We are so glad that Jose Sainz of the Drachen Foundation was able to share this magical and fun afternoon making kites with us.

Brick Red, Black, Yellow, White, Baby Pink, Blue Grey, Torquoise, Gold, Brown, Orange, and Bright Pink Prices: $12.50/yard, $7.00/1/2 yard, and $4.00/1/4 yard.

Toile 100% Canvas Prices: $27.00/yard, $14.00/1/2 yard, and $8.00/1/4 yard.

The cloth has a width size of 55" and are 100% Viscose and the Toile cloth is 100% Linen. The production of this book cloth is ecologically friendly and the company is known to own their own waste water treatment plant. The cloth is biodegradable.

I would like to recommend to you the Shimaei Katagami (Stencil) paper made in Suzuka City, Japan. You are aware that Suzuka City is known for the traditional and highly respected historical region for the stencil arts and craft. I first met Mr. Shimomura at his Shimaei Katagami Company in 1989 when I was researching water-based printing materials and resources in Japan. He showed me his stencil, which not only was improved in its quality of the traditional function but also had new strength for the versatile potential in various techniques and uses. It is originally used for Katazome fabric dye work.

I have developed the water-washed printmaking process and technique by using this stencil paper combined with woodblock print and other printmaking methods. It is environmentally friendly and economical. It is washed and cleaned with water. Although thin and lightweight, it is strong for printing and storing.

Applying and changing variations of colors and thickness of pigments, artists can create a various surface quality. There are endless possibilities on one of kind of print, painting and other arts and crafts projects. Oil painting can be applied and cleaned with warm water.

I am giving the woodblock printing workshop working with this stencil paper at the Anderson Ranch Summer Art Center in June. I realize that no one carries this stencil paper in the U.S.A. for my students. I hope that you will off er this stencil paper along with other wonderful papers. I'll send you one of my prints so that you may see the results achieved with the stencil paper.

This year another Echizen Washi Festival was held from May 3rd to the 5th. It's an over 1,000 year old festival which celebrates the legend of a goddess of washi who blessed the skills of paper artistry to man.

Wearing traditional white outfi ts and heading toward the village, men climb down from the mountain peak in Echizen carrying with them the statue representing the goddess known as Kawakami Gozen at the beginning of the festivities. On the following day (the 4th) of festivities begin early in the morning, and even the National Printing Bureau observes the day. (At the beginning of the Meiji era, the Japanese bill was made using exclusively paper from Echizen Washi. The goddess is also enshrined in the National Printing Bureau.)

The 5th day is the climax, as 5 townships from the inner town area march to five different shrines with the goddess' statue. With lively voices, they march enthusiastically the entire festival, singing Matsuzaka (Japanese festivals, depending on their location and their purpose have various and select folksongs that are sung in the festivities-Matsuzaka is the title of one of such folksong). The festival's closing events happen at around 10 o'clock at night.

Next year will be the special festival of the Kawakami goddess (this one is held just once every 33 years, being able to experience it twice in one lifetime is, in itself, quite amazing). In this special festival, the doors of the Kawakami goddess' enshrinement are opened for the public to see inside.

This goddess' shrine is an intangible, important property of Fukui Prefecture-it is held within Okamoto Shrine. It is noted for the beautiful and complicated construction of its roof.

YOSHINAO SUGIHARA

Fukui, Sugihara Shoten

Besides Uda-Gami, the Fukunishi family also makes other seasonal papers that are dyed by plants. One of the most popular of these types of papers is the Sakura-dyed paper. The sakura (cherry blossoms) that bloom on Yoshino Mountain are famous, and these deep pink, sakura-colored papers are often requested by shod artists (traditional calligraphers), woodblock printers and even designers of sake labels. We also use the sakura-dye technique in elementary school graduation certificates.

People often ask us, “Do you dye this paper with the petals of the sakura tree?” But actually, we are not using sakura petals. Just before springtime, we cut off branches from a sakura tree just before they blossom, remove their bark, slice them into fine strips, cook them and then soak the fibers in the sakura liquid to dye it—this is what gives the paper its sakura, pinkish hue.

FUKUNISHI FAMILY

HPI memo:
This paper, the Nara Natural Dyed Paper, is available at HPI and also comes in Yellow Mimosa, Herb Green, Baby Blue Indigo, and Akebi Grey at size of 12.6"x18" for $10.50/sheet.

It is now the time of year when the main washi material known as nasu kozo is delivered. Mino-gami primarily uses nasu kozo as the main ingredient. Washi made with nasu kozo possesses a delicate, fine but rich quality. Incidentally, almost all papers which are considered high quality contain some nasu kozo. In the past, I have heard that Mino used high quality kozo which they cultivated themselves, but now the ingredients we have used for the past decade have all changed to nasu kozo.

Nasu kozo is primarily made in Ibaragi Prefecture (it is north of Tokyo). At present, all of the work such as cultivating the kozo, making materials for papermaking and preparing the kozo white bark is done here. There are farmers who are also involved in the distribution process as well, however these farmhands who aid the growers are elderly and the stress of it has often been a complaint. Cultivating nasu kozo is an extremely difficult undertaking, taking a year to complete. Because kozo can only be cultivated at one time of the year, it is impossible to produce high quality kozo without careful hand-care; so one can imagine the time it takes for this job. Furthermore, kozo fields are spread out on steep slopes, so it has become quite a task for the elderly kozo-harvesters in recent years.

Our mill receives nasu kozo usually through a middle-man who procures the farmworker’s labor after one year. This means that we must tell them the quantity we desire for our annual papermaking needs and pay in full once a year. This is one of the many difficulties papermakers face. This is also another reason many papermakers chose not to use high quality nasu-kozo.

It has been almost 17 years since I came to Mino and started making washi. In that time, the circumstances surrounding nasu-kozo have changed dramatically. There was a time when the supply of nasu kozo was very short. Nasu kozo, by the way, is very easily influenced by the weather, so there are times when the yield may go up or down—this is another reason many have decided to use cheaper kozo which is not so fickle. Sometimes we had too much supply and the result was leftover nasu kozo. At the moment, the nasu kozo seems to be stable with both the kozo cultivators and the papermakers. However, the price for the cultivators is not enough.

For handmade papermaking, in general, there are many problems which arise in producing high quality washi. The first issue is finding young papermaker successors to continue their art, the second is finding toolmakers and succesors to the toolmakers who understand and can do the techniques required, and the third is material supply. Many papermakers discuss these three issues quite often. All of this—especially seeing the older generation trying to make their best quality of washi and materials under severe conditions—makes me feel even more responsible to create the best washi I can when I receive nasu kozo.

SATOSHI HASEGAWA

The Anna Amalia line of paper is named after the Anna Amalia Library, a very famous Baroque/Rococo library which burned down in a fire in September 2004. The library was to undergo a restoration, so books were moved into an old storing room. During the night, old electrical wirings in the building caused a fire. The Anna Amalia Library houses such famous collections as the personal bible of Martin Luther and other famous philosophers’ writings. After the fire, funds were donated for a reconstruction project. Gangolf Ulbricht was asked to create paper for restoration of the library’s books. For this purpose, Gangolf Ulbricht was approached to create a restoration paper. Ulbricht created 5 special brown-colored papers.

Anna Amalia papers are free of wood, and are pH neutral. The fibers are beaten in a Hollander-beater and made on traditional moulds, laid or woven, unsized/neutral sized/surface sized. They are buffered with Calcium-carbonate, cold air-dryed, and are age-resistant according to the standards. These colored papers are particularly good for restoring old works. Samples will be available at the end of April at HPI.

WHEN: May 18, 2008, Sunday
TIME: NOON till 3:00 p.m.
COST: $60 per person

Over 15 years ago, Jose Sainz took the kite world by surprise by bringing creative designs to rip stop sewing techniques in kiting. As a student of many of the great San Diego appliqué rip stop kite artists, his designs won both national and international awards. With the discovery of handmade paper and bamboo, he has successfully transitioned to that of art kites.

Join Jose in a class at Hiromi Paper, to create a free style paper/bamboo kite. Jose will supply three pieces of bamboo and paper from the collection at HPI, and encourage each participant to create whatever shape kite they want, using only three pieces of bamboo as structure. Bamboo lengths can be altered, but only three pieces can be used. Watch what happens when the participants are coached by a master.

Materials will be supplied by HPI. Just bring your favorite cutting tools or scissors, and a cutting board.
All skill levels. Only 12 students maximum. Registration starts immediately.

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