Process of a New Sculptural Work by Catherine Nash
Sky Nest was created by casting handbeaten Oriental bark pulps into a cloth covered armature, a sculptural technique that combines traditional Japanese and Nepalese papermaking into contemporary form.
To create the mold, lashed branches, wood or basketry reeding serve as a skeletal structure over which muslin cloth is sewn. Thin layers of pulp are cast into the mold until the surface is evenly covered. When dry, the cloth is removed to reveal the strong and resilient paper form with the armature embedded into the fibers. (Technique developed by Winifred Lutz~)
In the hands of artist Catherine Nash, the sculptural paper then becomes a unique absorbent substrate for encaustic painting. Different elements are combined to create thought provoking dreamlike works. Nash says, "Poetic assemblage [the act of juxtaposing antique, vintage and found-objects with color and drawing] offers me a very different window through which to explore deep experiences of nature and the metaphysics of place and memory."
