Recycling and Papermaking

While surfing the internet a while back, I came across handmade papermaking using recycled paper.  I found it very interesting and though that it would be something I would enjoy doing and would also love to add to my artworks somehow.   

So a few months ago, I purchased a papermaking kit from Arnold Grummer.   I finally made some paper yesterday and it was just as I have imagined; a very enjoyable experience!   I was able to turn recycled paper into brand new sheets of paper; awesome!!!   I have a lot of paper that I have been saving just for this; I used newsprint paper which I have used to test some of my prints.  The newsprints had blue and pink water-based inks which are now part of the paper.   I have dried the paper by stacking them between newspaper sheets and heavy books.

My next art project is a paper collage and I will be using the new handmade paper and acrylic paint to create a landscape scene.   I am very excited about this new kit and plan to use it often; it feels very good to recycle and reuse!!!   I have documented below in pictures my very enjoyable papermaking process.  

What is needed

Recycled paper

 

Box from Arnold Grummer's Papermill kit

A blender

 

Recycled paper with 2 cups of water

I used the puree setting on the blender

Recycled paper reduced to pulp

Added the puld to the box

Removed the box from the water and the pictures below are the new sheet, before removing the water

The new sheet after the water has been removed (steps above).  Below, I have put the new paper under newspaper sheets and have added heavy books on top

Below are the pictures I took today of the somehow dry new paper.  I have put the newpaper sheets between two pieces of carboard and got a suprise:  I got some textures and color from the cardboad and newspaper sheets.  I should have known, but I really like it.

This was a lot of fun!