Last year, I was awarded a Studio Grant Fellowship at Women’s Studio Workshop (WSW) in Rosendale, New York. I spent two months this spring in the papermaking studio and learned so much! Of course, being there inspired many more ideas. I arrived at WSW with several pounds of recycled paper and quilting cotton scraps with the goal of completing a book and experimenting with the quilting scraps, however most of my time there centered around creating the components for the book, Farewell Florilegium.

My goal was to make paper for the pages of the book, and to pulp paint the images. I wanted the covers to be really thick in order to accommodate a small vial of scent embedded in the back cover. Making the thick covers seemed like a simple task, but turned out to be more involved, requiring the creation of plaster molds. I brought a stash of deep red folders that were pulped and overdyed for the book covers before packing it into the molds to dry. The resulting covers are reminiscent of garden pavers.

Mixing the colors was so much fun! This included adding pigments to small test samples of finely beaten cotton pulp and drying small patches. Once the patches dried, any needed adjustments were made before mixing larger batches.

Each page features an abstract image of a plant from the garden. The pages were painted freehand, but for consistency, stencils were hand cut for each page, and then copies were made in order to batch paint. Each side of each page required 3-4 stencils. A layer of colored pulp was laid down and allowed to settle, then the pages were vacuumed to remove any excess water before adding another layer.

In addition to the pulp painting, paper “appliques” were made by pouring several layers of pulp into stencils cut from thin foam. These were affixed to the pages after they were folded for additional texture and dimension.

The text was created by rubbing colored cotton pulp over a silkscreen. The content was written in response to an article by storyteller, writer, performer, and cultural geographer, Carolyn Finney, entitled “Love Notes,” that ends with a prompt to write about a place that is loved. 

The pages were barely finished when it was time to return home and the covers were still wet. Once back home, I assembled the books. One page features ink samples from a few plants, a bit of soil and a terracotta shard, and the scent is based on aromatic tinctures from garden plants.

I am ever so thankful to Studio Manager, Christina Petrone, and Studio Intern, Thïas Calvarin, for their guidance and assistance in helping me to realize my vision for this project. 

Farewell Florilegium is an edition of 10.

There’s still time to see the unique deluxe copy of History of a People at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C. The exhibition, Holding Ground: Artists’ Books at the National Museum of Women in the Arts will be on display until October 20, 2024. I’m so tickled that several of you shared photos standing next to the book display.

I am happy to share my most recent development: History of a People has been named a finalist for the 2024 MCBA Prize! The annual international competition is sponsored by the Minnesota Center for Book Arts in Minneapolis and will culminate in an exhibition in MCBA’s Main Gallery and a live/virtual event revealing the winner, September 18th at 6pm CT with juror Yuka Petz,

The winning, finalist, and semi-finalist works will be exhibited in MCBA’s Main Gallery from August 17th - October 12th, 2024 and an in person exhibition reception is scheduled for September 27th from 6-8 pm CT.

History of a People was named a finalist for the Sadikichi Award for Experimental Scent category of the Art and Olfaction Awards sponsored by the Institute for Art and Olfaction. Entries to this international award were selected through a double-blind process and winner was announced at a ceremony, held this year in Lisbon, Portugal. Though the project did not receive the award, I consider being named a finalist a great accomplishment, particularly since I am newbie with regard to scent formulation.

My essay on the scents of History of a People appears in the first issue of Alabastron, a journal published by the Institute for Art and Olfaction. In the essay, I discuss the selection of certain aromatics and the development of scent for each chapter of the book. The journal ships out July 2024.

I was one of several artists invited to bind the “Rag and Pulp” edition of Uppercase Magazine. The issue inspired some colorful bindings and paper. See and read more about the entries here.

Lastly, I hope you’ll consider joining me next year at Penland School of Craft near Asheville, North Carolina, May 25-30, where I will present a workshop – Adventure Travelogues.  We’ll do a bit of carving, stamping, rubbing, writing and binding. The class is suitable for all levels. Stay tuned for registration, which opens in October.