I love working with paper. I can’t do anything else when I’m working on a Papier Mâché project – my hands are too gunky and I don’t want any of my precious water-glue solution to evaporate. It’s the perfect escape from all of my “screens.” The other thing I love about working with Papier Mâché – you simply can’t rush it. You have to be patient and let the base layer dry before removing it from the mold. These projects have become a form of meditation for me and I am so happy to share them with you. There’s a long and delightful process that comes with making these little bowls:
1) sourcing the patterns (I’ve been saving patterns for years!)
2) Initial application and placement of the base pattern. (I sometimes cut out images to make a more desirable design).
3) layering the sides and building up the base – to make a solid bowl. I also use Japanese newspaper to make the base (It’s a great excuse to stop by the shopping center in Japan town). My 4 year old always askes me “you went all the way to Japan today?!”
4) Last step – painting the edges and bottom (and sometimes the sides if I’m not pleased with the layout).
If you’re interested in the possibility of attending a workshop, please let me know!