Upcoming Workshops 2015 at Khandroling Paper Cooperative

Photo by Jacqueline Gens of Khandroling Pond, 2012

Khandroling Paper Cooperative, an affiliate of the Dzogchen Community is growing. Check back with us in January 2015 for precise locations and additional workshop dates. All experience levels from rank beginner to advanced artist are welcome. We operate on a donation basis.  Recommended donations for 1 day workshops are $75 and $150-250 for two day workshops but lesser donations are welcome for those who can’t afford the recommended amount. We also provide single and group tutorials in papermaking during the Spring and Summer by donation as well. A major focus of our cooperative is to foster a relationship with Sacred Arts by using recycled sacred texts and prayer flags.  Over the next three emonths whie Jacqueline is in retreat, contact Tatiana at tas09@hampshire.edu

Upcoming Workshops in 2015

Gilding on Paper with Tatiana Shannon

In this 1-day workshop, students will acquire the skills needed to gild on a range of handmade and commercially produced types of paper, as well as various methods of altering the color of metal leaf. Using stencils and other templates, students will have the opportunity to explore the unique images that can be created with metal leaf and paper. Students are encouraged to bring existing works of art on paper that they might wish to gild. We will also have some Tibetan seed syllables to make stencils from to gild for those interested.

Tatiana Shannon, a recent graduate of Hampshire College, is a long-time member of the Khandroling Paper Cooperative and an apprentice in the Smith College Museum of Art’s Frame Conservation Apprenticeship program. Tatiana is third generation Dzogchen Community. We are honored to have her teach as a founding member of the paper cooperative.

Saturday, January 17 10:00-5:00 PM, 

Location: Shang Shung Institute 18 Schoolhouse Rd. Room TBA

***

Handmade Paper: 3D Plus Techniques of Moldmaking, Assemblage, Collage
Taught by Madeline Liebling, MA

In this workshop we will create molds for paper pulp of plaster and other materials. Then we will use our cast objects and other handmade papers to create sculptural forms and mixed media imagery. We will learn various techniques of combining materials which preserve the integrity of our handmade papers.

Saturday, March 7, 2015, 10am-5pm Location TBA

The Return of the Butterfly

Origami  one day workshop with Brenda Lilly 

Brenda taught this workshop at the 2014 International Origami Worshop in New York City. She writes: "Origami has been a personal passion of mine for over 24 years. As an art educator I began learning folds that I could teach to my students. Over time and through influences from other artists I now fold with hand made papers, a variety of simple to complex designs, and incorporate the models into a work of art. The idea of sharing my accumulated knowledge inspires me to infect other people with the magic of creating something 3-dimensional with a flat piece of paper.

Saturday, January 31, 10-5:00 PM Location TBA

***
Workshops in Development

Workshops taught by  New Faculty Yangjor Tsering and  Daria Juels
Dates and locations TBA in January 2015

Make it New: Preparing for Losar (Tibetan New Year) making Chang from our own Khandroling hops; Tsampa from roasted barley – the mainsay of the Tibetan diet; and lungta—silk screened prayer flags on paper or cloth.

Tibetan Drawing I: The Eight Auspicious Symbols (2 week-ends). (Winter)

Tibetan Drawing II: The Elements.We will learn to create our own variations of the four elements finding inspiration from the classical Tibetan motifs of the natural world-- clouds, flames, waterfalls and mountains. We will incorporate these designs into the papermaking process as watermarks and pulp painting or for silk screening. (Spring)

Tibetan Cloud by Tashi Mannox

Thoughts come and go like passing clouds, some large and dark, some small and fluffy, but none of them solid and all of them drifting in emptiness.
Such is the limitless variation and activity of the mind.

Yangjor (whose Buddhist name is Lama Changchub Dorje) was born in the high mountain region of Mugu in Northern Nepal near the Tibetan border in a small village.  His family were farmers and he Yangjor spent his early years in the mountains as a shepherd.  Yangjor was sent by his family to learn the Tibetan script at the age of 13. At the age of 17 he met and received teachings from Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche one of his root Lamas.  Yangjor moved to Kathmandu at the age of 20 to live in Samye Memorial Gonpa and study the Buddha’s teachings and the ritual sadhana arts.  After some years of study Yangjor entered the traditional three-year retreat.  After completing two consecutive three-year retreat he became a lay yogi and met his wife Dara.  He came to the United States two and a half years ago and is delighted with the people and life in the Pioneer Valley so far.

Photo by Jacqueline Gens, Daria showing us her Tibetan letters

Daria Juels became interested in Buddhism as a teenager and after taking a college course in Buddhism began to study Zen meditation. She lived in a Zen Buddhist community for a few years while attending art school.  She met her Teacher, a Tibetan Nyingma Lama, ten years ago and became interested in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition as well as the Tibetan language. Studying scriptural Tibetan with Heidi Nevin, a well-known translator, she developed her knowledge of the written language. Wishing to become fluent in the spoken language Dara travelled to Nepal five years ago where she lived for almost two and a half years studying both language and meditation practices with various teachers in the Nyingma Lineage. When she returned to the United States she furthered her studies at a translator program at Rangjung Yeshe Gomde in Northern California. Dara began doing both written translation of dharma practices and teachings for buddhist teachers as well as oral translation for her husband.  She has a passion for both Tibetan language and translating the vast wealth of wisdom within the spiritual tradition into English.  Her wish is participate in assuring that the blessings of the path are carried into the Western languages.Dara Juels

  

Workshops with Sheryl Jaffe-

Sheryl is our master papermaker having studied techniques all over the world. Attending a workshop with Sheryl is always a joyful experience. To read more about her work, visit her website Sheryl Jaffe Paper Art at : http://sheryljaffe.com/index.html

Transforming Paper into Cloth with Sheryl Jaffe Japanese method . Below is the nifty computer case made with recycled bubble wrap and persimmion dyed paper transformed into cloth.

The Long Scroll--- (Summer) with Sheryl Jaffe our master teacher, has traveled the world and worked with may different cultures in the art of papermaking. Using her own handmade Nepalese mould and our 3’ x 7” giant silk screen mould we will make large sheets of paper for printmaking, collage, cut-out, calligraphy. We will learn how to make our own moulds as well as simple vat to float it in. 

our 7 foot silk screen mould

Our Nepalese style scroll

4^th Annual Khandroling Summer Gathering

As artists, yogins, paper-crazy crafters we will explore all aspects of papermaking from locating, harvesting and cooking fibers; recycling and beating sacred texts/prayer flags, cotton rags, and fibers to make beautiful paper. Founded in the winter of 2012, our first walkabout on Khandroling took place in August 2012. Each year we have returned to the land-- the source of our inspiration. With KPC members Sheryl Jaffe (Master papermaker), Brenda Lilly (Origamist), Tatianna Shannon (Artist, bookmaker, and conservator), Madeline Leibling (mixed media and art therapist, Jacqueline Gens (poet and founder fo KPC) among others. Cost is by donation. All levels and ages invited including kids. TBA sometime in August 2015 at Lower Khandroling Farm or Upper Khandroling next to the pond. 

Demonstrations will be added 2015

Event locations TBA early in 2015.

Paper Gallery: Paul Lewis

The image with string and paper was done by pressing pulp onto it in the deep deckle box. It is not attached to the knot-weed under it.  It is thick and I will probably display it with an easel back or some kind of holder at the bottom.  The other image that I modified is with the embedded day lily and rose petals.  I used water color pencils and a bronze pencil to embellish the bleed and embedded  images.  I view it rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise.  The other two images are pretty straight forward for what they are.    Also, included here is piece with  embedded cigar shards and pencil fragments, mounted to a cotton/linen sheet.  Learned something here, so all the best to you and look forward to the  chance to make paper with  your group in the future.   --  Paul Lewis

Paul Lewis is a Holyoke printmaker who attended our August 2014 Khandroling Fiber to Fiber workshop

Tashi Mannox to Teach Tibetan Calligraphy in Italy

Tashi will be teaching both the Umed and Uchen Tibetan scripts in Italy in November. We are crossing our fingers  he can return to the US.

You can see the Umed (headless) cursive script on the second row --a rare opportunity to learn from a master the correct portions. 

http://www.shangshunginstitute.org/index.php/en/arts-and-crafts/calligraphy#venice

A Perfect Day in a Perfect Place: Revisiting our 3rd Annual Fiber to Fiber Workshop at Lower Khandroling Farm

Last weekend  we completed our third annual Papermaking event on Khandroling with Sheryl Jaffe and members joined by a few talented local  artists. Slowly our circle is widening. Beginning with our first WALKABOUT (See slide show) in the summer of 2012 on the land identifying plants for optimal papermaking, each year we return to our original inspiration—the land of the dakinis for sustenance and community.

.

[Rhoda, Madeline and Paul dive in]

Set up was easy with our new Ez-Up tent and the screen tent Nary Mitchell, farm manager, set up for us. 

[Sheryl showing us her collection of hand-made papers for inspiration]

[Dara, a Tibetan translator, showing us the Tibetan Alphabet]

[Sheryl and Brenda adding cooked Knotweed to the Critter--a tough beat. In the end out came the blender to breakdown the fibers further].

[Sheryl’s exquisite selection of handmade paper using natural fibers]

RECENT NEWS

DZAMLING GAR  contacted us about participating in an international portfolio of interesting Dzogchen Community projects to present to their  local government in Spain. Dzamling Gar is the seat of the Internatlonal Dzogchen Communtiy founded by Choegyal Namkhai Norbu. We are proud to be a part of the Dzogchen Community which you can read about here although it is not necessary to be a part of it or even interested to participate in our programs.

Here is what we wrote:

Khandroling Paper Cooperative was founded in 2012 at Tsegyalgar East as a community activity endorsed by Choegyal Namkhai Norbu who said: “The project you are proposing seems very interesting. I think it will be successful and become very useful for all our Dzogchen Community.” 

The Paper Cooperative routinely gives demonstrations and workshops throughout our region partnering with a variety of organizations. Members of the cooperative participate according to their interests and skills including a program that recycles sacred texts.   Historically speaking buddhist teachings and handmade paper traveled together from the 2nd century until today.  We are a part of that tradition.  For further information past and present visit:http://www.khandrolingpapers.blogspot.com

As Sheryl pointed out, it’s an awesome realization that the oldest dated document on paper is the Buddhist text, The Diamond Sutra found at Dunhuang. To read more: 

***

We are now officially signed up for our third Swatch Book. Jacqueline will make the pulp for our third year in a row. The swatch books are an international book of sample papers made by papermakers which include their recipes. To visit our 2012 book, click here or for our 2013 book, click here. In both instances, she  made the pulp on the Khandroling land itself –once in retreat where she had beat the kozo outside Rinpoche’s cabin in the rain.

***

During the retreat with Choegyal Namkhai Norbu July 16-20, 2014 at the Mohawk School, Sheryl gave a marvelous demonstration and  presented Rinpoche with the beautful festschrift album made by her husband Walter using fibers from every continent he visited.

Photo by Jacqueiine Gens of Choegyal Namkhai Norbu and Sheryl Jaffe

The several workshops are in development for 2015.Ful descriptions and details will be available early in 2015.  As an homage to our Tibetan inspired roots, this year we will emphasize aspects of the culture in relation to paper.  Dates and details will be announced in early January. As ever, we operate by donations so don’t stay away because of a lack of funds. 

We also appreciate donations to sponsor guest faculty workshops like Tashi Mannox who taught us Tibetan Calligraphy in April 2014.

Demonstration at the Mohawk School during Choegyal Namkhai Norbu’s Retreat

On July 18, 2014, we held our papermaking demonstration for Dzogchen Community memrbers in the Mohawk School cafeteria. A small handful of interested people (Diana, Jan, Francine, Thuy, and Rita) showed up and quickly were immersed in the process under the guidance of Sheryl Jaffee, our main teacher. Later, another group materialized following Jim’s explanation of the Ganapuja. 

Sheryl explaining the ropes to a small group

Beating the Kozo by hand

Making that first piece of paper

The first piece--perfect!

The ladies together pressing the water from the sheets of paper they created

A passer-by more interested in making music with our corn paper tambourine

The finished results dryng:  horsetail and kozo paper, some with Tibetan cloud motifs.

On the final day, Sheryl presented Rinpoche with the beautiful album she and her husband Walter made for our Festschrift project. 

Here are some close ups of the festschrift:

[FRONT]

[BACK]

Jennifer’s Story So to Speak

On Monday of this week Jennifer Storey stopped by to make pulp for a special project she is working on. She brought some of her own linen cut up into small postage size as well as many secret symbols prepared on paper that she cut up to put into the pulp. That’s one of our specialities -- adding sacred text and substances to our hand crafted papers. 

Jennifer teaches Reiki locally here in Turners Falls but she is also part of the Shang Shung Institute’s online Four-year Tibetan medicine program and along with me,  Lama Tsultrim Allione’s Magyu lineage. She had just returned from  a week out at Tara Mandala where she studied with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo and Lama Tsultrim.  

I was happy to work with her on this special project. After she left for the day, I tested some of her pulp and came up with very good results. So more to come when we actually make the paper next Sunday or Monday and reveal details about her special project. Here her five year old lending a helping hand. 

Our Demo at the Greenfield Industrial Heritage Museum

We had a great day at the Greenfield Industrial Heritage Museum as part of their exhibit, From Rags to Riches: History of Franklin County’s Paper Industry. 

Thanks to my helpers, Don and his wife Sara, my Turner Fall’s neighbors, we were able to bring the “Critter” AKA portable Hollander Beater (in the background) and give an actual demonstration of turning rags into pulp to make paper. 

Here’s Sara cutting up the linen into small pieces the size of a postage stamp to put into the Critter. I picked up the linen table cloth--a really nice old jaquard weave and very large from the local Salvation Army. 

Wonderful music by the Celtic trio Mist Covered Mountain with an informed Franco-Anglo history of music among the many French Canadians who travelled south to work in New England. 

Brenda Lilly Reporting from the 2014 Origami Conference

Brenda Lilly, a founding member of the cooperative,  is one of our main instructors in papermaking and paper arts, especially Origami. She recently returned from the 2014 Origami Conference in NYC.

[Brenda Lilly in front of one of her pieces at our Khandroling show at Ursa Major Gallery in Shelburne Falls, MA last year]

She writes: "Origami has been a personal passion of mine for over 24 years. As an art educator I began learning folds that I could teach to my students. Over time and through influences from other artists I now fold with hand made papers, a variety of simple to complex designs, and incorporate the models into a work of art. The idea of sharing my accumulated knowledge inspires me to infect other people with the magic of creating something 3-dimensional with a flat piece of paper.

The Origami Convention in New York City through the Origami USA organization was well attended with over 500 origami enthusiasts. I participated in their exhibition with four new pieces, taught a class of 25 how to fold the Spinner Top, participated in a group in the Oversized Folding Contest, and engaged in many classes to create new models. Check out their website for further inspiration: http://origamiusa.org/"

Part 2 of 2 Making Sacred Calligraphy Paper for Tara Mandala

Yesterday i ‘fired' up the Critter to make a special pulp combining cooked Kozo, Ping Tang, and linen which I beat for several hours. To the Critter,  earlier I had added many sacred texts and katas (scarves) blessed by great Tibetan masters such as HHDL, Dilgo Khyentse and Choegyal Namkhai Norbu.  Later a long list of sacred substances and blessed water was added to the vat of finished pulp. I also beat some pieces of a scarf worn by the late poet, Allen Ginsberg in the last months of his life since Lama Tsultrim, founder of Tara Mandala was once Allen’s meditation instructor. 

Thunder and Lightening shook us knee deep in water as the rain deluged all around us. I had to keep reminding myself that in some quarters rain is a blessed and auspicious occurance. Then I remembered among my favorite poets Simon Ortiz from the old Naropa days, here reading from Going for the Rain on the Poetry Foundation page, one of his first books.

[Sheryl pouring the finely beaten pulp into the vat]

[Preparing the vat]

[Delicately adding the ground sacred substances sent to us by Lama Tsultrim]

 [Sheryl using my favorite handmade mould for calligraphy--perfect size for horizontal mantras or vertically for single seed syllables. Behind her is the couching table]

After using the horizontal mould Sheryl made a few more pieces of the sacred paper using her large Japanese Sugata mould. Currently all are in her drying box now in Ludlow where I will pick up and hand deliver to Lama Tsultrim briefly in town next week. 

Khandroling Paper Cooperative to Participate in The Rags to Riches Exhibit Celebrating Franklin County’s Paper Industry, July 6, 2014

We will demonstrate our papermaking process at the Rags to Riches: Franklin County’s Paper Industry at Greenfield’s Industrial Museum. Join us for lots of old time music and fun on the Green River

The Critter will be there  to demonstrate the magical transformation of turning rags into pulp for making paper. We will also have our long scroll for you to leave your mark with our handmade Dragon’s Song Black Walnut Ink we made last fall. 

[Bret Bourman our first critter fiber beating October 2012]

[Our first large scroll made summer 2013]

Come make some paper that you can take home with you. Khandroling Paper Cooperative is closely associated with the Dzogchen Community, founded by Tibetan Teacher Choegyal Namkhai Norbu. We specialize in recycling sacred texts and finding recycling solutions for analog tapes. Our papers can be used for sacred calligraphy practice. Our instructors, Sheryl Jaffee (master papermaker/artist) and Brenda Lee (Origami) and Madeline Leibling (Art Therapist) share their skills with us several times a year making a variety of fantastic papers for multiple uses in bookmaking, masks/sculptures, wallets, wall hangings, scrolls, embossed etc.

[Brenda at the Hadley Asparagus Festival]

 

[Sheryl’s joyful exuberance for all things paper is infectious. She is probably saying “perfect” to this young woman’s first piece of handmade paper]

Join us for our Second Annual Workshop on Lower Khandroling Farm
Fiber to Fiber Holding Together

August 9 & 10, 2014

10:00 AM-5:00 PM

See sidebar for further details and slide show of last year’s workshop.