Fiber to Form: Papermaking & Botanical Printmaking with Kaitlin Pomerantz & Samuel Havens

Tickets:

$350 | Includes All Materials

Class size limited to 10

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PLEASE NOTE: This is a two-session workshop, meeting on August 11th & 13th, from 12:00 – 3:00pm

Have you ever wanted to make your own paper to use in your own art? Join artist and materials researcher Kaitlin Pomerantz and Samuel Havens, master printer and Workshop & Residency Manager at The Church, for an introductory workshop on the practices of hand papermaking and botanical printmaking. Over the course of two 3-hour sessions, participants will be guided from fiber– the raw plant matter that forms the material basis of paper– to form– creative surface design made using various flora and the monotype printmaking process. 

1st Session: FIBER – Introduction to Hand Papermaking

Pomerantz will introduce participants to working with plant fibers to produce strong, archival, and completely custom sheets of paper. Participants will learn basic techniques of Western papermaking, including fiber processing and pulping, sheet forming, pressing, and drying. Advanced and experimental techniques, including inclusions, collage, and watermarks, will be covered as well. At the conclusion of the first session, all papers will be pressed and set to dry, preparing them for use as printing paper in the second session. 

2nd Session: FORM – Introduction to Botanical Printmaking

With custom papers fabricated and ready for use, Havens will lead participants through the basics of botanical printmaking, using local flora to impress various textures and designs. Participants will have the opportunity to develop their own unique compositions, while also learning the proper steps and etiquette for operating an American French Tool etching press. At the conclusion of this session, each participant will have created several unique botanical monotypes, each printed on their own custom handmade paper.

All necessary tools and materials will be provided, though participants are invited to bring any additional plant matter for inclusion in either their paper or printing.

About Kaitlin Pomerantz

Kaitlin Pomerantz is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, curator and researcher based in Philadelphia. Pomerantz received papermaking training at Dieu Donne (Brooklyn) and the Women’s Studio Workshop (Upstate NY). She has taught papermaking workshops at Bard College, University of Pennsylvania, and Historic Rittenhouse Town (Philadelphia), North America’s first paper mill, where she also sits on the board. Pomerantz is a critic at the School of Visual Arts (NY) and a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. She holds a BA from the University of Chicago, an MFA from the University of Pennsylvania and an Ed. M from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is the founder of MATTERS, an arts and ecology education initiative. Pomerantz was a resident artist at the Church in 2024.

About Samuel Havens

Samuel Havens is an artist, printmaker, curator, and researcher. He o...