Workshops in Paper Engineering, Hand bookbinding, Meditative Drawing Jean Kropper, (Strathfield) Sydney Australia
Custom workshops and in-house training
- Educate and inspire with a custom paper engineering workshop. Learn how to design paper pop-ups, learn hand skills, geometry and visualising in three dimensions.
- For students and teachers to empower them to make their own books, book forms and pop-ups and tell their own stories.To encourage students to design and to write and increase their literacy.
13/01/2024
I was in pattern heaven today at Sydney Universties Chau Chak Wing Museum. There is a bark cloth exhibition with contemporary designs from Papua New Guinea as well as older bark cloth. Got me excited about the diversity of patterns. Many from the Popondetta and Kokoda area. Fabulous stuff! So glad to catch the end of the exhibit.
03/01/2024
Do you make art or bokks or collage from paper??
Here are some stunning sources.
Many thanks to Helen Hiebert Studio in the USA:
Paper: Figuring out which paper will work best for a particular project is tricky, but it can be a delightful journey. There are so many qualities – thickness, opacity, foldability – to name a few. My advice: try it and see if it works. If it does, it becomes a favorite paper. If it doesn’t, you learned something!
1. O-Gami papers are crisp, strong, beautiful, and perfect for anyone who wants a superior folding paper. Paper Circle makes these 100% abaca handmade sheets in a variety of richly pigmented colors. (They look gorgeous!!) https://papercircle.org/shop-o-gami-paper/
2. Loose Ends advertises itself as uncommon materials for uncommon artists, and they really do have unusual papers, most of which are small batches from independent papermakers in the USA and abroad. They also sell unusual ribbons, ephemera, and organic textiles. Recommended by Helen Spielman. https://looseends.com/
3. French Paper is a commercial mill in the US. They have started selling multi-packs – you get a selection of several colors – which makes it easy to explore their paper collections. https://www.frenchpaper.com/collections/multipacks
4. Kozo Studio in Thailand creates a wide variety of handmade and decorative machine-made kozo papers. Free shipping on orders over $99. https://kozo.studio/
5. Think of a special wish and write it on Flying Wish Paper, and then shape your paper into a tube and place it on a platform. Light the top edge of the tube and watch it burn down in a small, beautiful flame. https://www.flyingwishpaper.com/
6. Rock Paper is a unique substrate that is waterproof, cuts, folds and embosses well, and you can work on it with a variety of media. Some sheets are translucent, and the small sheets come in muted blended colors. stunning! https://rockpaper.store/
7. Acuity Papers is a family owned online retailer of Fine Art Paper. They carry a wide selection of printmaking and drawing papers from around the world. https://www.acuitypapers.com/
8. Ilan Garibi and Gadi Vishne, over at Happy Folding, have evaluated over two dozen common and uncommon origami papers and gathered together information about sourcing, prices, and which techniques the paper is best for. Recommended by Madonna Yoder. https://www.happyfolding.com/paper-reviews_introduction
9. The Handmade Paper Exchange is an annual paper swap of full sheets of handmade paper. Send some, get some! Deadline is January 15, 2024 https://thefiberwire.com/2021/09/25/handmade-paper-exchange/
10. Origami-Shop (in France) has a fantastic selection of unusual papers for origami, along with some of the best books on the subject. https://www.origami-shop.com/
FLYING WISH PAPER Shape your paper into a tube and place it on the Wish Platform. Light the top edge of the tube and watch it burn down in a small, beautiful flame.
27/12/2023
My son and I are down in Wollongong and had a wander through the Art Gallery here.
The sculptor Ian Gentle has an impressive retrospective exhibition on. Distinctive very potent style. There is an intensity, an energy in his work I find captivating. He joined sticks together into abstract sculptures, painted and did printmaking.
25/12/2023
A hot cup of tea, rain toast and a delightful selection of presents on Christmas morning with my son. Gardening tool for scooping up leaves, calendar, books & books.
17/12/2023
I am not generally a fancy handbag person and I am rather intimidated by the pretty and preened young staff in designer handbag stores. I use one handbag all the time. However, my plain black seven year old handbag I bought from the maker in a tiny shop in Greenwich village, NY was well and truly at the end of its life. Battered, losing shape & grubby.
After three trips to shopping centres and designer outlet stores I made up my mind. I did walk into shops that sold $3,000 handbags just to see if I liked anything. Does anyone else find them intimidating? Thankfully, that wasn't what I wanted.
Here is my new handbag. Muted colurs, but a little funky as well.
24/11/2023
Friday drawings.
22/11/2023
Exciting and a bit overwhelming.... Girl's Tech Day 2023 had 80 girls having a go at paper engineering at my stand. Each made a mini pop up book to take home. They learn geometry, sequencing, patterning and visualising in 3D. All career skills.
The event gives primary and highschool girls exposure to careers that involve tech. Many of the girls are from migrant backgrounds.
19/11/2023
Declutter then draw.
I had a major decluttering day throwing out old suitcases, papers, 6 chairs, 30 CDs and giving away 30 books. A few too many memories swirling in my head so time for some drawing to let go of it all.
Major declutterung day... 30 books, 30 CDs, two suitcases, 6 chairs out the door. Phew.
17/11/2023
Ending the week with a sketch. Taking time to catch my breath.
22/11/2023