MCBA

I miss MCBA. Minnesota Center for Book Arts was practically my home for the months between fall 07 and summer 08 and true to my prediction I'm rather lost with out it. There is no paper studio here. No 100 year old presses for that matter, and no dungeon-like atmosphere. We are lacking an the old, crumbling stone area, all ceramic tiles up here. All this weekend I had this urge to make some paper, just to go through the process. Lame, I know, but I really do miss the ability to just go DO it.


I remember the first By Design show I got to be a part of. We all got to make medium sized projects because there were no Advanced students. Well, all of us finished our projects the day of the opening. We were all in the basement going crazy, freaking out, telling ridiculous jokes and trying to keep Molly from crying. Aubree and Will talked about giving their little speeches through interpretive dance and I was taking deep soothing breaths to avoid hyperventilating before my talk about Coptic binding. Hailey was pretending to put crayons up her nose.
Perhaps my favorite memories of MCBA and By Design come from my first advanced session with my mentor Sarah. Sarah taught me the joys of paper making and extremely random art conversations. Like how one of her paper castings reminded her of a 2 headed cartoon sheep.
I learned how to pull a plastic garbage bag out of (insert special name) box like a bull fighter.

I learned that hydraulic pumps are REALLY annoying when you have to make it go down about a foot and its moving down a centimeter per pump.
I learned that the dryer is very popular, and everyone fights to be its friend.

I learned how to use this monstrosity of a beater. I actually had to go in with giant tweezers to clean out my fiber because it had gotten wrapped around the wheel. GOOD TIMES. I also miss the loud and scary 'buh thup' s it makes.oh, and the brown foam... just thought everyone should she it.

And FINALLY I actually do miss the smell of cooking flax. I guess its just something that grows on you... Sarah always said it smelled like wet grass.

My last session with By Design doesn't need to be discussed. My mentor was scary... but my project was pretty cool. Yay 12 ft. long scroll book! I seem to have lost my train of thought...