All the necessary requirements for a paper making workshop were found locally with the exception of the mould and deckle. A friend had arranged the workshop with a papermaker from Israel who had studied for many years in Japan. I haven't made paper for many years and enjoyed the process, reminding myself of wonder.
The raw ingredients simple enough. The bark of the mulberry tree, leaves from the hibiscus, soda and water. The bark was stripped from the branches and soaked overnight to loosen the fibres before being boiled in soda to remove the outer bark for several hours, breaking the fibrous content down to cellulose removing fats, starch and tannins . This is rinsed thoroughly several times to remove the soda and impurities. The process takes a couple of days in preparation. A suspension material is made by soaking hibiscus leaves in water which produces a mucilaginous substance. It is almost gelatinous in feel.
Ingredients prepared, the rest is simple. Wet balls of pulp are beaten by hand breaking the fibrous content further. A cathartic process, quite invigorating. What remains is mixed in a container with water and the mucilaginous material until the fibres are evenly suspended in the water. The mould and deckle, a mesh screen and border frame, are lowered into the mix and a layer of fibre is scooped up, with the excess water draining away by gently rocking the frame. The mould is removed and in a quick movement the deckle is turned over and placed on a smooth surface. The excess water is soaked up in a sponge until the paper fibres adhere to the surface, leaving the mesh. The deckle is gently lifted and the newly made sheet of paper is left to dry on the smooth surface. This creates a smooth paper, so the texture of the sheet effects the paper finish.
Flowers were picked and added to the mixture to add a decorative effect, interlacing between the fibres, trapped within the sheet. Colour could also be added at this stage. The paper was left to dry in the atmosphere and was ready next day. The sheets varied from quite thin to dense depending on the level of fibre in the solution. The thin paper is translucent, flexible and quite strong.
The experience, rewarding, remembering how much fun to create something from scratch can be.
The raw ingredients simple enough. The bark of the mulberry tree, leaves from the hibiscus, soda and water. The bark was stripped from the branches and soaked overnight to loosen the fibres before being boiled in soda to remove the outer bark for several hours, breaking the fibrous content down to cellulose removing fats, starch and tannins . This is rinsed thoroughly several times to remove the soda and impurities. The process takes a couple of days in preparation. A suspension material is made by soaking hibiscus leaves in water which produces a mucilaginous substance. It is almost gelatinous in feel.
Ingredients prepared, the rest is simple. Wet balls of pulp are beaten by hand breaking the fibrous content further. A cathartic process, quite invigorating. What remains is mixed in a container with water and the mucilaginous material until the fibres are evenly suspended in the water. The mould and deckle, a mesh screen and border frame, are lowered into the mix and a layer of fibre is scooped up, with the excess water draining away by gently rocking the frame. The mould is removed and in a quick movement the deckle is turned over and placed on a smooth surface. The excess water is soaked up in a sponge until the paper fibres adhere to the surface, leaving the mesh. The deckle is gently lifted and the newly made sheet of paper is left to dry on the smooth surface. This creates a smooth paper, so the texture of the sheet effects the paper finish.
Flowers were picked and added to the mixture to add a decorative effect, interlacing between the fibres, trapped within the sheet. Colour could also be added at this stage. The paper was left to dry in the atmosphere and was ready next day. The sheets varied from quite thin to dense depending on the level of fibre in the solution. The thin paper is translucent, flexible and quite strong.
The experience, rewarding, remembering how much fun to create something from scratch can be.
No comments:
Post a Comment