This week I bought a piece of handmade Japanese Kozo, cut it up into 10 pieces and then made my own momigami, or “strong paper.” This is done by coating the sheets with konnyaku starch, which comes from the Devil’s Tongue root. It’s a powder you mix with water, brush on both sides of the paper and then crumple the paper into a loose ball.
kozo coated with konnyaku and scrunched
While the paper is still damp you crumple it more and work the surfaces together. The more you work with it, the more like cloth it becomes. Then spread each sheet out to dry flat on a table.
kozo wet with konnyaku starch
This treatment makes it receptive to dyes, and easy to stitch. I get my kozo and konnyaku from Wet Paint Art in St. Paul, and they get it from the Japanese Paper Place in Toronto. (Check my Resources Links.)
dry momigami
I wanted it flat (not perfectly) so I could mount my silk pieces to it, so I ironed it. I really like the wrinkled surface and the color of the kozo. And it’s a dream to hand stitch.
katazome dove on silk broadcloth, natural pigments, hand-stitched to momigami
This Saturday and Sunday I’ll be at Loring Park Art Festival.
I’m excited to be participating in this weekend’s Tangletown Gardens Art and Garden Tour in Minneapolis and St. Paul (invited by Swan Song Contemporary Arts, one of three galleries curating the work.) I’ll be set up in a St. Paul garden on Lexington Parkway with 5 other artists. Gardens are doing well in the Twin Cities this summer so I expect the displays will be stunning! And, weather is predicted to be great this weekend (we’ll see about that …)! See the Facebook page about the event for every little detail. Hope to see you there!
Rabbits, kale and moon runner, katazome (stencil-dyed), natural pigment dyes on linen
Meadow rue runner (detail), katazome (stencil-dyed), natural pigment dyes on linen
I had a good day at the art fair — Art at St. Kate’s. Before the gates opened, I captured a few views of my booth. One of my customers commissioned a rabbit runner for her meditation room! It will hang on her wall, with all the rabbits ears up (as runners, they change direction in the middle). I will have it ready for the next show (Loring Park Art Festival in Minneapolis). The most interesting comments came from people who are frustrated with the rabbits in their gardens!
Booth view 1, katzome pillows, runners, and descriptive display
Booth view 2, katazome runners
It’s July in Minnesota. The day started out hot and humid, and ended with two thunderstorms. A great adventure!
Storm clouds
Downpour
