Overview:
All paper is made from plants but did you know that you can make paper from plants that are growing in your garden or along the roadside? This short course is a special opportunity to work with plants grown on-site at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation's Biocultural Conservation Farm.
In this multi-day workshop, you will learn:
Types of plant fibers that lend themselves to papermaking
Harvesting, drying and storing techniques for regionally available fiber plants
How to prepare pulp from a variety of dried plant matter
Equipment needed for western style paper making
Set up and sheet pulling methods to create artist papers for writing, drawing, bookbinding and more
This is a hands-on workshop that engages you in each step of the papermaking process. Participants will take home reference handouts, a stack of handmade paper for personal use and samples to build a reference library for papermaking with plants.
Objectives:
To introduce participants to various types of plants that can be utilized in hand papermaking
To deepen participants’ connections to the plant world
To provide hands-on exposure to a western style hand papermaking process
Offer an opportunity to create art from readily available plant materials
Eligibility:
This workshop is appropriate for people new to papermaking as well as experienced folks who would like to explore working with raw plant fibers. The workshop does involve repetitive tasks, strong smells, occasional heavy lifting and working with propane burners. Participants will need hand strength but are invited to take as many breaks as needed to care for their bodies.
Instructor:
Course instructor Alyssa Sacora
Alyssa Sacora (she/her) is a crafts person exploring plant-based mediums in the form of papermaking, book arts, basketry and natural dyes. She finds inspiration by observing relationships in the wider world. To reduce her human footprint and encourage creative thinking, she primarily works with locally available and repurposed natural materials. Her artistic pursuits are guided by the process of transformation: breaking down and reassembling plant fibers to create something new.
In addition to her craft, she tends a small homestead in Western North Carolina (WNC) with her husband, Adam. They grow fruits and vegetables, medicinal herbs, and art plants and tend a flock of chickens and composting worms. They use solar power for electricity and heating, collect rain water and continuously look to design their space with sustainability in mind.
Alyssa has taught for a variety of organizations in WNC and often teaches outside to help her students make the connection that our lives are intertwined with the plants, the soil, and the air around us. She is preparing to get her studio more mobile to share her love of plant-based arts with others on the road.
Dates and Duration:
The course runs for three and a half (3.5) days with participants arriving on Monday, August 19, 2024 and leaving on Friday, August 23, 2024. Participants should plan to arrive between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Monday, August 19, 2024.
Course Fee:
$950 is all-inclusive and covers full tuition, lodging on-site for four nights in our comfortable suites, and all meals on-site (from dinner on Monday through breakfast on Friday). A limited number of full or partial Fee Waivers are available for this course.
Selection Process:
Application review will be done by Alyssa Sacora and OSGF staff.
Application Deadline:
Applications are due Friday, April 26, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST.