FOBA 2026 - Jenn Woodward - Explorations in Hand Papermaking

Focus on Book Arts 2026

Jenn Woodward with assistant Gary Hanson
Explorations in Hand Papermaking - Friday-Sunday, June 26-28, 2026

Read more about FOBA 2026 on their website!
https://focusonbookarts.org/2026-foba-conference/

Workshop Description:

Day One: Pulp Painting Explorations. Students will explore how to make pigmented paper pulp to create a full palette of colors, and how to use those wet fibers as a kind of paint. Students will learn the process for making both smooth and textured paper pulp, plus techniques for mark making, creating shapes of color, building layered images, and retaining negative space within a composition. Students will create several wet pulp painting pieces that they will take away from the workshop to dry at home.

Day Two: Exploring Local Plants for Papermaking. This workshop will introduce students to the wild and cultivated plants that can be used to make strong, beautiful paper of varied hues and textures. Students will learn how to harvest plants and process them via cutting and cooking the plants down into raw fibers, ready for the next stage of pulping. The class
will then dive into processing fibers with kitchen blenders and by hand with mallets, making pulp. We will finish out the day making the pulp into sheets of paper, learning pressing and drying techniques that students can duplicate on their own after the workshop. Students will leave the class with a sampler of damp papers that can be used for a variety of purposes including postcards, drawing, painting, collage, bookmaking, or an as-is piece of art.

Day Three: Eastern Papermaking Explorations. In this workshop we will use imported bark fibers like kozo and gampi to create strong and translucent papers using techniques originating in East Asia. We will begin with a conversation about the history of craft practices using bark fibers to learn more about the origins of hand papermaking. We will then process
raw bark fibers, cooking them and hand pulping them with mallets. We will use Japanese sugetas to make paper that students will take home to dry. All workshops will be hands-on, exploring process via communal activities and individual explorations of materiality.

Materials/equipment to be provided by students:

• Towel so students can transport stack of wet papers home
• Paper and pen/pencil for note taking
• Apron (if desired, to protect clothes from pulp