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RELEASING REFORMINGTRANSFORMING
Margaret Mahan, BADrew Matott, MFAGretchen Miller, MA, ATR-BC, CTC
Peace Paper
2012 Buckeye Art Therapy Association Symposium
For two millennia, humankind has created paper by hand. Whatever the intention behind the paper, be it to represent wealth, to carry spirituality, or to convey
messages, every fiber that goes into the making of paper has a story to tell. Today, Peace Paper Project continues the practice of hand papermaking while using a portable studio and fibers that hold significance. In the tradition of the legendary papermaker
Dard Hunter we disseminate the practice and joy of hand papermaking throughout the globe. We bring paper to the people so that they may transform their unique fibers into
works of art; expressing their stories through the pulp while using the medium of papermaking to enrich their artistic voices.
© 2012 | Peace Paper peacepaperproject.org
GETTING STARTEDThe method for making paper by hand is actually pretty simple. There are several steps, but only a few tools and
even fewer ingredients! The first step in making paper is selecting your fiber. Whether harvesting it from your backyard or from your closet, the key to paper is cellulose. When choosing your source fiber, think plant material.
If you do this, you are well on your way to being a successful papermaker! Until humans cracked the code to making paper from trees, it was made from old clothing. Even today, discarded woven textiles make for a
seemingly endless source of cotton, linen and hemp pulps. Once the desired material is selected, the second step in making paper is to break the weave of the textile and free up the cellulose fibers. This is referred to as breaking
rag and is done by taking scissors to the material to remove buttons, zippers and other non-cellulose material, followed by cutting the remaining rag into small postage stamp size pieces.
BREAKING RAGIt all begins with the rag. Whether it's an old pair of jeans or the family table cloth, every rag has a story to tell. The
traditional western process of making paper by hand is a unique way to give commemoration, and sometimes closure, to these meaningful materials. It all starts with the fibers that participants bring to the table.
There is something that occurs when one takes scissors to the cloth, an impulse even, which brings two people sitting across from one another, snipping away, closer together. Some say that a catharsis is happening - a
release. Many begin sharing stories about the cloth itself and why it is significant This cutting of the fiber is crucial as it prepares the rag for processing while bringing individual participants together.
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MATERIALS
Fiber, Cloth, FabricGood scissorsCutting wheelCutting Mat
Remove buttons, zippers, and other non-cellulose material.
Cut fabric into postage size pieces or smaller
PULPINGThe final step to breaking rag is to mix the pieces with water in a Hollander Beater. This beating systematically
hydrates and frees the fibers through intense circulation and pounding creating a slurry of pulp.
ABOUT THE HOLLANDER BEATER
The Hollander beater was invented in the late 17th century and quickly replaced the large water powered wooden hammers called stampers. The Hollander beater has evolved over the last three hundred years, shifting from a massive stationary machine to today's smaller cast iron and stainless steel studio models. Paper engineer Lee
McDonald conceived of and designed a portable Hollander beater called The Oracle.
This machine easily folds up and fits into a suite case and can be transported in the trunk of a car, checked at the airport or shipped in the mail. This noteworthy innovation allows for the contemporary papermaker to bring the
studio anywhere, whether a private retreat, public street festival or community center. The papermaker is no longer limited in bringing people to his or her studio, rather the papermaker is able to bring the studio to the people.
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NEXT STEPSOnce the material is pulped, the next step is to form the paper. The essential tools for this process are buckets and vats, a mould & deckle, a couple of press boards and synthetic interfacing (or pellon). The buckets, vats and press boards are easily found at your local hardware store. Interfacing (synthetic felting or pellon) is used to separate the
freshly formed sheets of paper in a stack, and can be purchased at a fabric store or Carriage House Paper. The mould & deckle is used to capture the pulp by passing it through the slurry-filled vat. You can make your own
mould & deckle or it can be purchased.
© 2012 | Peace Paper peacepaperproject.org
The chief tool of the papermaker is the mould & deckle. The mould is used to capture the slurry and the deckle is used to give shape. After the vat is charged, the mould and
deckle are held together, dipped, and drawn through the vat. The mould
and deckle are pulled levelly up from the vat and shaken side to side and front to back. The shake is important as it jostles the free fibers into each
other to form a uniform sheet.
When the deckle is removed from the mould, and after some draining the sheet is passed off onto an interface (i.e. felting).
This action is called couching.
After the pulp is formed into sheets of paper, the stack is pressed and hung to dry. The easiest method of drying paper is hanging the wet sheets
(while still on the interfacing) from a sturdy clothes line, in an enclosed area. A fan can be used on the lowest setting to help with air circulation.
PULP PRINTINGOf the various printmaking techniques used in conjunction with hand papermaking, pulp printing can easily be considered the most immediate and accessible. This method merges screen printing and stencil spray art, resulting in the production of photographic prints on paper before it has been pressed or dried.
Pulp printing is an exciting method of transferring images onto handmade paper. Because the screen is free of the frame, one can come up with varying compositions and colors with each new print. The forgiving nature of papermaking is carried through to this process, as any misprints can be tossed back into the vat.
Preparing the materials for pulp printing is just a matter of steps: Selecting your image; preparing your screen; preparing your pulp; and printing. Learn more about the steps and materials needed here from the Peace Paper website.
© 2012 | Peace Paper peacepaperproject.org
BOOKBINDINGBookbinding is an exciting process that enriches the papermaking workshop. After creating handmade sheets of paper, participants bind meaningful books and journals which they activate with text through the writing workshop, and continue to fill with content in the future.
Recommended Books on Bookbinding:
The Book Before Printing by David Diringer.
Bookbinding by Edith Diehl.
ABC of Bookbinding by Jane Greenfield.
Bookmen's Bedlam by Walter Blumenthal.
Non-adhesive Binding by Keith Smith.
The Century of Artists' Books by Johanna Drucker.
CREATIVE WRITINGThe written word is a powerful and immediate way to communicate experiences. The writing process adds new layers of meaning on to handmade paper. Exercises range from stream of consciousness free-writing to directed prompts which relate to the specific community or population. Participants might begin by writing about the material they have transformed into paper, which leads to more developed narratives about the subject. Group writing exercises, wherein everyone adds their own text to a large sheet of paper, creates a piece which represents a communal experience. Writing exercises add a layer of richness to the papermaking process, as they fill the paper with the voices of the individual or group.
TECHNIQUES TO USE WITH PAPERMAKING
THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF
PAPERMAKING:• Helps decrease guarded &
defensive response;
• Begins with the concrete & ends with making meaning;
• Empowers with control, strength & permission to explore the experience;
• Sensory based process includes a mindful, here and now practice;
• Helps create a new perspective
ART & TRANSFORMATION:
• Transformation: an act or process where change takes place within an individual's
meaning system through the creative process;
• Transformation is often inspired by truth seeking, concern, or conflict;
• Transformative change through art becomes important for self-definition, life meaning, and purpose
PAPERMAKING AS ART THERAPY
Papermaking has gained significant momentum in the spheres of Art Therapy and trauma intervention. As with other art-making activities, the act of papermaking allows populations affected by trauma with a means to process memories and emotion through symbolic expression. Art-making provides a safe means for expressing and communicating traumatic experiences which often cannot be reconciled through verbal language.
The process of papermaking is beneficial in trauma intervention as it is a sensory based activity. As the hands and body are involved in the formation of paper, the individual is grounded in the here and now through soothing repetition. The fact that this process begins with concrete steps and ends in the making of meaning is valuable in trauma therapy, as these steps provide containment, permission to safely share experiences, and opportunities to let go and create new paths towards healing and transformation.
Neuroscientist Dr. Kelly Lambert recommends creating and doing activities with your hands can activate “feel good” chemicals in the brain that connect emotion, movement, and thinking.
Learn more about Dr. Lambert’s work here:
Lifting Depression: A Neuroscientist's Hands-On Approach to Activating Your Brain's Healing Power by Kelly Lambert (2010)
Lambert Behavorial Neuroscience Laboratory | www.kellylambertlab.com
Drawing on the Effort-Driven Rewards Circuit to Chase the Blues Away (2008), The Healing Arts on Psychology Today by Cathy Malchiodi, Ph.D., LPCC, LPAT
Creativity, Happiness and Your Own Two Hands: How Meaningful Hand Use Enhances Well-being (2012), The Creativity Cure on Psychology Today by Carrie Barron, MD.
© 2012 | Peace Paper peacepaperproject.org
Recommended Books & Resources on Papermaking
Papermaking: History and Technique By Dard Hunter
Drew Matott’s Paper Recipe Sheet
The Papermaker's Companion By Helen Hiebert
Papermaking with Plants,By Helen Hiebert
Plant Fibers for Papermaking By Lillian Bell
Japanese PapermakingBy Timothy Barrett
Papermaking Suppliers
• Carriage House Paper• The Paperwright• Twin Rocker• Magnolia Editions• Chestercreek Press• Dick Blick
On the web:www.peacepaperproject.org
Follow Peace Paperon Facebook:
www.facebook.com/peacepaper
We invite you to contact Peace Paper if you have any questions regarding information about materials, scheduling a visitation from
Peace Paper or taking advantage of our training program.
© 2012 | Peace Paper peacepaperproject.org
More information at: www.peacepaperproject.org/resources.html
ART THERAPY AS SOCIAL ACTION REFERENCE LIST
Allen, P.B. (2011). Special Issue on the Social Ac:on and Advocacy Paradigm in Art Therapy: The Lens of Art Therapy Opens S:ll. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Associa6on, 28 (2), 48-‐49.
Hocoy, D. (2005). Art Therapy and Social Ac:on: A Transpersonal Framework. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Associa6on, 22(1), 7-‐16.
Franklin, M. (2010). Global recovery and the Culturally/Socially Engaged Ar:st. In Peoples, D. (Ed.), Buddism and Ethics, 309-‐320. Ayuthaya, Thailand: Mahachulaongkornrajavidyalaya University.
Junge, M.B., Alvarez, J.F., Kellogg, A., Volker, C. (1993). The Art Therapist as Social Ac:vist: Reflec:ons and Visions. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Associa6on, 26(3), 148-‐155.
Kaplan, F. (2005). Art therapy and social ac6on: Trea6ng the world’s wounds. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley.
Kaplan, F. (2005). What is Social Ac:on Art Therapy? Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Associa6on, 22 (2). 2.