The Life Force Energy in the tree is the same Life Force Energy in You.
Message from the Great Mother
Art and text by Cathy Loffredo, Tuscon, AZ
Category: Handmade paper
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Nebraska’s Biggest Cottonwood?
In 1972, my grandparents, Otto and Alma Betke, my best friend Dan Danner and I were bumping across the Nebraska pasture when we discovered a giant Eastern Cottonwood, so big I took a photo of them, stretching their arms against the trunk to show the massive size.
Grandma reported it to the Nebraska Fish and Game – they measured it: 38 feet around the trunk! That same year, the Cottonwood became Nebraska’s official state tree.
Coincidence?
Maybe.
Gram also wrote to Nebraskaland magazine about our discovery, asking how many trees this big existed in Nebraska.
Today’s record holder? 37.2 feet.
About the fishing trip – yes we caught bass, crappie and bluegill, but the biggest catch of the day was the story of a tree so grand it might still hold the record!
Story by Kirk Walter
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IAPMA
As a proud member of IAPMA (International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists ), I’m thrilled to share a glimpse of this year’s bulletin, which celebrates Treewhispers.
Titled “Silent Strength,” the IAPMA Bulletin is more than just an annual publication—it’s a celebration of our collective artistry. Each edition features unique handmade papers, including a custom-designed cover that sets the tone for the entire issue. This year’s cover was beautifully crafted by Heike Berl in collaboration with @papierwerk_glockenbach.
IMAGINE – Handmade paper cover by Heike Berl in collaboration with @papierwerk_glockenbach – IAPMA BULLETIN 63 “Silent Strength” -
Enriching the Forest of Creativity
Heartfelt thanks to the Kohl Children’s Museum staff for your ongoing participation and creativity in papermaking for the Spotlight Studio’s incoming crowd. Your dedication and enthusiasm are truly appreciated, and your exceptional efforts create a memorable experience for everyone involved.
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Happy Earth Day! Let’s make paper!
Check out an updated edition of the classic Tin Can Papermaking! Recycled for Earth and Art.
This educational book is filled with full color photos, updated text, and a host of new projects including Treewhispers!
Learn how you can recycle wastepaper into beautiful new art, and you how you really can create excellent handmade paper with two tin cans!
Explore papermaking:
-Turn wastepaper into works of art at home or school
-Simple instructions with photos guarantee success
-Keep it eco-friendly with recycled paper cards and gifts to give all year
-Discover the science behind “what” paper is and “why” it can be recycled
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Let the fun begin!
What a fun event at the Cook County Forest preserve!
In addition to exploring nature you can also try your hand at bookbinding, printmaking, collage, papermaking and even book exchanges and giveaways!
Take a hike in the woods and be sure to share your favorite story about a tree!
What is your tree story?
Did you climb trees with your friends to see who could climb the highest? Build a treehouse that was your refuge? Walk through a cool dense forest in the springtime or pluck a ruby red apple off a tree? Did you ever speculate on what kind of a tree we would be? Hmmmm. Oak? Birch? Maple?
On a hot summer evening, did you run to a tree for safe base when you played tag?
What’s your tree story?
Just as the rings of a tree embody the stories of the tree, so too we carry the stories of trees. These stories inspire us to renew our sense of wonder. They connect us to one another through shared experiences as they deepen our understanding to our connection with nature.
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Sharing the Love of Trees in Community, cont’d (Pam)
Pam Avery is an abstract painter and ceramist in Sacramento, CA. With an MA in Art Education from California State University Sacramento, she taught high school art for 21 years.
She exhibits her art in the state fair, galleries, museums, colleges and hospitals, and has been featured on educational broadcasts.
A dancer, Pam brings a sense of gesture and movement to her paintings. Each one creates a space and world of its own through colors, shapes and textures to excite the senses while remaining light and airy.
Her round, with a monochrome tree on each side, embraces trees in the delicate drawings.
Artwork by Pam Avery, Story by Phawnda Moore
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Observations in Nature
Three Exhibitions Continue…More Observations in Nature!
Three Exhibitions to Explore in One Place! The new exhibition “Tree Time + Silos” by artist Amanda Love presents a photographic documentation of the prehistoric and endangered species, The Metasequoia (or Dawn Redwoods) with a sneak peak at “Silos” an outdoor exhibition also inspired by the Dawn Redwoods coming this fall. “Treewhispers” displays a “forest” of handmade paper and artistic exploration honoring trees by Pamela Paulsrud and the late Marilyn Sward. “It Sounds Like Love” by artist Cadine Navarro creates a place of encounter with native Ohio prairie seeds.
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Treewhispers opens at The Grange Insurance Audubon Center, Columbus, Ohio
Delighted and honored to share the opening of Treewhispers at The Grange Insurance Audubon Center in the Nature x 4 Exhibition this past Thursday night—on view through Feb 26th.
Gratitude to Sandy Presosky Libertini and Leigh Ann Galarus Miller for the invitation to the exhibition, their papermaking ventures, and assists —as well as to Melissa Vogley Woods and Amanda Love for assistance in aerial installation optics.
The Nature x 4 Exhibition also features the “2022 Audubon Photography Awards”, “Feathered Portraits” photography exhibition by Donna Winters, and sound/meditation “It Sounds Like Love” by Cadine Navarro. It’s a wonderful collection of nature! Don’t miss it!
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Interim options
The North Shore Country Day School students in Winnetka, IL had many options from which to choose for their Interim program. One possibility was a week long experience with teaching artist extraordinaire, Jamie Thome at the Evanston Art Center.
The students explored papermaking, experimented with different writing exercises, made several books structures, and played with relief printmaking. Many of these new and exciting techniques were incorporated in the final project on the last day.
Students had the opportunity to contribute story and art embellished handmade paper rounds to the Treewhispers collaboration. They also made tiny paper circles (and painted them) which were stitched together to hang in their school. Inspired by Treewhispers, of course.
We would all enjoy hearing how others have collaborated in this ongoing art outreach.
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Shared visions
I never cease to be amazed and delighted by the creative stories and art that are shared!
There were two trees.
They are friends.
They have a bird friend too.
Although they can talk to each other through their bird friend.
They cannot play or touch each other.
There was a road in between them.
Then they both grew up.
And one day they can touch each other’s leaves and branches.
They are happy now.
They brid friend sings a song for them.
SDG
I climbed a tree almost.
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Papermaking in the Reading Garden
Again beating the drum of gratitude for Artists Book House sponsoring a papermaking event with the Evanston Arts Council Special Projects Grant initiated by community building activist Jamie Thome. Many thanks also to volunteers and papermaking enthusiasts, Laura Antolin and Cori Paulsrud who shared the an incredible autumn afternoon in the “Reading Garden” amongst the trees with all those who came to make paper and tell stories. It was a delight! Thank you, thank you!!!
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Gratitude and Joy
It was such a joy to share the creative papermaking process with adults and children alike last Sunday. Parent’s taught children. Children taught parents. Onlookers eased in to join the fun. Stories were shared and trees were celebrated.
Many thanks to Artists Book House for sponsoring the event with the Evanston Arts Council Special Projects Grant. Additional confetti to celebrate community building activist Jamie Thome ; amazing artist, fiber and pulp provider Melissa Jay Craig; Evanston Library and librarian (now papermaker) Laura Antolin; volunteers extraordinaires Michael Swierz, Katie Kucera and ABH Intern Kerrigan; and to all who shared in the papermaking/tree storytelling event. It was beautiful!
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Weeping Willow
Story and art by A. Kaunuda
Visiting the willow was my reason for joining my uncle and cousin on their spring/summer fishing trek to the Washington Park Lagoon.
Three blocks from our house was my grandmother’s flower garden where they dug up the worms for bait.
I packed a picnic lunch because they never ever caught any fish.
While they baited the hooks at the water’s edge I climbed into the welcoming embrace of the sturdy weeping willow branch that extend out over the surface of the lagoon. With my back against the trunk and my feet dangling over the branches just inches from the water’s surface, I sang and cloud surfed and danced my whispered dreams. I skipped across the water with dragonflies, floated on the surface with willow leaves, inhaled spring and exhaled summer into the last autumn sunset.
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In flight
Artwork by Luce Zolna
In anticipation and celebration of the upcoming 2023 exhibition at Audubon, I’m combing the archives to honor the commensalistic relationship of birds and trees.
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Papermaking extravaganza!
Photos by Sandy Libertini
Papermaking workshop with Sandy Libertini and Columbus, OH Grange Insurance Audubon volunteers in anticipation of the upcoming Jan/Feb 2023 Exhibition. Watch for further opportunities to get involved. Everyone is invited!
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Where the owl lives
Handmade paper and Mary Oliver story revered by Emilie Eklund, Grand Rapids, MI
In anticipation and celebration of the upcoming 2023 exhibition at Audubon, I’m combing the archives to honor the commensalistic relationship of birds and trees.
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I Miss My Maple
Families shared time at the Grange Audubon papermaking event last Saturday.
It’s always fun to hear the stories they tell. I particularly enjoyed hearing how impressed they were with their dad’s artistic skills!
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Papermaking!
We had a great day making paper and sharing tree stories at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center. Many thanks to Sandy Libertini, Senior Coordinator and Leigh Ann Miller, Center Director for the invitation and the assist; to the eager and talented volunteers including my daughter, Cori who’s always willing to schelp pulp; and to all those who showed up to engage in the process. Looking forward to the workshops to come and the exhibition of the work in Jan./Feb 2023.
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Robin’s Egg Blue
In anticipation and celebration of the upcoming 2023 exhibition at Audubon, I’m combing the archives to honor the commensalistic relationship of birds and trees. Here’s another l chance to enjoy Martha Slavin‘s lovely post, pondering, curiosity, and exploration of nature complete with a multitude of links for further information. Grateful for the connection, Martha!
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Chickadee
Art by J. Wimberly 2018
In anticipation and celebration of the upcoming 2023 exhibition at Audubon, I’m combing the archives to honor the commensalistic relationship of birds and trees. Enjoy!
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Poems
Handmade paper and artwork/calligraphy by Kaligrafos Guild member/Dallas /Fort Worth Metroplex
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Only few
Handmade paper and artwork/calligraphy by Kaligrafos Guild member/Dallas /Fort Worth Metroplex
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Olivo
Handmade paper and artwork/calligraphy by Kaligrafos Guild member/Dallas /Fort Worth Metroplex
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Moon Trees Glowing
Handmade paper and artwork by Kaligrafos Guild member/Dallas /Fort Worth Metroplex
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Many hands, many helpers, much gratitude
Jamie Thome/Pamela Paulsrud 
Cori and Pamela Paulsrud 
Pamela Paulsrud/Janice Kiska 
Hosted by Evanstonmade and sponsored by Artist Book House, Treewhispers along with a multitude of artists, creatives and visionaries illuminate the space at 921 Church St., Evanston, IL .
Lisa Degliantoni, Founder and Executive Director of Evanstonmade along with her Co-Directors Kathy Halper and Liz Cramer, launched the massive transformation of a former Urban Outfitters building into an energetic artist exchange and vibrant community outreach at seemingly a moment’s notice in early November. Now knowing the “trio of force” I understand their unparalleled dedication and drive, and the possibilities they employ.
Thanks to the sponsorship and eager assist by ABH Board Member, Jamie Thome the “growing of the forest” took shape in a timely manner. Janice Kiska, Cori Paulsrud and Michael Sweirz also gratefully stepped in for the final touches.
Installing and seeing the work in a new venue never ceases to amaze and delight me. On the handmade paper rounds I see the stories and art of those who shared them 20 years ago reverberate with those bound together only a week prior. These all feel like friends to me—friends bound with a common interest, passion and love for trees.
Enjoy the Treewhispers installation and a multitude of happenings until December 19, 2021.
Artwork by Jo Ann Bunosky Buzulencia, Handmade paper by Don Widmer
