Paste Paper!

My altered book came to an abrupt halt when it started screaming out for paste paper. And I was out. Last weekend I didn't cook nothing for nobody. I got Zoe around where she had to go, but after that, the paste paper was calling and I shut the outside world out and surrendered to the lure of the paste and paint.

Zoe and I came up with 86 sheets that we kept for our stash.


Here's the recipe for the paste I used. It was smooth, but wasn't as pliable after drying as I would have liked.
Mix 2 cups cake flour with 2 cups water in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat (stir fast and don't stop!) just until it thickens. Stir into 10 cups of boiling water (stir fast and don't stop). When that thickens a bit, take off heat add 1 teaspoon glycerin and a 1/2 teaspoon of Dawn dish soap and let sit over night in the refrigerator. It will keep 2-3 days. If lumpy strain before using. Put some paste in a cup, add some color to your liking. I used 60lb. white laserprinting paper purchased at Staples for these papers. Paint the colored paste onto the paper. make designs in the paint by dragging combs, brushes, your fingers, lids etc., through the paint. Let dry flat, after dry, if it curls, you can iron the paper to flatten it out.



The paste papers can be used for anything! Endpapers in books, collage, greeting cards. My daughter Zoe is 10 and this is a project that she enjoyed - we spent hours making papers - every surface in the kitchen was covered with paint and drying papers! Including the floor, trash bags worked great for laying the papers on.

A note: except for the "feathery" piece, all the other samples here were made with the same "Fluff" lid cut into a funky shape. And, Garth had found a whole tub of fingerpaint and washable paint at the recycling center's "good pile". The tube acrylics made the most vivid colors, but the "kids" paints made lovely pastel - and there was plenty of it. Having plenty is a real treat for art-addicts.

History displaced

Or how we ended up in the graveyard this morning by Jeanne Adams

My sister Jenna is reading a book, fiction based on fact, about a fishing village off the coast of Maine. As she was relating the story I recognized the tale. That's how we ended up at the Webber Cemetery, in New Gloucester, Maine during a snowstorm this morning.

Headstones tell a tale of endings. One at a time, people die. Excepting tragic accidents, we die one at a time.




Nine small white headstones stand in a row shrouded with a dusting of snow under gray sky. On each only a name and date of death. On each, that date is Nov. 1912. One stone lists five children, another three. One stone is for a couple. All in all, 17 people share a death date, all in a row.

They are tucked away, at the edge of a wood, behind a bigger cemetery.

But this isn't a secret borne in New Gloucester, it's a secret borne by New Gloucester.

The graves mark the final resting place of people who were forcibly removed from their homes and committed to the Pownal School for the Feeble Minded.

In 1912, Maine's Gov. Plaisted ordered the removal of the inhabitants of Malaga Island, a mixed race community just off the coast of Phippsberg, mid-coast Maine.

Malaga was a poor fishing community, and both blacks and whites were settled there. Interracial marriage was common on the island. In 1900 there were 42 individuals on the island. The towns of Phippsburg and Harpswell refused to claim the island, neither wanting to accept responsibility for the welfare of the islanders. It was a "no-mans land" and Malaga became a ward of the state. Maine was 99% white and newspaper accounts of the day sensationalized the race issue, blaming dark skin for all sorts of ills, including idleness, poverty and immorality. A combination of events, including the rise of tourism and competition for the local fishing grounds caused the state to step in with a solution to the Malaga "problem".

The people were forcibly removed, their shanty homes destroyed. Some residents floated their shanties up and down the New Meadows River, but no community would have them.

Even the island cemetary was desecrated - all remains were placed in 5 zinc-lined coffins and buried in the New Gloucester cemetary.

In spite of grandiose plans, the island never sported a fancy hotel and in fact, has remained uninhabited to this day.

This information is all available on the web, what I need to find out now, is WHY and HOW did the 17 people from Malaga Island die so soon after arriving at Pineland? I haven't been able to find out.

The book Jenna was reading is for the progam where she mentors a younger girl. It is called "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt. It's fiction based on real events. He says that Lizzie Bright Griffin lived only 10 days after arriving at the Pownal School for the Feebleminded.


In recent years, Malaga has trickled into the media from time to time and more information pops up on the internet. The School for the Feebleminded is now a pristine and beautiful business campus with beautiful views, a YMCA, a school and arts center.

Photos by Jeanne Adams. In the top photo, are stones for residents of Pineland. The Malaga stones are centered in the first row at the top of the photo. Midddle photo: one of the stones dated Nov. 12. Here is the plaque at the cemetery;

Where Are You?

help- i can't find my friend...

i've been gone all week - you'd

think she'd at least call -

instead all i get for a response is

in the comments section of this blog

we created for the studio -gallery.

so, here i am! jeanne, i'm home!

oh - the photo is a journal i burned

one november night, with jeanne's

assistance. ever have one of those

pieces of recorded history

you just need gone?

all that remains are these

beautiful photographs

jeanne took while i

stirred the pot.

Voyages

The engagement calender purchased at half price at Borders is titled 'Voyages...' and me - I love a journey. Whatever, wherever, whenever. I find the title of my engagement calender a strange inspiration and quickly go online to check the national weather forecasts. We're in an ice storm that is scheduled to end soon, Colorado's a definite no, New York City is so last night... hmmm. Think I'll head South and take it from there.

Наилучшие пожелания для замечательной поездки к России

photo: Garth and Sean at the Russell family Christmas Dinner.

What a way to start the New Year. Sean Russell is leaving New Year's Day for a one month trip to Russia. It's a college trip, thru St. Olaf's in Minnesota, where he's a senior this year. We had an old-fashioned Christmas carol sing after Christmas dinner and Garth and Alex provided the accompaniment while Sean led the singing. He's got a beautifully trained voice, having sung professionally since he was 8 years old! We all look forward to singing along with Sean, although, he loses most of us after the first verse. Sean has the ability to recall full lyrics to songs even if he hasn't sung them for eons. This night, he sang every verse to "Good King Wenceslas (sp?)" and it was beautiful and there was a hush on the boisterous group as he sang. Sean's a special person to each of us for different reasons, and it all comes together as love when he's singing. ---Jeanne

Random Thoughts

This is a photo of Jeremy who owns the best art store around: The Art Guru in Gorham at 104 Main Street. Phone: 207-839-6138, Fax: 207-839-6028 website: www.theartguru.com

Well, its almost a new year and I'm realizing the next painting I sign will be marked 2007... Pretty wild how fast the years go by. I keep an art journal - something I started many moons ago... over time the journals have gotten bigger and less controlled, kind of like the artwork I create. My boyfriend always poses the question, will you be able to get it out of the apartment when its done? I always assure him - oh yeh, no problem... I count on the bedroom window and ropes to lower the paintings down with, but I never say that. I also tend to make my art sturdier as the time goes by - its funny watching people treating it as though it is something fragile, its so not fragile. People approach slowly - almost on tiptoe, reaching out... I usually say something to the effect of - unless you run it over with your tractor, it'll be okay... that actually happened to one of my favorite pieces but we'll tell that story another time. On Saturday - tomorrow, I will purchase several sketchbooks and new oil pastels - the big box even though I really can't afford it and take it all with me into 2007.

Are We There Yet?

Lets take a minute and reflect - first, you'll need a huge cup of coffee and a cozy place to sit, if you have a dog, you'll want the beast with you for this. Maybe do some art, play some music, stay in your jammies...

Its almost 2007 and I'm staring at a new roll of canvas - Thanks Mom.

What I really like about this roll of canvas is where it comes from - a place called 'The Art Guru' in Gorham, Maine. The owner, Jeremy, is an amazing artist and started the business a few years ago. But aside from being amazing as an artist, Jeremy has the greatest energy... so, if you're in the neighborhood stop by and tell him Dj sent you.

Pretty sure you'll walk out of there smiling...

Okay, so back to the Studio- Gallery -
we have another show coming up in March...
Thinkin' maybe the solstice? What are people doing?
Any words of wisdom, crazy art, questions, comments?