Using paper pulp and not paper mache for the first time for longevity

*Can someone who uses it confirm that this is the right way?*

**The Archival Paper Clay Recipe**

**1 Part Prepared Cotton Pulp:**
Buy 100% cotton linter sheet pulp.

Tear it into small squares, soak it in hot water for a few hours, and blend it in a standard kitchen blender with plenty of water until it looks like oatmeal.

Strain the water out using a fine mesh strainer or colander, squeezing it until it is damp but not dripping wet.

**1 Part Archival Binder Mix:**

Mix pure methyl cellulose powder with water according to its packaging until it forms a thick, clear gel. For hand-building structural strength, mix this gel **50/50** with an archival, pH-neutral PVA glue.

**1 Tablespoon Calcium Carbonate (per cup of pulp):**

Add chalk powder to act as your alkaline buffer against future acid damage.

**To mix:** Knead the damp cotton pulp together with your binder mix and calcium carbonate until it reaches a smooth, clay-like consistency. If it is too sticky, squeeze more water out of your raw pulp; if it crumbles, add a touch more binder.

**Rules for Archival Hand-Building**

**Seal the Armature Thoroughly:** Because wet cotton pulp holds water like a sponge and dries very slowly, any hidden iron or steel wire *will* rust and bleed through your white paper. Use aluminum wire or plastic-coated mesh. If you must use wood or cardboard for bulk filler inside, coat it completely in a waterproof acrylic sealer before applying pulp.

**Build in Thin Layers:** Do not pack the pulp on thickly all at once. Build your sculpture in layers about **1/4-inch (approx. 6 mm) thick**. Let each layer dry completely before adding the next. This prevents the core of your sculpture from trapping moisture and creating a breeding ground for mold.

**Score Between Layers:** Damp cotton pulp does not easily stick to dried cotton pulp. When adding a new layer to a dry section, lightly scratch (score) the dry surface with a tool and moisten it with a little bit of your pure liquid binder to help the layers fuse.

Using paper pulp and not paper mache for the first time for longevity

Can someone who uses it confirm that this is the right way?

The Archival Paper Clay Recipe

1 Part Prepared Cotton Pulp:
Buy 100% cotton linter sheet pulp.

Tear it into small squares, soak it in hot water for a few hours, and blend it in a standard kitchen blender with plenty of water until it looks like oatmeal.

Strain the water out using a fine mesh strainer or colander, squeezing it until it is damp but not dripping wet.

1 Part Archival Binder Mix:

Mix pure methyl cellulose powder with water according to its packaging until it forms a thick, clear gel. For hand-building structural strength, mix this gel 50/50 with an archival, pH-neutral PVA glue.

1 Tablespoon Calcium Carbonate (per cup of pulp):

Add chalk powder to act as your alkaline buffer against future acid damage.

To mix: Knead the damp cotton pulp together with your binder mix and calcium carbonate until it reaches a smooth, clay-like consistency. If it is too sticky, squeeze more water out of your raw pulp; if it crumbles, add a touch more binder.

Rules for Archival Hand-Building

Seal the Armature Thoroughly: Because wet cotton pulp holds water like a sponge and dries very slowly, any hidden iron or steel wire will rust and bleed through your white paper. Use aluminum wire or plastic-coated mesh. If you must use wood or cardboard for bulk filler inside, coat it completely in a waterproof acrylic sealer before applying pulp.

Build in Thin Layers: Do not pack the pulp on thickly all at once. Build your sculpture in layers about 1/4-inch (approx. 6 mm) thick. Let each layer dry completely before adding the next. This prevents the core of your sculpture from trapping moisture and creating a breeding ground for mold.

Score Between Layers: Damp cotton pulp does not easily stick to dried cotton pulp. When adding a new layer to a dry section, lightly scratch (score) the dry surface with a tool and moisten it with a little bit of your pure liquid binder to help the layers fuse.

I didn’t want to tell people

Literally I have just been withholding that information. Oh I don’t want to tell them too soon. Questioning my reality despite what medical professionals are telling me.

There have just been too many times that I thought I was good (and by good I mean still mildly depressed) and not just “good enough / coping”…. Told people, we got our hopes up— then having to do the shitty backpedal of “actually I was hypo”, everybody disappointed and frustrated; my mom like “you seemed really great this time”….. and at the end trying to scramble up hope out of nothing again, that cycle endlessly.

AND

I have one friend I told bc they asked (they have a BP friend) how I was feeling

I talked about how I feel I have been euthymic for about 1.5 Mo, my psych agreed I may be. No passive SI for the first time since I was a young teen , steadily and in a slow logical way working towards a lifelong dream, having fucking moments of enjoyment in my day?? Not dissociating, sleeping well, eating, using my coping skills without enormous effort.

Should be good news right??

No I was asked if I’m definitely not hypo.

I know the intention was care and concern. They are a compassionate friend

But LIKE

I told you I’m coordinating w my care team, on a med I have been steadily monitoring my mood on. I am exhibiting so few episodic behaviors (the small ones that do linger I think are largely my adhd and ptsd…..some even just, I really think, not being used to not being depressed)

Anyway that was fucking heartbreaking. Ive been absolutely horribly depressed since I was around 13. So almost two decades

Try every goddamn med under the sun, we talk about ECT and finally!

And I don’t even want to tell my mom after that convo.

--a novel but it's optimistic so maybe give a skim--

so about a month and a half ago, I started Abilify for the second time.

I had tried it before and stopped after about a week, bc it made me really irritable at first. But we were honestly running out of things to try. I have tried so many meds and treatments at this point that ECT started coming up.

So kind of on a whim, I asked my psych if it made sense to give Abilify another chance. She agreed a week is obviously not much of a trial and we decided why not.

At the beginning, I did feel irritable again, but otherwise I felt… better? My psych and I decided to give it a fair shot, so I stayed with it. The irritability passed, aside from my usual ADHD irritability when my stims wear off.

Anyway, today I was thinking about the last week or two, and actually cried from relief for a moment .

example: a lifelong dream of mine is to write a book. Usually I would start writing when I was hypomanic, get really excited and write a ton, and then abandon it once depression came back.

But lately I have been making actual steady progress on a project, that has gotten me into such a creative place again. Realistic and tangible progress— not frantic, not chaotic. Slowly building something. And I think it might actually have potential?

That feels very big to me, like such a good sign.

I did check in with my psych about whether the increase in energy could be hypomania. Turns out people who are not in nonstop depression sometimes just… have energy? We went through DIGFAST, and I was not hypomanic.

At the end of the appointment she said, “You seem good. You had a wide range of facial expression.” I have been anhedonic for sooooo long that I really think it changed my face. Hearing that was actually so validating and comforting
.
Like some part of me is coming back "online" … if were using some trauma language

I never thought this would happen for me. I have been considered treatment resistant for a long time. I have spent years trying things, stopping things, starting over, hoping too much, trying not to hope too much.

Recently, I went out with a friend and actually had fun. I don't think Ive been able to say that about a normal day out in a very long time—not since hypo, or when i was drinking.

I went for a walk and felt content. Not energized in a scary way, not slowed down, not miserable. Just… fine.

There is this huge weight that feels lighter.

This is both a joke and not a joke, and that's an idea that comes into play for me often-- because in BP we live with that kind of friction / duality and It permeates so much. But one thing (that again kind of joking but not) helped me sometimes has been reminiscing about that old school-library poster of the cat hanging onto the rope that says, “Hang in there.” ( I am definitely aging myself.)

But truly: hang in there.

Hi all,

I am writing a children’s book that features sculpture and painted backdrops. Think like a “set” but more painterly.

I am wondering what price range I might pay to have a student take photos (multiple and a few different angles) of all scenes and then photoshop them.

There will likely be 20 scenes. It involves me changing out the props basically, and draping a different fabric for a new backdrop. There’s no posing etc

Post production would really just be making the photos look “good” enough to send to an agent and adding simple text as a mock-up

I hope this isn’t another accidentally hypo post where I speak too soon buuuuuuut

I think abilify is really working for me? (Sleep is good, good not hypo sign for me)— I feel like? Alive? Not anhedonic? Creativity is back, feel lighter

Some weight off my chest

I’m thinking around the size of a mousepad.

Asking first before making one bc they take a loooong time

ETA— 3 samples in replies, 2 diff videos bc this uploading process confused me lol

—When I decided I was going to “reinvent macaroni art” to be contemporary fine art worthy of a gallery (yay grandiosity!) But also what a CHOICE. I still think it has some promise lol

—Taking pictures of my “bedroom depression garbage bags” (relatable? I hope?) and cropping them to look kind of like a Georgia O’Keefe photo, like a garbage bag flower

—turning my worn out -sad girl sweatpants- into a rug

-Making myself a trophy out of kiddy art materials for “doing a good job”— at what? Idk, existing probably

With similar energy to those listed below / heavy on conceptual and artistry, less language driven. Books that could be displayed in the Eric Carle children’s art museum (which if you haven’t gone, I HIGHLY highly highly suggest it)

-Little Blue and little yellow (other favorite)
-Pezzetino (favorite of this bunch)
-Another
-The Snowy Day
-I really like the gestures in “Niko Draws a feeling”
-Maria Kalman
-Leaf Man
-Tar Beach (the use of fiber)
-Eric Carle’s stand-alone art, such as his giant paintings with mops
-Oh I also LOVE little witch Hazel, though I know it’s a bit of an outlier here. And millions of cats, which is out of print

I love anything mixed media, gestural, painterly, bold! Something that incorporates artistic photography Q could be cool too!

Thank you!!! (Reggio teacher looking for more books appropriate for art provocations, especially mixed media and sculpture)

Excuse any typos— my phone is being very wonky.

Hi!

I have almost 10 yrs experience 18mo-5, but have my first in person interview for an infant position soon. I’m really excited for this chapter, but want to feel prepared as it will be my first demo w this age group.

That said, I have a few questions for hopefully current / former infant teachers or admin.

-What sort of learning experience would be ideal? I was thinking of a simple provocation of sensory touch and feel items inside of baby wipe flaps, building on the open / close idea with songs like open shut them and a lift the flap book (following the babies and their interests / attention ofc— I don’t expect to necessarily get through all of that and will improvise as I go as needed)

-What is most important in the interview? I am planning to emphasize attachment and attunement, relationships w the children and families, team partnership, emotional responsiveness, play and exploration, routine and rhythm, DAP etc. I have a lot of theoretical knowledge of infancy, and ofc have spent time w infants outside of a classroom, but want to make clear that this transition makes sense to the the hiring committee

Thank you!

It’s free on Tubi! Plein air painting competition w both pro and beginner painters, of all styles. Very cool! There’s also a live portrait one

ETA- many mediums welcome just not digital or sculpture— collage, printmaking, drawing, painting, mixed media

Title says it all basically— I was born without depth perception, so my work tends to be quite abstract (usually painting or fiber arts).

I would like to do more landscape paintings (still incorporating abstraction but less so)….. but I wonder if it is possible to get my drawings less “flat” given that I do essentially see in 2D.

A drawing instructor basically told me once that it would be extremely difficult to draw realistically because of this— though I wonder about this if you follow the advice to just draw what you see and not what you think you see.

I realize this is a pretty niche topic so no worries if you can’t advise!

Thank you!