About

In this two session class, you will experience the process of paper making using bits of flowers, leaves, grasses, inner bark, and other natural gifts from the backyard garden. You will learn all the steps from building a screen and deckle, to making pulps and slurry’s, and learning to control the thickness, strength and quality of wonderfully textured art papers. 

Making papers from plant fibers was first developed in China over 2,000 years ago where it was discovered that certain plants with long, tough, vertical strands in their stems, inner bark, or leaves, contained a high percentage of cell-wall material that did not easily decompose.  This material is called cellulose, and cellulose from plant fibers is the main ingredient of paper. 

The instructor will provide pulps for several types of paper, and lots of natural materials to incorporate into the papers while screening them.  

Students are encouraged to bring materials from home they would like to experiment with, such as dried flower petals, spices, bits of thread and ribbon, garden seeds, small pressed leaves, feathers, etc.  

This class will be a playful environment where creative experimentation is encouraged.

Additional material fee $50 payable to BARN. Please bring check or cash to first day of class.

Instructor Bio:  Melinda West, of Indianola Washington, has been practicing the art of plant-fiber weaving since 1985. She has studied with many native and non-native weavers and artists, the foremost being Ed Carriere, of the Suquamish Tribe.

Her inspiration comes from nature and the First Peoples of the Pacific Northwest whose cultures embrace the rich traditions of natural fiber use; knowledge in the land; and artistic skill development in all aspects of life.  Melinda enjoys sharing her love of natural history, environmental stewardship, and an appreciation of indigenous cultures through the arts, teaching at the Seattle Art Museum, Olympic College, Coupeville Art Center, North Cascades Institute, Olympic Park Institute and Island Wood.  Melinda’s award-winning art is on display in public and private collections and her work has been featured in books and magazines.