled that walls were dark gray, ceiling was balck and the floor was a mess. "It took months of rehabilitation work," sara said " to convert it into a workable area."

Paper circle is now a nice space divided roughly in three sections. As you enter, there is a professional gallery area where exhibiitions are held. Then you step into a small section where art works of the Paper Circle artists are displayed. Here you see differnt types of handmade paper, leather bound books, colorful paper bowls and other wonderful art works, made from paper, pulp and paper mache. Further inside is the studio space where paper making equipment and other accessories are placed.

Mission

Paper Circle is a non profit organization with public funding. The organization's Web site sums up its mission very well: “Paper Circle is dedicated to the celebration, preservation and advancement of the paper and book arts.”

More about the artists and this hub of paper art in Southeast Ohio, in the next post!

Fun papermaking video series

Found these cool youtube videos. It's a complete series that takes us through the process of handmade paper making step by step. It's fun to watch and also helpful if you decide to dabble in papermaking this summer! Totally doable at home. Check it out.

Intro to handmade papermaking

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xeQa70ZLJI&feature=related

Hnadmade papermaking supplies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJZCmLeQDDU&feature=related

Making pulp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kBmhga6suo&feature=channel

Mold and deckle setting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWiaB39c7Sw&feature=related

Paper drying

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xeQa70ZLJI&feature=related

Paper flattening

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV5II_czDpw&feature=related

Also, OU offers a course in papermaking and is being offered this summer too. It's taught by Melissa Haviland . Take a look!

This week's art events @ OU

Checkout this week's art events @ OU (from The Post)

Handmade papermaking 101

I met Sara Gilfert, the art director of Paper Circle on Final Friday in April. And as I said before, that was my entry to the world of paper art. Sticking to my artistic pursuit, I requested her for an interview. During our conversation, Sara mentioned that they make the handmade paper used to create books, greetings, folders available in the studio. In fact, they hold workshops to teach how to make handmade paper.

When she said that, I couldn't believe my luck. I am a huge fan of handmade paper. The textures and hues of handmade paper give it a classy look. And I also like how we can see the colorful fibres in the paper. Handmade paper looks "earthy" and "close to nature."  Also it is definitely environment friendly, when it is made from old clothes, waste paper etc. 

So I almost instantaneously asked Sara if she would show me the process of making the handmade paper. Sara has been making paper for more than 30 years now. She is also a specialist in making Japanese paper and  learnt the technique from a paper artist in Japan. She regulalry conducts workshops to teach how to make Japanese paper.

MinaTakahashi, the editor of Hand Papermaking  magazine listed Paper Circle among one of the few facilities in the Midwest, where artists, who use advanced techniques and pulps, can work. The list was published  in the global access guide in summer 2008 issue of the magazine.

When I requested Sara, she was making paper for folders for the graduation announcement of her grandchildren. She enthusiastically showed me the process of handmade papermaking;

how she turned dark green OU T-shirts into textured  handmade paper. 

That was an interesting transformation! 

Beating

Sara  told me she cut the green T-shirts in tiny pieces and put them into  "Hollander Beater"- the machine that beats the mixture of cloth bits and water into pulp. This big machine gets  its  name from  the country of its origin. The "bed-plate" in the machine can be adjusted to determine the texture and the tinkness of the pulp. The technique of beating (how hard and for how long) differs in western and oriental cultures, basically leading to variations in the thickness of the pulp. 

Sara near the machine: "Hollander Beater" for making paper pulp

Interesting tid-bits: 

Sara said the machine hasn't really changed since the 1600, when it was  introduced. The paper mills use similar machines, only bigger in size.

Traditionally, in western countries, paper was made from fabrics such as cotton and linen, that being the nature of clothing during earlier times. In eastern countries, hemp, mulberry branches were used to make paper. The branches of paper mulberry have to be "cooked" and "cooled" before the "beating" begins. Now ofcourse, wood is used to make paper in mills.

The next step was to mix enough water in the pulp so the mixture could be strained using a "mold and deckel."  The Mold is like a sieve that is used to catch the paper fibers from the mixture of water and pulp.  The deckle is a wooden frame, to keep the paper fibers from sliding off the mold.

Container with green pulp-water mixture

Sieving

Sara dunked the "mold and deckle" into the pulp-water mixture. 

The "mold and deckle" have to be moved  in such a way that the pulp settels on the screen evenly. The technique of moving the "mold and deckle" differs in the oriental and western traditions of papermaking.

Sara rested the 'mold and deckle" to get rid of excess water

The fresh, green but "wet" paper :)

The wet paper landed on a bloating sheet.  

  Depending upon the size of the "mold and deckle," paper sheets of differnt sizes can be made

A stack of bloating sheets with wet green papers on each of the sheets

Pressing

This hydraulic press squeezes out the remaning water. The stack of bloating sheets went in it with a wooden plank at the bottom and on the top of the stack

Drying

There is a fan behind the stack, for drying up the paper completely. Another 24 hours may be!

From T-shirts to the handmade green  paper

Thanks Sara! That was pretty amazing. 

You can check the next work shop at Paper Circle @ http://www.papercircle.org/workshops.html 

A chance to win bright "passion flower"

The students in the Communication and Development Studies program at OU are organizing a Mother's Day Special Raffle for Passion Works Studio , a local organization that supports artists with and without developmental disabilities, through production of  artwork such as jewellery, ornaments, greetings flowers etc.  

This is a service learning project for students to help increase Studio's exposure and community engagement, in Athens.

So here is our chance to win the colorful creations of the Passion Works artists. 

The raffle ticket is $2. The tickets are available at the Baker Center fourth level entrance (across from the Scripps Hall) today and tomorrow, from noon to 4 p.m. 

The winners will be declared Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Passion Works Studio Gallery Shop located at: 20 East State Street.

First Prize: Passion Flower 

Second Prize: Paper Flower Bouquet (2 winners)

Third Prize: Mouse Pad (3 winners)

Art related events at OU this week

Here is the link for art related events at OU from May 4  to  May 11 (from The Post)

I think graduate thesis presentations in photography, ceramic and sculpture will be pretty cool.

Leave a note if you attend any of those.. 

I want to definitely visit the sculpture one!

 

 

History of Final Fridays

So excited I was with my experience of Final Fridays, I decided to ask people about what they thought of the concept. I started with my neighbour, Steven Richter, the very next morning.

He said he had been to Final Fridays and liked the event. In fact he wondered if a similar event could be started in Athens. Steven is a cartoonist and a musician and has lived in Athens for many years.

The history

Encouraged by his response, I called the "Athens County Visitor's Bureau" last week to know more about the history of Final Fridays. They pointed me to Ann Judy, a well known ceramic artist of Starbrick Clay, a gallery at the Sqaure. She said Final Fridays began in April of 2002.

It was the idea of Aaron Smith, the then art director of Foothills Art School, which is also at the Square. Ann said he was inspired by the art events he had seen in Columbus and other cities, and wanted to start something on those lines at the Square in Nelsonville.

Ann explained that at that time many art groups had settled in the Square area.The Square is also a pedestrian friendly area making it appropriate for sidewalk entertainment. And thus came along the Final Fridays.

I think Final Fridays is a superb idea, a bridge between common people and the artists in the area. When I asked Ann about her thoughts, she described Final Fridays as a great "showcase" for the artists. "It's an opportunity to get more people to come enjoy art," she said.

Sara Gilfert, art direcor of "Paper Circle," a gallery that exhibits paper art, said that the closest art museum for the people in Nelsonville is in Athens and then in Lancaster. Final Fridays is a perfect event to fill this gap.

Evolution

Ann mentioned that when they started Final Fridays in 2002, they didn't expect it to grow to the present scale.The event evolved over a period of time. A group of business/gallery owners at the Square, decides on the Final Friday themes for each month, and tries to keep the event fresh as well as fun.

As I mentioned in my previous post, each month, the galleries present a new show. Artists come over from Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland to exhibit their work in different galleries at the Square. The art shows continue for a month, till new exhibits are unvailed on the next Final Friday.

Ann said Final Fridays may move under the auspices of Nelsonville Area Chamber of Commerce next year but the planning will still be done by the group of artists and retail business owners at the Sqare.

Community spirit

I had seen Lorraine Wochna and Diana Nichols, librarians from the Ohio University, at the Square. I asked them later what they thought about Final Fridays.

Lorraine said she likes supporting art in Nelsonville and likes seeing all the people. She enjoys the different art shows going on at the Majestic, and the differnt artworks at all the other businesses.

"I love going to Starbrick Clay, I have a pottery 'thing'," she said.

Diana shared similar feelings. "I enjoy art, and there is always a new exhibit or performance to see. What's really nice is that Final Fridays is a community event, so I almost always see someone there I know."

Both of them try to attend Final Fridays every month.

If you decide to head to the Sqare on next Final Friday, mark the date in your calendars: May 29.

Final Fridays in Nelsonville combines food, fun, and fine art

As I started to look around for events/galleries that promote local art, I remembered some references about Final Fridays in Nelsonville. So as part of my ongoing art expedition, I headed to Nelsonville to explore Final Fridays on April 24, with my husband. 

Final Fridays is held at Nelsonville's Historic Public Sqaure on the last Friday of every month, except December. Through  Athens County  conventions and visitors web page  I found that on Final Fridays, art galleries and other businesses around the Sqare remain open for visitors until 10 p.m. People can walk around the Square, enjoy live music on the streets, visit different shows in  art galleries, shop at the street stalls and watch plays and musicals at the Stuart's Opera House. 

That sounded like an excitng package.

The Square is home to many art studios and galleries like Gallery 1879: Stuart's Opera House, Hocking College Student Gallery, Majestic Gallery, Nelsonville Pottery & Gifts, Studio 4 Art, Starbrick Clay etc., and many other small retail businesses. 

Great Friday evening

While we were at the Square, it almost seemd as if we were in a different world. With its fair-like appeal, the place looked very diffferent from the usual scene in Athens. The vehicular traffic was closed at the Square.There were a few sidewalk stalls selling  bead-jewellery, baked food, and such other items. Families with kids enjoyed strolling around. Street musicians played upbeat tunes. The "community" spirit was quite palpable.

 Paper Circle, the gallery at the Sqare is hosting an exhibit of intricate Origami works by artists of "Ohio Origami." 

We went to Starbrick Clay  which had a brand new exhibit of clay and ceramic work, and Paper Circle , a hub for everything "paper art." Both galleries welcomed a steady stream of enthusiastic visitors through the late evening. Susie Thompson, an artist with the gallery, Paper Circle, attributed the enthusiasm of visitors to the pleasant weather. Paper Circle, like other galleries at the Square, inauguarted an exhibit by Ohio Origami that Friday. That was my introduction to the world of "paper art." I spent more than an hour in the gallery talking to Sara Gilfert, the art director of Paper Circle and Susie and learnt many facinating things about paper art.(more about that in the posts later.) 

 People enjoying a sunny day at the Art Square  and the street stalls

Stuart's Opera House 

On Final Fridays, Stuart's Opera House shows a free film in the 130-year-old theater

 

The food finale

We ended our mini art excursion with equally pleasurable food and music expereince at Rhapsody, the fine dining restaurant at the Square, run by the Hocking College culinary arts and hospitality students. Food there is pricy for what graduate students can afford, but worth every penny!

 

My first step into the world of art was a memorable experience! 

Share with me your Final Friday experiences and things you like about Final Fridays.