From plant to paper

Together with botanics and artists, I have spent some days in the Botanical Garden in Bergen (Milde). Together we are exploring ways of making paper out of plants. Dry, boiled and fresh, big and small - petals and stalks - pulped or pressed. There are so many different ways to do this!

Through this collaboration, called Planteliv (Plantlife), I have focused on paper making as a way of learning about plants, as we discover new sides of their individual differences and qualities.

Additionally to the information artist and papermaker Elly Prestegård and Hanne … are teaching us, I have followed steps from the book “Papermaking with Garden Plants & Common Weeds” by Helen Hiebert. This book gives insight into collecting Plant Fiber, Preparations, different kinds of processing plant fiber - and the making of paper. It contains Recipes that can be interesting both for beginners and semi-professionals.

What I have found especially interesting with this process, is the variety of techniques. Making paper is not one thing and does certainly not always give the same result. It opens up many possibilities to discover structures, functions, shapes and colours. And the best thing, is that the raw material needed, is to find in your garden, in a park or a near-by wasteland.