In this 2-day masterclass, you will learn about flax, the various techniques of papermaking and making paper thread, and how to spin and weave with your paper and paper threads. You will work in Loes’s studio in The Hague and Marieke’s studio in Utrecht.
Programme
24 October – Day 1: About flax and papermaking
We’ll start with an introduction to flax, Loes and Marieke’s work, and the role that flax and paper play in it. We’ll then hackle and cut the flax. The short fibres will then go into the pulpepulp making machine. This is followed by a demonstration of the various papermaking techniques, after which we’ll use the pulp to make paper in various sizes. We’ll stack the sheets between felt and cotton cloths, and then the whole stack will go into a press at once. This will take a few days to dry.
7 November, Day 2: Kami-ito technique
We will discuss the properties of the hand-made flax paper. Marieke will talk about the history of Kami-ito production and how paper thread has had – and continues to have – a place alongside our ordinary yarns in everyday objects and design. We will also show examples of our own work using flax paper thread.
We’ll demonstrate how to turn the flax paper into thread. Just as cutting and sorting the flax is almost meditative, preparing, rolling, tearing and spinning the paper also requires concentration and patience. Using the threads we’ve made and the handmade paper, we’ll create a woven piece. At the end of the day, we’ll admire the results together!
Dates: 24 October and 7 November
Location, Day 1: Loes’s studio, Weimarstraat 56, The Hague
Location, Day 2: Marieke’s studio, Monseigneur v/d Weteringstraat 13a, Utrecht
Time: 10.00–16.00
Cost: €225.00 (including materials)
Group size: maximum 8 people
participate: e-mail to info@paperartanddesign.nl
About Marieke and Loes
Marieke van Mieghem and Loes Schepens met in the flax field in Hemmen in 2020. It soon became clear that they shared a love of nature and a curiosity about materials. And not only that: they regularly collaborate to explore flax as deeply as possible and create artworks in which flax paper often takes centre stage. In this masterclass, they are keen to share the knowledge they have gained about flax, flax paper and its potential applications, such as flax paper thread and ‘flax paper’ weaves. Under their guidance, you will be introduced to these unique techniques and gain an understanding of – and a firm grasp on – the endless possibilities inherent in flax as a material.
Marieke van Mieghem works out of a desire to unravel, understand and experiment with materials. Growing her own flax fosters a strong connection with the material, which Marieke weaves into her visual art alongside personal themes about what it means to be able to marvel; to see beauty and lightness in the world around us and to be closer to nature once more.
Loes Schepens has been working with and researching paper made from plants for over 25 years. Her artworks stem from sensory experiences, the landscape, plants and their structures. Through her work, the artist aims to tell stories about nature and to slow down the detachment we feel from it.