PAPER DISTRESSING & PSBA MEMBERS' EXHIBITION

Many thanks to Carolyn Jones for a very interesting workshop on aging and distressing paper. It was soon clear that Carolyn had done a lot of research and experimentation on the subject and she had many examples to share with us. While we don't have any examples to show here, I'm sure our members will soon be using some of these techniques in their work and hopefully will share photos with us.

PSBA 2025 Members' Exhibition

Puget Sound Book Artists (PSBA) are celebrating their 14th Members' Exhibition at Collins Memorial Library on the campus of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. This will continue through August 3rd before moving to Daniel J. Evans Library at Evergreen State College in Olympia WA to run September 29-December 12. The theme this year is Field Work. According to the Exhibit Curatorial Statement, 

"Field Work could mean the conventional sense of work performed not in the office or studio--but it could also mean the artist's area of interest or expertise and how that interest is expressed in the work...You can even consider field work through an agricultural lens or a spiritual one. Your field of vision is wide open!"

Here is a sample of some of the books in the exhibition.

Under Our Feet by Judy Cook

Trabajar Los Campos (to work the fields)
by LeeAnne Campos

Boundaries by Dorothy McQuistion

Strange Birds by Gina Pisello

Family Roots by Bonnie Julien

Caps by Christie Houston

Nature's Grey-ccordion Book by Donna Letterese

Meet Me in the Meadow by Jan Ward

Field Notes by Fran McReynolds

Bird is a Verb by Abbie Birmingham & Judith Roan

Songs of Kaua'i by Laurel Moorhead

AGING & DISTRESSING TECHNIQUES

Our June workshop will be a paper play day. Carolyn Jones will show us a bunch of ways to add subtle color and texture to paper and card to give them an aged effect. She will show a bunch of examples of her experiments, demonstrate several quick techniques that we will be able to try right away, and suggest others that take a bit more time.

The biggest variable is the paper. The weight, fiber composition, color and texture all have an impact. Carolyn asks that we try to collect at least three different papers or cards that we like to use (light colors, different weights, different surfaces) and have multiple pieces of each so we can compare different techniques on the same paper. Small pieces are fine. We will be experimenting!!

Materials:

• Paper and/or card stock, a couple of kinds, about 10 pieces of each

• Texturing tools - sandpaper, steel wool, files, scoring tools, textured surfaces

• Natural colorants - used tea bags, coffee grounds in their filter, dry ground spices (turmeric and paprika work well, but grab a couple of others if you have them)

• Other colorants - ink pads (neutral colors), shoe polish

• Water - in a jar and in a spray bottle

• Applicators - brushes, sponges, toothbrushes

• Wax paper

• Flat working surface - such as a glass plate or cookie sheet

When:     Saturday, June 14 at 10 a.m. PDT

Where:    On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:      Dolores Guffey by June 9

Workshop Questions:  Carolyn Jones cjweaver@fastmail.com

Zoom Questions:  Bobbie Hayes

Contact information is in the newsletter

Member News

Nature, Paper, Fiber, Found is the title of a wonderful exhibit that just opened at the Newport, Oregon Visual Arts Center. Our NORBAG member, Cheri Aldrich, is the artist who created these amazing pieces of art. The show will be open through July 27 in the upstairs gallery.