Friday, September 30, 5-7 PM

Saturday-Sunday, October 1-2, 10 AM – 5 PM

with Tracey Cockrell

The ancient Egyptians used the stem of the papyrus plant to make fiber for use in a number of everyday and decorative objects. Above all, wild and specially cultivated papyrus was used to make writing paper. Today, modern papyrus is used as a specialty material.

This class will provide an in-depth exploration of how to make vegetable papyrus, decorative sheets and objects, from both fruit and vegetables. Colorful, translucent sheets will be made by layering and pressing slices of fruits and vegetables. We will experiment with cross-sections and longitudinal slices to highlight the intricate internal structures and rich colors of the plant material.

The workshop will be spent learning how to process, press, dry, and preserve vegetable papyrus while experimenting with a variety of plant materials. Each student will build a simple paper press and a simple botanical press for preserving and transporting finished papyrus sheets. The remainder of the workshop will be spent producing vegetable and fruit papyrus sheets and, if time allows, using these sheets to make sculptural objects. Each student can expect to make an array of experimental decorative papyrus sheets.

A full materials list will be supplied upon registration

Basic materials include:

• Kitchen utensils
• Cutting board
• Fabric
• Wood

Limited to 6 participants

Payment for online workshops is on a sliding scale. Please pay what you can.