WASP WASHI

Installation in the lobby at the Durango Arts Center to be exhibited until mid November.  The paper squares are handmade paper (kozo fiber imported from Thailand) and wasp paper that have been
combined in the process of making the sheets.  The wasp paper has been collected from the amazing
nests that wasps make.  Wasps are indeed the first papermakers.

LAST HIKE AT EDGEMONT HIGHLANDS

For nine years I have been an artist-in-residence at Edgemont Highlands, near Durango, Colorado creating over 30 environmental art sites.  This is the last hike of the season.  And next year, Allison Anderson will be taking the job of maintaining the sites.

 Cave Rock, my conversation with a squirrel.  The squirrel did the stuffing, the artist did the rocks.

The artist at Lichen Tree.  Nesting materials for small animals and birds that has already been scavenged.  Below some of the group that took this last hike of the season.

PAPERMAKING WITH PLANTS WORKSHOP

At the Durango Arts Center, participants had fun creating paper made from a variety of fibers such as cattail, bamboo, wild iris, etc.  We also used kozo given to us by Tim Barrett of the University of Iowa who recently did presentations about Japanese papermaking at the Center.  We cooked and beat the fibers, dipped screens into the resulting pulp, and dried our creations in the sun.   A beautiful variety of papers...textured and smooth, embossed and layered, some with inclusions of flower petals and other interesting additions were the products of this one-day workshop.

WEST COAST EXHIBITS

I am heading out to Southern California soon for another showing of my Roots traveling exhibit.  It has been in Albuquerque, Durango, Telluride, and now La Jolla, California.  Plus 3 suitcases of collage are packed for a special one-day sale.   Here's the scoop!

tangling

wrapping

spreading

ROOTS

September 21-November 2, 2013

Opening Reception: 

Friday, September 20, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

an exhibit by

MARY ELLEN LONG

 Rotunda Gallery

ATHENAEUM

Music & Arts Libary

1008 Wall Street

La Jolla, CA 92037

(858) 454-5872

www.ljathenaeum.org

In addition, a “trunk sale” of Mary Ellen’s collages

 (1980-present)

on Saturday, September 28, 4:30 - 6:30 pm

Athenaeum music room (the Roots show can also be seen)

Refreshments

Athenaeum hours: Tuesday-Saturday  10am-5:30pm

                                Wednesday            10am-8:30pm

Jim Machacek: The Kincade Chronicles is also showing in the Joseph Clayes III Gallery

SIDEWALK PAPER CLOUD WORKSHOP

Here are a few shots from my workshop in front of the Durango Arts Center.  We beat kozo fiber by hand, mixed the pulp with water and formation aid, poured the pulp into stencils of cloud forms (the shapes translated photographically from real clouds),  and let the hot pavement and sun dry the papers.

 Beating the fiber by hand

 Mixing formation aid with the fiber and water

 Demonstrating pouring the pulp into the cloud stencils

NEW PUBLISHED BOOK

OFFERINGS, a photographic book that documents my floating handmade circles of handmade paper on bodies of water during my travels over a decade.  The "offerings" are meant to be a prayer for the health of the planet.  This editioned book is now being shown for the first time during the exhibit about hand papermaking at the Durango Arts Center, "Washi and Other Ephemera"

 Floating, Santa Sabina Retreat Center, San Rafael, California, 1998

 Preface with sample of handmade paper

 Floating, Pingree Park, Northern Colorado, 1997

Floating, Sogi Sui Water Spring, Gujo Hachiman, Japan, 2008

Washi exhibit opens

 Adrianna Cubides, performance artist

 Tim Barrett introduction - Japanese style vat and mould

 detail of Adrianna's paper words tendril (show artists' contributions)

 Sands, Signs, Symbols:Western Journeys by Mary Ellen Long

 Paper works through the years by MEL (part of mini-retrospective)

 The artist-curator with Ancestry and Sando Sign sculpture

 Washi installation - Priscilla Robinson, Catherine Nash, Lois James

 Tom Leech marbled papers, Sukey Hughes Goddess books

 Lori B. Goodman's Journeys

 Helen Hiebert's installation

 Wasp Washi installation in the lobby (MEL)

Before the opening with Tim Barrett, Adrianna Cubides, Shay Lopez - Goodman's Old Beginnings piece with Jill Powers' Small Winged Life on the wall and framed work by Nicole Donnelly

WASHI AND OTHER EPHEMERA: The Art of Hand Papermaking

  Washi & Other Ephemera:

The Art of Hand Papermaking

August 23–September 28, 2013

Handmade paperworks by nationally-recognized paper artists* and retrospective installation

by Mary Ellen Long / Guest presenter MacArthur Genius Grant award winner Timothy D. Barrett

Register for Workshops Online At www.DurangoArts.org

802 E. 2nd Avenue, Durango | (970) 259-2606

Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday

Exhibit Curator: Mary Ellen Long

Guest Presenter: Timothy D. Barrett

Recipient of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur

Foundation, MacArthur Fellowship “Genius Grant.”

Opening Reception

Friday, August 23, 5-7 p.m.

5:30 p.m. Introduction by curator Mary Ellen Long

and demonstration of Japanese hand papermaking by

special guest Timothy D. Barrett

                                          Jill Powers - Winged Life installation

                                           Lori B. Goodman - Journeys

                        Robbin Ami Silverberg - Thoughts in the Form of a Letter

Mary Ellen Long - Shintai Scrolls

Ongoing invisible dance by performance artist

Adriana Cubides

*Robbin Ami Silverberg / Catherine Nash / Helen Hiebert / Nicole Donnelly / Jill Powers / Lois James / Sukey Hughes

Tom Leech / Priscilla Robinson / Lori B. Goodman / Mary Ellen Long

HANDPAPERMAKING WORKSHOPS

I will be offering two workshops during the EXCITING exhibit WASHI AND OTHER EPHEMERA: THE ART OF HANDPAPERMAKING at the Durango Arts Center.  These are the only classes I will be offering this year. 

MARY ELLEN LONG 

  

 *sign up on website  (click Education, then Adults,visual arts) or go to the front desk at DAC or call Sandra Butler at 259-2606     (Call me with questions - 259-4363)

SIDEWALK CLOUD WORKSHOP  (Inryu= Cloud Dragon) 

Saturday, August 31, 10-4 pm

$65. for DAC members; $75 for non-members

An opportunity to make hanging clouds of kozo fiber using stencils that

have been made from photos of “real” clouds.  Students will learn about   processing including cooking and handbeating. Focus will be on techniques of pouring pulp, embossing, and pulp displacement.  

all experience levels welcome..........        materials fee - $10. covering fiber

HAND PAPERMAKING WITH PLANTS WORKSHOP

Saturday, September 7, 10-4 pm

$65. for DAC members; $75 for non-members

Explorations with local wild and cultivated plants with some imported fiber added to the mix.  Stems, leaves, and petals will be harvested and processed during the preceding week before the workshop.  Techniques for inclusions, laminating, and embossing will be covered.                                                 material fee - $5. covering fiber

ALSO:

SEPTEMBER 24

TIM BARRETT WILL HAVE  HALF-DAY INTRODUCTION TO JAPANESE PAPERMAKING WORKSHOPS 

:SEPTEMBER 14

HELEN HIEBERT, VISTING CO. TEACHER WILL OFFER THE

WORKSHOP ILLUMINATED PAPER STRUCTURES 

SEE MORE INFORMATION ON

papermaking in nature

cloud installation

papermaking with plants

EDGEMONT HIGHLANDS walks in Durango, Colorado

JULY 20 and 21     9-11 a.m.

Guided walks through  the 9 year project ART ALONG THE TRAILS by artist Mary Ellen Long
This year will be my last series of walks, as I will be retiring from the project next year with Allison Andersen taking over the job of maintaining the environment sites.

lst half on Saturday, 2nd half on Sunday.

Meet at the Lodge (enter development off Florida Road at the "pinecone" sculpture and continue for about 2 blocks, Lodge on your right, parking lot in front.

Appreciate a rsvp to Mary Ellen or the Edgemont Highlands office.

These walks will also be given in August (the  10th and 11th) with the 2nd half on Saturday and the 1st half on Sunday)  for your convenience.


"Lichen Spiral
site work in the project