James Meyers Book Arts

Paper

I love the entire process of making paper. Selecting or foraging for the fibers, cooking it down, beating it into pulp, forming the sheets and drying them. There’s a meditative rhythm to it. I like making everything from case weight flax paper, to cotton watercolor and sketchbook sheets and especially paper made from foraged fibers. Incorporating elements foraged from the environment around me imparts a sense of place in the finished product, really making me feel connected to it.

A fanned out stack of case weight flax paper dyed in several shades of green and purple using only buckthorn dye.
A haphazard stack of various colors of handmade paper that haven't been pressed flat.
A fanned out stack of handmade paper in various colors.

Marbling also has a similar meditative quality for me. Slowly building up a color palette in the tank, color by color, until you feel that it’s time to use a comb or to pull the print.