From Reeds to Dogwood

A dogwood bush growing in front of my house.

I take pride that my sculptures are made with natural materials. With support from the Ontario Arts Council, I received an Access and Career Development grant to study papermaking with plant fibers with Akemi at Kozo Studio. Since then I have made sculptures with maple leaves, forsythia, grasses, and even onion skin!

The paper on this sculpture, is made from forsythia fibers.

The paper in this sculpture is made from blackberry fibers.

When I first started making my sculptures, I used reed to form the skeleton. Reed was the material introduced to me when I first learned how to make my light sculptures. It's very easy to work with. Just soak it in warm water for 10 minutes, and it's extremely flexible.

Reed is used to form the skeleton.

I'm happy using reeds, but it's shipped from Indonesia. It disturbed me when I think about its carbon footprint. Just like our diet is influenced by what's available in our surroundings, I began to wonder if it can be the same for materials. I looked into basket weaving in Canada, and came across dogwood. I've never used dogwood before, but upon researching I learned that it should be harvest in the fall, when the sap is at their lowest. It should be pruned close to the ground, to encourage new shoots in the spring.

Although not as long as reed, it is flexible, and as a bonus, colorful! After harvesting, they are dried before I can use them (I read that they shrink).

After pruning. It will need to be dried before I can use them.

You can learn more about this process by following this blog, taking one of my sculpture making workshops here in Simcoe County, or taking a look at the final product in my shop.

It's Harvest Time! Papermaking with Plants — Phase 1

It's that time of the year when I start harvesting milkweed fibers for paper making to use in my light sculptures, such as Solo Pacifica, which I made using the Japanese kozo plant. I'll need plenty since in addition to my own art, I will again be teaching my craft to high school students across South Simcoe and the GTA as part of the Ontario Arts Council's Artist in Education program.

Autumn is the ideal time for harvesting milkweed—when their growing season is over and just before their pods begin to open. The milkweeds in my garden didn't grow too well this year. Maybe it's because I started the seedlings too late into the season.

With a grocery bag and a pair of garden clippers; my husband, baby and I headed into the woods in search of milkweeds on a beautiful Wednesday evening.

My milkweeds didn't grow too well in my garden.

We met a little friend. Maybe he'll want to take a papermaking workshop with me!

Milkweeds are stripped of leaves and pods. Branches are cut to fit into a steamer.

After steaming, the fibers are stripped from their woody cores.

Fibers are dried, then stored until I'm ready to use them.

The woody cores will make perfect kindling for fall bonfires!

The seeds will be sprinkled in my garden for next year.