Memories through Papermaking

Regular followers may know that I experimented with some papermaking some while back, and I was so pleased with the results that I have since applied for some exhibiting opportunities based on ‘sculptural’ paper concepts – and was lucky enough to land a solo exhibition at Unicorn Gallery in Ballarat, the closest town centre to where I live (yes, I am a country bumpkin!).

100% eucalyptus paper

My earlier experiments, which included using eucalyptus bark, leaves and twigs, resulted in some quite textural papers which were mini sculptures within themselves, embodying the landscape from which they came – and my proposal was based upon this concept: the ‘blurb’ :

Dawn Whitehand’s From the Landscape series features organic and found materials gleaned from her immediate natural environment which are combined with handmade paper to form sculptural narratives that reflect the colour and textures she is inspired by in her everyday art making process. These snapshots capture fleeting moments and memories of trace elements often overlooked in a busy goal orientated world. It is hoped such images anchor the viewer within their immediate environment, inviting them to contemplate the reality of their everyday lives.

So, my exhibition opens on the 8th November…yikes, I better start making stuff!

But, some history of the art space:

The Unicorn Gallery is a public art space, sponsored by the City of Ballarat, consisting of several perspex boxes of varying sizes mounted on a brick wall in Unicorn Lane. The project is part of an overall City Of Ballarat initiative to increase the contemporary profile of public art in Ballarat.

Ballarat has a long public art history, and more recently, facilitated by public arts officer Julie Collins, a large part of this has been the reinterpretation of Ballarat’s laneways. Ballarat was European settled as a Goldrush town, and therefore has an abundance of bluestone laneways (in need of reinvigoration). Over the past couple of years many of these laneways have been enlivened by public artworks, including Unicorn Lane.

An example of a previous exhibition at the Unicorn Gallery, which I reviewed, can be seen here, and a group exhibition I participated in can be viewed here.

Getting back to the point however, I have begun making sculptural paper for the space, and the beginnings of my process is here:

Collecting colourful ingredients: red flowering gum flowers, wattle flowers, pineapple sage flowers, dandelion flowers, lichen

Recycled paper pulp

Makeshift vats and decals

Makeshift paper press

Pulp & Lichen still in the deckle

Pulp & wattle flowers still in the deckle

Pulp & wattle flowers and leaves still in the deckle

Overall Viwe of wet Paper

Recycled paper pulp with Red Flowering Gum

Recycled paper pulp with Lichen

Recycled paper pulp with Pineapple Sage flowers

Recycled paper pulp with Wattle

Paper drying

The above images show the paper in its wet stage… as it dries it will become lighter – more earthy rather than gray.

I am making more paper tomorrow with some different flowers and leaves, and I will also be boiling down some peanut shells to experiment with. I have not used peanut shells before to make paper so that should be interesting.

So, no guessing what my next blog post will be about??

Stay tuned 🙂