Paper Play
With Cassandra Gunkel
April 28, May 5 & 12, 2002

 

SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED

The idea behind this class is that you can “make art” with what you have around you. The list is long - search your home for what you already have.  Each week we will try 1 or 2 techniques for extracting color.

Pigment/Color sources

  • Only one or two per week!
  • Brown/tan: Brewed coffee, tea, walnut hulls
  • Pink/purple/red: red cabbage leaves, small beet, berries
  • Yellow/red/pink:  rose petals or petals from a few flowers
  • Mustard/Yellow: onion skins, tumeric, paprika
  • Green: spinach, rose leaves
  • Fresh green leaves—maple, oak, sweetgum, etc.
  • Food colors

Kitchen food friendly chemicals to fix color onto paper

  • Alum
  • White vinegar
  • Table Salt
  • Alcohol 90%, or alcohol-based hand sanitizer

Paper - see what you have around

  • Student quality watercolor paper, bristol paper, sketch pad or dollar store items - sketch pads, poster board, decorative card stock
  • Recycled - cardstock, paper from cereal boxes, packages, junk mail envelopes
  • Old magazines-pictures, words to lift with packing tape

Useful Items

  • Heavy book for pressing papers flat after treatment
  • Protective gloves
  • Glue
  • Protection for your work space
  • Needle and heavy thread for binding if you want to create a book

Optional items, not strictly necessary

  • Rubber bands or string
  • Ruler
  • Scissors or craft knife
  • Chopsticks or tongs to pluck hot items from steam
  • Pot with lid for steaming
  • Foil or silicon pressing mat, iron

Dollar store supplies

  • Glue sticks
  • watercolor pan paint set, brushes
  • permanent marker pen
  • Paper-drawing, sketch or other white paper. Or cheap solid color scrapbook papers.
  • Needles, thread for book binding
  • Clear packing tape, 2 inches wide