When looking at classes for sophomore registration, this class was the last thing I expected to sign up for. I saw it on the Art course list my freshman year and immediately scrolled past it. This class served as an eye opener for me because I did not associate something like Papermaking to be a college-level class, much less a major. Taking the course, however, changed that perspective. I did not accommodate for the level of precision and time consumption this class required and it surprised me how many little details went into the process of making paper. I’m glad that I did not scroll past the course the second time I looked at classes because I ended up really enjoying the class and receiving a new appreciation for this branch of art. Paper casting, making paper pulp, and constructing paper watermarks were a few techniques I learned that I had no idea existed. One thing I did not admire was the amount of water demanded to make paper sheets and how much ended up going down the drain. The sheets are made from pulp and water mixed together and everything has to be soaked with water before pressed, then removed of moisture and dried out. I think there should be a way to reuse all the this water again and again so that the environmental impact can be improved. Other than that I really liked this class, to my surprise.

My artifact is a Christmas card and envelope that I made in November for the Holiday Card Sale at the Longwood Center for Visual Arts. I sold quite a few cards and it was the first artwork I have ever sold.