Paperhouse Studios, Artscape Youngplace
January and July 2023

Making my own speckled paper sheets

For over 30 years I have collected all of the trimmings from my printmaking editions. Soft piles of washi tissue with bits of ink from plate edges had been gathering in bags and boxes around my studio. As I wondered what would become of them, I reached out to Emily and Flora at Paperhouse Studios to see if they had any ideas. They convinced me that I could make my own paper sheets with them.

Over the course of a summer, with my mother’s help, a large bag of scraps was cut into small pieces to prepare for the papermaking. The small size of the paper pieces would help to break the paper down in the beater. The paper trimmings I had collected were mostly gampi with some mitsumata and kozo fibres. These three are the main plant fibers used in making handmade paper in Japan. I worked with Emily and Flora at Paperhouse in January 2023 for four days, and again in June 2023 with Raoul Olou.

The paper that I made was soft and crisp, like-new gampi, but not as smooth as a new handmade sheet from an expert papermaker in Japan. Mine were speckled with little bits of printing ink from the edges of my etching plates and so each sheet was unique.

The finished work felt like an ode to all the papermakers who had laboured to make such beautiful paper for all of my etchings and prints over the years. Each unique sheet showing it’s vulnerability and novice workmanship while appreciating the craftsmanship of the masters. These sheets are my thank you letters to the papermakers.