One for the book.

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a staff development workshop on sustainable living. The two-week workshop was titled, "Lighten Up." We covered issues dealing with the environment, pollution, overpopulation, and conserving our natural resources. While I was reminded of how much we consume and throw away in this country, I was also surprised to learn interesting facts about our local environment here in Northeast Indiana. Of particular interest was finding out how many invasive plants live in Indiana and their effect on native plants, wildlife, and the economy. I decided to apply inspiration from this workshop to my own teaching. The result, which is open to interpretation, involves papermaking and bookmaking.

Papermaking

Papermaking is a great studio process for discussing environmental issues and recycling, because paper can be made from discarded materials. New paper can be made from paper scraps, old notes and memos, dryer lint, paper towels, etc. New paper can have additives such as thread, seeds, flower petals, bits of leaves, glitter, coffee grounds, and about anything else that can be embedded in paper pulp. I explained these possibilities to my class and let them bring in the materials they wanted to recycle.

The actual papermaking process can range from the simple to the complex, depending on the materials at your disposal and the ability level of the participants. For our class I had some basic water tubs (of various sizes), a few wooden frames with nylon window screen stretched over them, matching wooden frames without screen, some old blenders, Handi Wipes, sponges, and newspapers. The most important piece of equipment for this process is a simple food blender. I buy them at garage sales and secondhand stores for about $5.00 each.

The Process

1. Tear up scrap paper into small pieces, about 1" x 2" (3 x 5 cm).

2. Fill blender 3/4 full with water.

3. Add the bits of scrap paper (you may use dryer lint as well). Too many scraps will clog the blender. If this happens, stop the blender and take a handful of paper out and try again.

4. Run the blender until the scraps are reduced to a pulp.

To make sheets of paper, we poured the blender contents into tubs of water. The mixture of pulp fibers and water is called a "slurry." At this point, some students added materials to the slurry they wanted embedded in their paper (seeds, leaves, etc.). The students then stirred up the slurry so everything was evenly dispersed in the water. Then they took a screen (mold) and loose frame (deckle) and dipped them into the slurry (deckle on top). The mold and deckle were lifted horizontally out of the water, dispersing the pulp over the surface of the screen. The deckle was then carefully set to the side. The screen was then flipped over on top of a Handi Wipe (a felt rectangle will also do). Excess water was sponged off before lifting the screen. The paper was now "couched" onto the Handi Wipe where it was left to dry. Once totally dry, the paper can be ironed flat as needed. Some students also took handfuls of the blended pulp and pushed them over molds to form paper casts. Paper bowls can be made this way by pressing pulp into cottage cheese containers.

Bookmaking

There are hundreds of ways to make books, and our class used the accordion method. Materials you will need for this style of book are the following:

1. Two pieces of index board, 5" x 3" (13 x 8 cm).

2. Two pieces of handmade paper, 6" x 4" (15 x 10 cm).

3. One piece of drawing paper, 4 1/2" x 18" (11 x 46 cm).

4. One piece of thin ribbon, 10" (25 cm) long.

To make the cover and back, we wrapped a piece of the handmade paper around each of the pieces of index board and applied glue to the back. Next, we took the ribbon and laid it across the inside part of the back of the book, centered and parallel to the bottom. The book was completed by folding the drawing paper, accordion style, into six sections even in width. One end of the accordion was glued over the back of the book and the ribbon. The other end was glued to the back of the book cover. When the book is folded, the ribbon can be wrapped around to the front and tied in a bow to keep it closed. An excellent resource is Step-by-Step: Making Books by Charlotte Stowell, (Kingfisher Books, 1994).

The book can be completed in several ways. Since our art problem focused on recycling and thinking positively about our environment, the inside of the book contained contour-line drawings of native Indiana plants and invasive plants. I had a great brochure from my "Lighten-Up" workshop that I copied and passed out to the class ("Invasive Plants in Indiana," USDA, 2001 ). The contour-line drawings were done by observation and from the brochures. The drawings also matched up with a discussion we had about line and how artists use various kinds of lines in drawing. Some of the students also chose to do a leaf print for their covers by inking up leaves and pressing them on the handmade paper. The handmade paper is very absorbent and makes a great relief print possible. Other students cut out shapes of leaves from other paper they made and glued that to the cover for decoration. A couple of students got creative with the ribbon and added beads to it and shaped pieces of paper.

Extending the Lesson

This art problem, while specific to a recycling and environmental focus, can be interpreted in many ways and applied to a wide variety of other disciplines. English students could compose their own writing to fill the books, math students could fill the pages with geometric shapes, and social studies students could focus on life in their community. The folding of the paper for the book pages can also be completed in a variety of ways. You can learn the basic processes and have a world of possibilities available.

Students synthesize the creative and analytical principles and techniques of the visual arts and selected other arts disciplines, the humanities, or the sciences.

Bruce Bowman is an assistant professor of art at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.