Colors Bring Joy

All done! Headed to a beautiful home.

Colors Bring Joy, 20"X20," Handmade paper, 2020

Made with Cotton & Abaca fibers

If you are interested in the artwork, contact me on latagedala@mac.com

Sprout, 33"X6"

The structure of the book references germination in a seed. Each sheet in the book represents a leaf that grows gradually from small to large, illustrating beginning of a new growth in a plant. The paper used is made from Abaca which is colored using natural dyes such as weld, marigold, buckthorn, osage and Indigo. The cover of the book references a seed which is a metaphor for life and renewal.

Handmade paper made with Abaca (banana plant), that have been hand-dyed with Weld, Osage, Indigo, Marigold, Buckthorn. The cover is made with Japanese Gampi bark dyed with Kakishibu (Persimmon dye)

It was exhibited at The University of Arts, Philadelphia, PA ; Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, Hyattsville, MD and currently on exhibit at Robert C. William Paper Museum, Atlanta, GA,

In the studio...

Life in the studio has been extremely productive. I have been working on several projects concurrently plus getting the eastern fibers ready. A lot of cooking, cleaning & pounding/beating. Oh well! All for good. Planning to start a community project with my children.

Fibers- Kozo, Gampi, Mitsumata

Mini Print

I enjoy working on tiny etching plates. But getting all the detail on a small surface can be challenging and time consuming. I like the fact that it forces the viewer to pause/slow down in order to appreciate the details. I find this to be a great remedy for our fast paced lives. Mini print on gold.

Etching, 2"X2"

Wet Sheet

A freshly couched sheet has a beautiful texture. Once it is pressed and all the excess water is removed, you get a perfect flat sheet with smooth texture. Which is then restraint dried in order to maintain its flatness.

Pick your favorite color…

Autopilot!

My way of taking a short break from projects? 

Making sheets. It’s the repetitive action that makes it a relaxing experience and I am on autopilot. What is your’s?

Coloring Pulp

Mixing colors is a fun activity. I can never get tired of it. This morning I colored the pulp to get started on a commission piece. Working on a new project is always exciting. The feeling never gets old.

Shiny Flax

The beauty of flax paper can only be experienced through touch. I strongly believe that photographs can never do justice to the qualities of handmade paper. Translucency, weight, smell, strength, sound and color are just a few attributes that I experience when I hold a sheet of handmade paper.

These pulp paintings are made with flax fiber which is dyed with brilliant gold and golden bronze luster pigments.

Dancing Threads!

Tried making Kami-ito (Kami means ‘paper’ and ito means ‘strip’) but was unsuccessful. So decided to incorporate the imperfect threads into a perfect sheet. I am actually enjoying these dancing threads.

Fiber used: Kozo

Embedding In Abaca

Beauty of abaca lies in its translucent quality. It can look delicate or rough based on how it’s treated/used. Either way, it results in a paper that is very strong. Air dried abaca has a leathery texture to it. It works great for sculptures and book covers. 

These works were made with bleached and unbleached abaca beaten for 4hrs in the hollander beater and later air dried. The longer the fiber is beaten the higher the shrinkage. Abaca works great for embedding materials such as thread, wires, beads, etc between the sheets. It lets the embedded materials shine through without masking the details.

Etching On Handmade Paper

Printing etchings on a handmade paper can be tricky. Due to its textured surface it is difficult to transfer all the intricate details from the plate. Having said that, I am pleased with how this print has turned out on Kenaf/cotton paper that I made.

Thanks to the people who support art and artists. This print is now on its way to a beautiful home!

Etching, 5”X6” Image on 11”X14” Handmade paper

It's about process, not product!

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If you are like me who is very detail oriented, methodical and plans everything ahead of time, then you can relate to this sentiment of mine-

Once in a while working with no planning or agenda is all it takes to unwind. This work is a result of that. I had some leftover abaca pulp staring at me so instead of just forming sheets I decided to play with it a little bit. The lines were created using a thread that was dipped in the vat. When the pulp is collected on the thread I placed it on the felt and gently pulled the thread away.

I am happy with how it turned out because this one is for process, not product.