WORLD OF WASHI
September  / 2015
In This Month's Newsletter:

  FROM HIROMI PAPER
  One of the featured artists, Wakana Kimura, from JACCC is a dear friend of Hiromi Paper and we
  are delighted that she has chosen to work with our Daitoku roll paper for the show! We are always 
  so amazed with how much detail goes into her large scale works. You can check out the show,
  "R.S.V.P. Los Angeles: The Project Series at Pomona" which celebrates the milestone of 50 Project 
  Series exhibitions by connecting the extraordinary artists who have been part of the program with a
  new generation of artists based in the Los Angeles area. 

UPCOMING CONFERENCES

Los Angeles Printers Fair
October 3rd, 2015
International Printing Museum, Carson, CA

International Association of Book and Paper Conservators (IADA)
October 12-16, 2015. In Berlin.
Come stop by Deffner & Johann's booth and meet Hiromi!
http://www.iada-home.org/en/news/xiii-iada-congress.html

Guild of Bookworkers Standards of Excellence Seminar
October 15-17, 2015, Cleveland, Ohio

The Wyndham Cleveland -- Say hi to Joanna at our booth!

NEW ITEMS
Flower Calendar. Comes with only one vase.


Our favorite calendars from Japan are back for the new year! For the year of 2016, we have 5 different themed calendars: Park, Zoo, Botanical Life, Flower, and Journey. The calendars are easy to  assemble and fun to keep year long!





Mini Brushes
From the last standing handmade brush studio in Tokyo, Kobayashi Hake, comes our new compact sized brushes. Each brush has its own purpose such as for moistening, pasting, detailed application, backing, and smoothing. Just as the larger ones are used, you can now apply the mini brushes to smaller projects or carry around while traveling. We are accepting orders for these brushes!
FROM JAPAN: Echizen Shikibu Color Gampi Maker, Naho Murata.
Translated by Yuki

Naho Murata is one of the two women who make our Echizen Color Gampi. We have been carrying this paper for over 14 years since Hiromi introduced it back in 2001. We were able to ask the ladies a few questions and here is part 1 with Naho Murata's interview.

ECG Maker Naho Murata (2012)

How did you get into papermaking? What brought you to Echizen paper village (from Kyoto)?
I was familiar with papermaking since I was little, but the first time I'd ever used washi was when I was in college, and organized a washi fashion show. The fashion show was a huge success, but there was still a lingering question that I had about washi. I had used Kyoseishi* for the event, and noticed those papers weren't as strong and durable, compared to synthetic materials usually used for clothing. That is when I started to think, "I wonder if there is other washi that is even stronger?"
 
After the fashion show set fire to my curiosity, my college professor took me to Echizen to visit some papermakers in the village, and Umeda Washi was one of them. When the time came to job search, I approached my professor and expressed my interest in going into the field of papermaking, and that is when I was formally introduced to Umeda Washi. My initial motive was simple; I wanted to work with what I love most, washi. That was already 18 years ago, and I've been making paper ever since. This year I'm working on obtaining my Traditional Craftsman qualification.
 
How was Umeda Washi when you first started working?
At most, there were about ten papermakers here and a few younger generations including myself. Although the demand for washi has since decreased, because of the younger employees at the mill, there has always been a positive atmosphere for new ideas and innovation, which led to the production of the Echizen Shikibu Color Gampi**.
 
Any thoughts on gampi?
The appeal of gampi is the never-changing traditions and feel, which has continued for over a thousand years.  
 
Have you ever thought of changing any of the papermaking methods? 
I have attempted to try different things, but I feel that the passed down traditions are the best so far.
 
Aside from gampi, you also make kozo papers. Are there any differences?
Personally, I feel that I can be a little more 'rough' when making kozo papers, as in shaking the papermaking mould more vigorously. On the other hand, gampi paper making is more precise and delicate. The making process of kozo is more fun, but I prefer the finished look of the gampi better.
 
Any thoughts on how you want your gampi papers to be used?
Right now I feel that it is more important for younger generations to know more about washi and its traditions. Children nowadays automatically assume that paper is white, but they do not know that the papers become white after bleaching, or that washi is originally a natural color. I'd also like to further the knowledge and usage of washi in everyday lives.
 
In order to do so, I felt that it is important to obtain the Traditional Craftsman qualification. By being certified, I am able to promote Echizen Washi even more and keep the traditions alive for future generations.

Naho Murata with HPI Staff Yuki in 2012
 
*The base kozo handmade paper is coated with starchy mucilage called Konnyaku then crumpled to soften. Konyaku makes paper strong, flexible and water-resistant. Sometimes this paper is used for clothing and is popular for book/box covers.
 
**Handmade 100% gampi papers made in Echizen of Fukui prefecture. These strong, sheet sheets are dyed in a subtle range of colors (21 colors).
ARTIST FEATURE: TRACEY ADAMS


Tracey Adams is an L.A. born abstract painter with a deep background in music. We had the opportunity to share her work on our pages and to ask a few questions regarding her art and her usage with washi:

Can you briefly explain your art concept and media?
Benthic Revolution 8, encaustic on Mitsumata, 32x21"
My lifelong interests - including music, science, mathematics and art - are constantly being woven and re-woven into my paintings and works on paper. I am drawn to intersections: ideas that might seem to be at opposite ends of a continuum, like the organic and the geometric, are brought together in my work. Because of my background as a musician, I have a strong feeling for musical metaphors and serial systems. My interest in music is especially present both in terms of the visual intervals and patterns that appear in my work. Working on collages with washi allows me to work on ideas that may or may not eventuate in a final piece. I attempt to focus on process, working in the present moment; adding or subtracting a layer of paper has similarities to working in an additive/reductive way with paint.

How was your first experience with washi? 
My first experience with washi was age 3, making age-appropriate origami folded animals. Following that and growing up in a house with Japanese contemporary wood block prints and drawings, my love for Japanese papers has developed over the years.

FOLDED 2014, Pigmented Beeswax, graphite and silk thread on Kitakata, 39x27"

What are some characteristics and qualities of washi that you like?
I love the hand feel of washi and the translucency it imparts to prints and drawings. I like to tear my works on paper for collages, layering lighter papers on top of heavier ones. The depth and resulting ambiguity, where one shape or line begins and ends, is exciting and provides hours of challenge in the studio.

Lastly, do you have any tips or advice for people?
I am an adventurer and love to experiment. Challenges occur often, but I rarely give up. When someone asks about the qualities of different washi, especially for use with encaustic monotype, I suggest ordering the wonderful sample papers Hiromi offers. It's a great way to discover what will work best.





Look out for her upcoming show in Los Angeles:

MOMENTUM TRANSFERRED
Bruce Lurie Gallery
November 6th - November 30th.
 
Hiromi Paper, Inc.
2525 Michigan Ave, Suite G9
Santa Monica, CA 90404

(P) 310-998-0098
(F) 310-998-0028