Now you can peruse a growing online gallery, find out where these photographs are exhibiting in the metro-Boston area, as well as easily purchase prints, specially printed on bamboo washi, made in Japan. These papers were made with digital prints in mind. The results are a clean image, on a non-glossy service, which preserves a “handmade” look yet retaining high quality printmaking.
You can still follow this blog here via wordpress, or keep up with it on lowe aperture, haiku camera’s now new second home.
My friend and I visited when I dropped off the photos; we had fun peering at the wonderful paintings, and getting to know Meagan, who not only works there but has some of her art on display.
Works by Meagan St Laurent
Wonderful paintings command your attention as soon as you walk in:
Artist Unknown please contact Gallery Sitka for artist and more information
By Zen Saito
Paper Connection International, who supplied the Japanese paper, or washi, for my show, also has some other decorative sheets of handmade paper for sale. These hail from Japan, and include hand painted kozo, as well as katazome, or resist dyed sheets. Cute stationery from Japan is available too.
Gorgeous handmade papers from Paper Connection International
Tamar, the owner of Gallery Sitka, works very hard supporting the arts in the area. She’s in a great location, right near the Fitchburg Art Museum. She also runs a studio in Shirley, MA, where she guides clients with web design, social media, and other digital marketing.
Visit Gallery Sitka for some refreshing and inspiring experiences, meet some nice people, and support the arts in central MA.
Recently I visited Van Gogh’s Gear in Lowell to purchase some art supplies for an upcoming show, (more on that later). Laura, who works there, was great in helping with practical tips for framing and displaying works on paper. Laura mainly works with oils, but has started to get back into printmaking. She encouraged us to visit the exhibit in the room adjoining the shop, The Fabrication of Imagination, by Arts League of Lowell – ALL, sponsored by Artscope Magazine. The show just ended, but thought I would share some of the works by members of ALL. These photos are also posted on Paper Connection International’s Facebook, where I freelance. Paper Connection is a great resource for handmade paper for all sorts of art applications.
Looking to record your year’s adventures in something a bit more interesting than a spiral notebook? Did you know Paper Connection is having a journal sale? Take advantage of their many different patterns and styles in handmade Lokta paper from Nepal. Tree free, handcrafted out of bast fibers, these journals will last a long time, even as long as your summer memories.
It’s made of paper, or washi, in Japanese.
My younger sister handmade this gorgeous flower out of tengujou-shi, the thinnest handmade paper from Japan, that had been hand painted as well. She used a craft pack from our dear friends at Paper Connection International, and with her vision, voila! The paper is actually made by a national treasure of Japan, Mr. Hamada. Kozo, or mulberry bushes indigenous to Japan, are responsibly farmed in the southwestern part of Japan, where they are then made into pure weblike sheets using traditional papermaking methods. Light fast pigments are then applied. Acid free, these papers are used for more than just collage and book arts, but even conservation of art and book repair. Try it yourself!
The stem is also made out of washi, or paper in Japanese.
Tired of a white out winter? If you are craving happy colors, check out these handmade cards from Yamada Shokai, Japan collected by Lauren at Paper Connection International. Katazome is an amazing Japanese craft of resist dyeing on paper or fabric. It’s one of my favorite printmaking techniques.
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