Monday resumes

Admin central! Here are photos from my and Minah's Boston workshop two weekends ago, and then photos from this past weekend in Providence. I'd rather be handling snakes in the Nature Lab. Did you know this about turtles not chewing? I bet we could spend the rest of our lives in that place and still have more to learn.

If only every Monday could start this way

My publisher sent me the good news, a welcome sight for still-not-caught-up-on-sleep eyes: my book was a finalist for a special award for debut authors! I had been skeptical, thinking because it was about something so obscure that it would be easily passed over, so I am doubly grateful. A friend mentioned something about an interview I did last week: "you've been spotted!" That's how I feel now, and it feels nice.

Second breath comes near midnight

The sun finally came out after my first walk! And I made it to the wondrous Nature Lab. WOW. I am terribly glad that Chandler recommended that I visit.

A guy came in while I was in the lab to borrow a skeleton and got help rolling it over to the elevator. The student worker was cleaning one of the tanks that house live animals in the center of the room.

I was drawn to the milkweed immediately (first to the fluff contained in a box, and then this one, where each stalk is carefully labeled. ENTIRELY too much to take in all at once, but a wonderful thing to feast my eyes on before heading to work. I did stop at the student art fair in the street and I bought a beautiful ash rolling pin from a furniture major that I used right away in workshop for the joomchi demo!

This is the start of that demo, which I repeated because the students were working in waves, some at the vats and some doing joomchi. It was a great group of women, very engaged and on top of it. I was glad to be able to break out my real sugeta for the first time in this teaching season; always a treat to share that.

The class was billed as a papermaking + joomchi one, but of course I bring so many other props that tease the students. One really wanted to know how the jiseung cords were made, so I climbed up to do that demo (too lazy to take off the apron first). I was SHOCKED by how creaky I felt getting up there! But I've been working so many days straight that my body has aged prematurely. The class went really well despite my exhaustion (it was so bad that I introduced myself and then said that I was tired. How ridiculous of a teacher am I??), and the Watts folks even bought two of my books in advance, one to raffle off to a lucky student. How fun. Now, a bit of sleep before the drive home.

Update: Wessel & Lieberman in Seattle is carrying my book! Visit and enjoy.

One breath: trees and buildings

For the first time since winter snow, I took my first walk with no purpose except walking in fresh air this morning. I am slowly learning to guard my "free" time carefully. 

People love gates! Especially old academic institutions. But a tree made it in.

Also a sculpture.

This is located somewhere around the top of my head.

This was further down, maybe my waist? But I like the plate/lettering better.

WHERE?! I want to go!

Another chill

[Blurry Boston from last weekend, feeling the wind now in Providence, just less nippy but more wet.] I drove through torrential rain for my entire trip to Providence. Exhausting to stay awake while terrified because of the very low visibility and the very scary numbers of cars not using headlights. Plus, I was silly enough to leave my water in the trunk and bring no snacks and tried to listen to a book about economics on the way up. But I was delighted to finally let the parking attendant take care of my borrowed car and perfectly happy to wait in the computer room while my room was being prepared. I even got lunch brought to me and got to watch a silly talk show (but covering not silly things about women's self defense). I had a wonderful meeting at RISD's special collections where I showed Laurie some of my things, hanji- and book-ish, and then Laurie showed me books she pulled just for me, all using handmade paper. Really gorgeous work, and such a treat because I think all of them were books I had not ever seen, though I knew of most of the makers.

Lauren also joined us, and is opening Paper Connection for a special hanji lover's day tomorrow (Saturday) from 10am to 2pm. Go if you can! They are one of only three U.S. outlets for hanji. After a much-needed nap at 5pm, I drove in circles and finally unloaded and parked so that I could cook kozo and get ready for tomorrow's workshop. It's always a challenge to sort out things in unfamiliar paper studios, but I think most everything that I can do is done. Thank goodness I ran out to NYC yesterday to a couple of art supply stores to construct two more sets of student sugetas, because the large vat that I was told would be ready looks quite unready. Which means the two student bal/balteul shipped all the way from Cleveland will NOT work. But Lauren has endless resources up her sleeves, so tomorrow may surprise us.

Follow the leader

Who, in this case, is Velma. A mix of hanji, spun and knitted + lokta paper, the same. Almost all things I learned from her: spinning on a bobbin winder, using the Hedi Kyle slip & slide binding. The purple-y hanji is thigh spun. I've been making a very orderly list of things to do for the next four days. Two days of prep, and two days of travel, and one day of teaching. They're all mixed together and hopefully will become a beautiful visit to Providence.

"We were taught to be humble"

[Paste that I had finished straining and thinning for Minah so that our students could paste their paper nails and their paste downs. Martha said it was the most beautiful paste she had ever seen.] I was able to grab Velma on the phone yesterday when we were both in zombie mode from excess travel and sleep deprivation. We talked about how it's hard to talk ourselves up; our habit is to go in the opposite direction. Somehow, how we were raised now seems completely antiquated, nothing like how people behave nowadays. This shocks me on a regular basis because I am not terribly old but I have felt cranky about poor manners and bad behavior for years. Yet I still try to make my way in the world while being bewildered by its occupants. That includes me.

In two days, I hit the road again. Today, I booked a flight for my Ohio trip in two more weeks. There are still supplies I'd like to order and tools I'd like to construct and classes I'd like to restructure and so much more. But every night I have to remember to go to sleep.

Another baby into the world

[Minah's samples of varied Chinese, Korean, and Japanese papers.] Last year, I proposed to Minah that we teach a hanji class together, something that would cover both artistic and conservation aspects of Korean paper and books. This weekend, the continuing education dept of NBSS hosted our very first stab at such a workshop.

We think it went great! I covered the first day, and she did the second. Today after lunch, she showed us samples of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese books, as well as prototypes that included a Mongolian manuscript and palm leaves inscribed in Tamil (to the right of the book pictured above).

Here, Minah is starting to strain paste, which I finished up for her and put into those four tiny containers, from the dollar store!

She is showing us paper twists, the way I learned to make paper nails in Korea from my hanji teacher. These get lightly pasted and hammered. Always so satisfying; brilliant way of keeping the text block together before trimming, piercing, and sewing.

We had lots of hammering and banging away today. The whole first half of today was devoted to a great presentation of images and videos on Eastern papermaking history, chemistry, and techniques. We got to handle her precious collection of paper samples before lunch, and then the books after lunch. The rest of the afternoon went to binding a traditional Korean book in the seonjang technique. To me, it seems so simple, but the subtle details (waxing and burnishing covers, folding leaves with the smooth side of the paper facing out, cover turn-ins and paste downs, etc.) are easy to dive deep into, to savor.

In the end, the result is simple, but also elegant and functional when you use the RIGHT PAPER. So it always comes back to quality hanji (though this teaching sample comes from my stash of more affordable sheets for beginners, teaching, and so on).

This is Bill's completed book. Silk thread, covers dyed with gardenia (I THINK; I don't have the handout on me) by Minah, all the hanji from Shin Hyun Se Traditional Hanji, formed webal style. I didn't shoot any pictures from my class, but hope the students feel they went home with a LOT after this packed weekend. I do!

Acclimating

Sprouts from my last host's windowsill. The downside to not staying with people is not seeing their lovely homes and how they create spaces for themselves. I'm still feeling very strange, staying in proper accommodations.

I'm done with my hands-on teaching day! Great mix of students, very serious! I don't know if it's a Boston thing or b/c of the very special cross-section of people who would be interested in what both Minah and I have to offer. A real treat. Tomorrow I get to sit back and enjoy Minah's expertise (and shoot pics with my camera; she was on duty today).

Also, for any Minneapolis-area folks, I'll be talking/teaching there this summer, June 21-23, at MCBA.

Wind from the water in Boston

This is my first night ever staying in Boston where I'm not crashing with a friend or acquaintance or stranger. I never knew I could be valued enough to be put up in private digs when teaching (I opted for B&B; hotel seemed so official). Lots more to be said about this but in the meantime: I made it to town yesterday and was boggled by the moving and renovation and big, exciting changes at NBSS but so jazzed that my lecture was in a machine room ... for violin makers in training! One violin student in the bench room came over and asked if I could speak Korean, and marveled over my display. She said even as a Korean, she saw hanji and lived near a big mill, but had never seen this range of things you could DO with it: "This is so amazing to me as a Korean, so can you imagine what Americans will think when they see it??" I toured the furniture, jewelry, piano, book, and violin studios and the energy was excellent with all these people hunkered down, working, bright. Bench schools, LOVE that they exist.

My talk was packed with a wonderfully attentive and appreciative audience. Despite the fact that I talk incessantly, I forget to tell people important things like, buy my book, or I'm coming back to town to teach this summer so please sign up for class, or even, would you like to be on my mailing list? I get too caught up in storytelling. The good news: I sold out of books in a snap! The bad news: I don't have any more books for those left who still wanted them, OR for my students this weekend. Thank goodness this is a joint workshop, because I was able to call Minah in time to ask her to bring her copy to at least have a point of reference. Even though I am so tired, I feel like having her around tomorrow will make it much easier to teach. She said it herself at dinner tonight: knowing someone is in your corner makes all the difference.

Overreach

I completely failed if the goal was to have a reasonable schedule. I completely succeeded if the goal was to book myself so tightly that my head popped off and stopped functioning. I worked all day and still, behind. Forgot to cook kozo for class! Hoping I can get it done in Boston; it's not an issue of time but of finding a pot and burner. The weather here is more challenging to pack for than back west. But as long as I get up and get on the train and then the subway and then the bus, I'll make it to give my Boston lecture tomorrow and my workshop this weekend. The talk will be great, big crowd. The workshop: first ever! SO EXCITED to teach with Minah. Another big step for hanji in America.

Bits falling out of my brain

This one at the Japanese Garden reminded me of the Benson Bubblers in downtown Portland. My friend from out of town liked them and noted how good the water tastes in Portland. I concur! I was sad to suck down the last of it in my water bottle on the flight home. For those of you who are printmakers and like to travel, the call is out for the Seacourt Print Residency in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Lovely new space, energetic and devoted staff, and a good community (plus it's near the water).

These are also tiny, maybe finger sized. I wish this was how tiny my tasks were. I slept a LOT through the night and was grateful for the rest, but had a lot to plow through today because I had let so much admin slip between my fingers during my tour. A famous author visited to get my book signed today, which was an honor. I also had an important slip of paper (aka money) fly out of a pocket but was lucky that someone found it and took steps to return it. In normal life, I absolutely never act like this, but I'm no longer in normal life. I even forgot to announce my Boston summer workshop, a 4-day intensive with making hanji, felting and cording and twining it, and dyeing it. Look for "Korean Papermaking" - July 9-12.

Maybe I'll make a color-coded calendar for myself so I know where I go for the next five months. Which reminds me that the Morgan has announced its classes for this season and it is a seriously blockbuster lineup. I wish I could take everything!

Back east, missing blooms

Shir took me to the Japanese Garden after a lovely outdoor breakfast on Sunday. YAY. Lots of people, though our favorite was when we were leaving and heard a child yell as he ran into the garden, "The sooner we go in, the sooner we can leave!!"

We had a bit of a time figuring out what to do for eating afterwards and ended up back in St. Johns and back at Proper Eats after a few missteps. Emily met us and then we went over for one final walk-through in the gallery before I packed my things and we took Shir's dog for a walk. I was sad to say goodbye to her at the airport, though we were both really exhausted from the last two weeks.

[These are TINY.] I did ask for a pat down at the airport because I had plenty of time and find those backscatter rape-y scanning things really demeaning. Then I became the super high maintenance person and asked for a private screening on top of that. It was kind of like a light massage because the PDX TSA folks are much milder and nicer than back east, and I got an older woman who kept repeating herself and it didn't feel invasive at all. So nice to have some quiet time in the airport!

Here, I'm practicing the pose I learned from Marci last week. The piece reminds me of a story Shir told me about a guy who came into the show when I wasn't around. He was struck by the little woven things and said that when he was in jail, the men would make toilet paper flowers dyed with food for their ladies back home. That was the perfect story for me to hear on my last day, and I'm not being facetious.

Here, I'm being ridiculous. The front glass doors let in a lot of light. I don't know how I survived that red-eye (or the two Benadryl I took to help me sleep, which just extended the hours of my zombie state once I landed), or all of the things I've already done in Eastern Standard Time, because I'm nearly in tears now that I see the schedule I've overbooked for myself from Thursday to August. I'm going to just keep posting pictures of blooms while I try to remember how good they smelled.

But if you want to help bring me back to the Portland area in June: I just need a few more students to guarantee that my 3-day hanji workshop runs (June 26-28). It's the first time I've gotten THREE days for this workshop, so you'll get a lot more out of it than the shorter versions, even though it seems like the same thing I've been teaching for years. I like to think it gets better every time, but you decide if you want to learn to turn bark into lace and thread, or felt paper, or make cordage and baskets and books and yarn and so on out of hanji. Spread the word! I'm not on FB but I'm sure everyone else is, so let them know.

In the meantime, taking a break to dream of flowers.