Videos for a snow day

I have never been so primed for a day off, so when a student turned around on the walk back from the science building to the paper studio in the rain after beating a pair of jeans to pulp, and said that school was closed the next day (via email), I was relieved. Above is a biology student who has studied calligraphy; I invited him to test some of the paper we had made in class (to his right). First he wanted to practice!

Since last night, the wind has been raging and present. I had my first afternoon nap in a while, delicious! Pared down the inbox and walked across the street in the sideways snow to get some Korean food. I wish I could always have such close Korean food access. I assigned my students videos to watch while we are apart so I'll do the same here!

One, a lovely video about Jo Dae-yong, national treasure of bamboo blind making (not for hanji but many of the steps are similar). I can't believe it has been almost a year since I studied with him in Korea! It's kind of an ad, but he and his daughter are in it and I'm so glad she is inheriting the family tradition that has lasted over 100 years. It's all in Korean but the footage is still worth watching.

Two, a PBS video about me, shot in 2019 though I never saw the final cut until January. Most of it is shot in Oberlin, on their farm (they make it seem like I'm making hanji at home but it's on the George Jones Farm), and at Kendal where I had a solo show at the time. I had been mortified watching it at first, as I had spent days with this enthusiastic crew and so much footage never made it, but a wise friend said, "Interviews always do that - cut out the parts you like the best and keep what’s embarrassing. But we’re bad judges of our own interviews I’ve come to learn." Thanks to the Ohio Arts Council for funding the feature!