Making Paper From Grass... and Printing On It
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- Опубликовано: 16 фев 2022
- My name is Cory and I am a small town artist making environmental and ecological inspired artwork. In this video I document and talk about the ideas behind my latest artwork titled Grass Is Growing Under Our Feet.
In this video I make paper out of wild green grass that springs up yearly in my town. The paper then becomes the surface for digital printmaking in which I print photographs of the grass itself onto the paper.
Papermaking from plants was a fun process and learning experience for me. The piece itself is a bit of a conceptual one and hopefully makes you scratch your head. If you're watching this you get to see the grass three ways simultaneously - as photograph, paper, and video on your phone, computer, etc.!
You can view Grass Is Growing Under Our Feet with extra images and close-ups on its portfolio page here: www.corymorrisonart.com/grass...
Thanks!
For me this is the very best part of what RUclips has to offer. Wonderful presentation of self exploration and expression. I was with you all the way an d look forward to seeing more from you.
Just wanted to say I agree 100%. This is the "real" RUclips, people generating content to share ideas and as self expression, not just a cash cow to farm views.
@@chriss4835yes i fully agree with the both of you, RUclips is really making a huge mistake by pandering to big
Media corporations. It will make them rich maybe but will destroy the platform, already is doing that. Absolute shame.
May i try your project @Cory Morrison
Honestly I agree, people that sculpt or make things by hand too! North of the border is one of my favorites
@@SuccuiI like Bobby Duke Arts. I really like learning the process more than anything.
I can see the future. The paper ages into a beautiful light beige color. Just like grass.✨ Great job man!
Ooh! That sounds interesting. I hope there will be a follow up video.
That would be interesting if that happened. Though some pressed leaves from years ago are still green. It may be that an active biological process removes the chlorophyll. In that case it'll stay a representation of the past for years to come.
Highly doubt this is the future, the paper industry already is the biggest tree replanter, they plant more trees than they cut down and they're also able to recycle. Another thing to mention is that you won't be able to produce every kind of paper there is, the fibres find in plants and trees are all completely different, especially if we look at it under a microscope, some are long, some are shorter but wider, some have holes in them, ect ect ect. I work at a paperplant and we only use 100% recycled paper, so if you have any questions let me know. :)
@@wolfifly5944 Dude, that's not what he meant
@@wolfifly5944 you clearly did not understand what was being said here
I used to work at a pulp mill and we used a blender that had straight, dull blades as to not cut the fibers. If you want to retain fiber length (which affects the quality of the paper), this should be taken into consideration. Really cool project by the way :)
would grinding with a pestle and mortar produce a similar effect?
What is the point of blending if not to cut?? Are you just mixing it?
@@chaotickreg7024 maybe separating the grass into long individual fibers instead of cutting them all into short pieces?
@@chaotickreg7024 in the pulp mill I worked at, the fiber sizes were all consistent and I worked in the testing department. So we didn't want to cut them because that would mess up the result. They may be cut or milled down in the process before it would get to me, idk. But I don't think it's that bad to use a blender if you're doing it for yourself at home. You can also carefully control fiber length by cutting them by hand. Ideas to play with.
@@scottm2553 Hey, worker at a paperfactory here. :) We produce all sorts of paper (magazine paper, filler paper and even cardboard) and make our own Pulp out of recycled paper. Depending on what we're supposed to produce we use refiners that also cut open the fibres, generally the main goal of this is just to open the fibres up but some are shorten as a result ofc. Generally you can expect some of the fibres to be cut if you also have to use deflaker.
As a paper artist and photographer....THIS is awesome and I love that you printed photos of grass on the grass paper. And it looks amazing in the frame. Great job!
Thanks, that means a lot coming from another artist! I actually almost called the piece Grass On Grass!
Can u tell, is it okay to use arrowroot powder instead of okra?
Homies's making children's potions into a refined and sophisticated process
😅
Washi paper is made with fibers that have been beaten but not chopped into fine pulp, unlike Western paper which is made with finely chopped fibers. This would be really interesting to see how different methods produce different results with the same material. The grass looked so cool when it was beaten! Thank you for sharing you process and results! 💚
Washi paper is incredibly beautiful! Now I’m thinking about experimenting with different techniques for making grass paper. Thanks for your comment!
Person that works in a western paper factory that creates its own pulp here, we don't finely chop up the fibres, only if we need to create paper with specific capabilities. In the company I work in we use recycled paper, so we first turn the paper into pulp and then start sorting the trash out of it (plastic, foils, pebbles ect.). We then bleach it to make sure we got all of the printer colour out of it. However what happens after that is that we sort the fibres themselves, theres long and short fibres which are held seperately. When we put the pulpmixture onto our sieves we, depending on what our buyer wants, we then use 60% long fibres, 30% short fibres and 10% of reused paper from our production. Hope this was informing. :)
@@wolfifly5944 This is absolutely fascinating, though I'm curious how you would sort and separate the fibre lengths AFTER it has already been turned into a pulp. Would you use different sizes of sieves?
I've known that young grass is an excellent fibre source for a while, but it is refreshing to see such an accessable use in paper making. Time to make some books, bwahahaha! I'm curious about what further home processing you could do to bring out greater whiteness and consistency. Obviously in this case the natural color is a plus for the art value.
I have been thinking hard about how to use the paper in other unique applications. Papier-mâché or books did come to mind! The natural color was fantastic but I too would be interested in either bleaching or coloring the paper. Or even seeing if other grasses make different shades of green/yellow/brown naturally. Thanks for your comment!!
@@corymart I did some research on removing grass stains from cotton, which should help you bleach the pulp without damaging the fibers. Acids like vinegar or citric acid seem to help. Citric acid can be purchased as dry crystals that can be dissolved in water and can help you achieve a higher concentration than just liquid vinegar. Also enzymes found in laundry detergents are suggested. Since grass stains are a protein stain, the protease enzyme Bromelain found in pineapples would be effective. I'm interested in seeing how effective pineapple juice would be. And lastly, non-chlorine bleach, aka hydrogen peroxide seems to be recommended as well. You can purchase it as a laundry additive in liquid form, though there are powdered forms found in laundry detergents in the form of sodium percarbonate. I hope this ends up being helpful for you!
@@littlefang7883 Wow, fascinating! I'll keep all this info handy for some future projects. Thanks so much for sharing!
@@corymart Thanks for sharing these info. I will try to make different colors pattern to make it into wallpaper. It will be very unique if successful.
I know this is a little late but ethanol is used to remove the chlorophyll(green pigment) in plants. I know used to examine plants structures but mostly seen it done to leaves. Unsure if it will affect the paper making process.
TL;DR at the bottom :)
We used to make paper from every kind of veggies leftover in our school in Thailand. Lotus flowers, watermelon peel(white part), Bougainvillea flowers, grass, basically everything we have around the school and in the kitchen. We use our paper to print, paint and make souvenirs like notebooks and keychain for visitors!
Making paper is like growing plants. The main requirement are the same. But the difference is where you plant it and with what method.
The requirements as I could compare from mine and yours would be - binder, fiber, reservable and easily obtained.
Okra is the binder, grass is the fiber and is easy to find, washing soda, heating and even how you dry your paper is a part of making the paper reservable.
Our method is almost identical. We don’t use okra here at my school. We bind them by fermenting some specific part of plants instead. Like some type of flowers, the white part of watermelon skin and melon, the white soft tissue under the durian skins, onion skins or even any kind of greens which were cut off from the kitchen could be the binder if they’re fermented long enough. Fermenting could also help with the reservation!
Fermenting binder could take anywhere from 14-30 days and could be kept longer than that. For texture, we ferment it for at least 3-7 days depend on the type of plants. We use basically every plants that we could put in the blending machine and doesn’t break it. Flower petals, carrot peels, salad, grass, Cabbages, everything. Binder and texture could even made out from the same part of the plant but just take different amount of time on fermenting.
For step by step method,
- we gather ingredients
- we select/divide parts
- we dice the part into smaller pieces to get ready to blend it. The smaller the better. Again, the smaller the better.
- blend the plants part “with water” or the blending machine will have smokes(5 were broken from not enough water and “too big chunks”. Once again, the smaller the better)
- heat it. Add a about 1/2 a part of water to the heating pot(so 2 part blended fiber and 1 part water) We use rice cooker here in Thailand. But you could heat it until you “almost” couldn’t stick your finger in. So I guess around 80 degree° C? But you know, we’re just high school students, there’re not much science behind that. Just heat it until you see the first bubble and then turn the heat off(hot enough that you can touch the surface, but you cannot touch the bottom of the pot)
- add about 2 part of water to cool it down, wait 10-15 minutes before pouring in containers. We use 1.5 liter plastic bottles for many good reason. One of them is “easy to obtain”. Fill it only up to 3/4 of the container, leave room for gas to form
- ferment it 3-14 days for texture, 14-30 days for binder. Open swiftly every 1-3 days to let the gas out. ESPECIALLY THE FIRST WEEK! It could randomly explode if leave it closes for more than 4 days. After a week, gas should we weak enough to not explode for about a week😅
-after the fermented fibers are ready, pour the texture/binder/water about 2/1/3 parts in a high baking tray(or a box like yours is fine). NOTE: you might want to put less water or put more grass if you feel like the paper is not thick enough) mix well. Put more water if the paper is too thick, put more texture fiber if it’s too thin.
- prepare your window screen, stir up the mixture with one of your hand until the fiber are floating everywhere. Put the window screen on the inside of the closer edge of the mixing container at a 90° angle. Like, you got the box, you put the screen 90° angle inside the box, but pull it close to the edge which is the closest to you. Then gently push it along the bottom of the container imagine that you’re spooning the fiber, keep the window screen flat at the bottom of the container with one of your hand.with your other hand, Stir the fiber around once more for 3-5 seconds without touching the surface of the window screen. Wait until the water surface is almost still, then slowly and evenly pull the window screen up, it should be 180° flat until it went above the water surface.
- Wait until the water draining slowly. We have a lot of window screens and a very hot sun, so we put our window screen with the paper directly outside with the sun. Laying at 30° angle from the floor, facing the paper to the sun. CAUTION: if the sun is too hot, the paper could be too crispy. We try to avoid the sun from noon to 2pm. It should take at least 2 hours to be dry and no more than 5 hours. If it took longer, your sun is not hot enough, or the weather is too humid. Bring indoor/ under shades and use fan/wind instead. SECOND CAUTION: 2 words, rain and humidity. 70% humidity (which is common in Thailand raining season) could easily kill your paper by preventing it from drying.
That might be all. Oh! A piece of advice for printing! You could try to roll your paper with rolling pin first. Maybe stack them up about 2-5 layers depend on how thick the paper is, or put a sheet of fabric on top of the paper. Roll it about 5-10 stroke back and forth and the paper would turn out to be smoother and more printer friendly. After sometime of printing on the fiber paper, it could accumulate dust that might reduce it performance. And because it’s mostly bio material, some part could fall apart while printing. Rolling it flat would help to prevent those problems in some degrees;)
TL;DR:
-We use different method to complete the requirements for making paper. I don’t use Okra as the binder, but it seems to be a very good idea.
- smooth out the paper by stacking 2-5 pieces of paper under fabric and roll 5-10 stroke back and forth using rolling pin before printing. The paper will be smooth and tiny bit more printer friendly.
- Add more fiber in the water mixture if the paper is not thick enough, or put less water. Making number seven with your thumb and index finger, the index tip touching the bottom of mixing container and the thumb is on the water surface should be enough for the water.
Thank you so much for such a detailed comment! I took screenshots of the entire thing for future use :) So helpful and interesing. Thanks a lot! Have a lovely day/night!
Thanks for taking the time to write all this! We don't have okra where I live so this is great help ^^
Thanks for your wonderful explanation.
This might be the most detailed thing I had ever type for a RUclips comment. I’m glad you guys appreciated it.
I think it also helped that he made such a good video which got the similar method. Without that, my text would be just some boring things you find in textbook.
that's a fascinating process and something i'd like to try one day
Such an awesome idea to print grass on grass! And then framing it!! Spectacular ♥️
Thank you! I appreciate your comment so much!
yea i agree such a good idea i should do it one day to save the environment
Absolutely beautiful at every stage. I really admire your creativity!
@@corymart I’m curious as to what you did with the remainder of the grass paper.
Really wasn't expecting to feel so moved by printed grass on real grass but here we are. This is beautiful!
Now I will never look at my grass clippings the same again. Impressive!
Glad I could make you think deeply about your grass clippings! Thanks for your comment!
Amazing! I love the look of beaten-up old paper 😭
Your finished artwork is sensational. Something I've never seen before.
Mr. Morrison you are awesome. We need more grass paper makers, save trees, grow more grass.
This reminds me of "cooking" backyard plants as a kid.
Prolly the greatest piece of art of the century. Wow. Thank you!
even without printing on it, it already is a piece of art! So cool!
Once upon a time, we would observe the environment around us and create what we needed...or didn't need. It's so awesome to see someone doing that again!
I am a crafter who does a lot of different crafts. I've often thought that if the crap ever hits the fan, it'll be we who can create useful items, from many different things, who will probably be in high demand. :) Your comment made me think of those thoughts I've often had about that. Thanks!
i absolutely love this video, no background music, really clean audio, just everything 15/10
this is art in its truest form - thanks for sharing!
What an awesome short video. Huge props dude, really creative idea. Loved the pacing and editing of the video, and the final result, like you said, has a really cool message behind it.
Thank you so much for your comment, it means a lot! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and the message!
This video was art in itself. A fantastic view into human ingenuity and artistic expression. Amazing work, mate.
It's creative, but calling it "Artistic expression" is a big stretch. Artistic Expression requires both creativity and technical prowess to create visual representations of a design (like architecture, quilts), concepts, events, imagined settings or things, or real things. This has a creative twist on it, but where is the prowess and technical proficiency at?
I enjoyed watching/learning the whole process… and then it got to prints and I was floored! Very touched! If I saw these hanging in an art opening they would be pieces that pulled me in for a while. Beautiful and nuanced!!
Keep that beautiful humility, Cory. Its key to your success!
Great idea! I must try this. I love hand made papers. Thank you for sharing
Thanks for watching! Hand made papers the best!
This is such a great idea, i too have made paper at home, but never imagined to do that with grass. Great job👍
Appreciate the comment, especially from a fellow paper maker!
!BRILLIANT!
Every blessing to you for future videos.
Thankyou for sharing!
Wow! I would have never thought to do that. Thanks for sharing.
That is actually awesome! Turns out to be another form of Art! Well done.
I love this idea of making paper out of grass. And the final result with print is great!
Thanks so much! 😊
what a great concept! Thank you for sharing your art
well done Cory, it was a joy watching and listening to you, thank you
The finished grass print on grass paper made me tear up a bit, you may laugh but there is something incredibly beautiful and emotional about this kind of art, especially in the way you show the past and present. The fact that you used photos of the ACTUAL grass you then turned into paper and not just stock photos, when that would have been so easy, gave the finished piece of paper what I can only describe as a "soul". I don't know how to describe it, but it just hits different.
Also, I'm tired so that may be part of why I got a little teary, but I don't care. This is exactly what humanity was made for. Making art for the sake of art itself, and just creating things because you love the process of creation.
You definitely earned yourself an immediate subscriber, I've discovered your channel only a few hours ago and have already watched almost all your videos. You re-awakened one of my oldest hobbies and inspired me to keep creating things of my own.
Wow... Love this project.🤩🤩🤩
Thank you so much! I appreciate the comment!
This is so cool! I saved your video a while ago and forgot to watch it. And today, I stumbled upon it again and it just made me happy how cool this is! Thank you for sharing!
Excellent! Past and present technology combine for a great outcome👍
such a creative idea! love the thoughtfulness and hard work put into this whole process. amazing!!! 💕
Thank you so much! I love to ponder concepts like these. I'm glad you and so many others do too!
This is the type of video that‘s supposed to have millions of views. Beautifully executed production, content and film making wise
Beautiful! Thank you for showing us your process and the end result! I loved it!
...its a very precious work with deep mental doing and veneration to this wonder on this planet...
What a wonderful idea.
Thanks!
Finding available resources and creating something new and purposeful - genius! Love the title selection and the glad the print process became something spectacular. Thanks for your creativity and what a treat your webpage is.
Making art inspired by my immediate and natural surroundings is what I'm passionate about! Thanks so much for watching, commenting, and checking out my website - I appreciate it!
The first print, the darker one, knocked my socks off! Great job❤
Your voice reminds me of Joe Pera, and it makes me feel very comfortable and calm. Watching your videos, especially with their lovely shots and framing, is a delight.
Your voice is extremely calming. Also, thanks for an amazing video.
Wow, thank you! That means a lot!
Amazing art! I've always thought about how cool it would be to make a sketch book with pages that I made myself.
Thanks! That would be quite an amazing sketch book, whether it be recycled paper, grass, or something else! ...I might be afraid to use it after all that hard work 😅
Amazing work! This is true art, you are an amazing artist 💚 God bless 😊
RUclips recommended the making paper from leaves video and now I'm here. I really want to try making my own paper now. It looks like a really rewarding process.
Printing the picture of the grass onto the paper made from that grass is absolutely genius, and I also think it looks incredible 😁👏
That is soooo great work!
Thanks a lot!
Wonderful idea and I really love the colour of the gras-paper !!!
Wonderful project! I can’t wait to try this! Thank you!
I've found your channel recently and I'm just watching the videos over and over... I love the art, i love the comments and the editing.
Also, you know that the mould is what you have and you're missing the deckle 😊 i personally love the rough edges of the paper you get without using the deckle.
I'm looking forward to the next video!
Wow! thank you so much, that really means a lot! And you're kidding... You know when I was in the middle of filming this I said to myself, "Hmmm, let's double check which is the mould and which is the deckle and look up a labeled diagram just to be safe!" The picture lied to me! But you are so right, in the video I am using a mould! I hope I didn't mix it up in my other papermaking videos 😂. Since your comment I've actually done a deep dive into the deckle and mould so now I wont get it mixed up! But hey, that's the fun part about being an artist, you're always teaching yourself new things and learning things from others. Thanks!
this is my favorite kind of art. using the canvas as a part of the work is very creative (kind of reminds me of the artist who used to cut/stab the canvas). and i love how we as a species just decide to do things like this. someone out there saw some fresh grass looked at it and had the idea "what if i made paper out of this? what if i printed the grass onto the paper?" and that feels so awesome to me.
I'm aware that I sound like one of those pretentious gallery-goers people like to make fun of but this gets me so excited! especially the part where you got to explore traditional paper-making with a unique twist on it. connecting the past with the present a little bit.
it's like a call to be mindful. to notice the grass around us, how it used to be beneath the feet of our ancestors and how it is under our feet now. You can even tie in the question if it will be below the feet of our children.
the final results are gorgeous!
I love you. ❤❤❤ What a breath of fresh air.
This could literally save the trees☺
Saving the trees one grass paper at a time! 😆
The current paper industry already is one of the more sustainable there is! The paper industry in fact is actually the industry who plants the most trees in the world! When paper factories/Pulp factories cut down trees they replant more than they cut down. Not to mention that our current paperindustry is capable of reusing paper fibres for upto 25 times! Some decades ago it wasn't even upto 10 times! Hope this was informative to you. :)
Loved the concept buddy! Super creative, best of luck for the future!!
Thanks! Just starting out, but I'm trying my best! I appreciate your comment 👍
This is absolutely phenomenal. I laughed so hard about the past, present and future of the whole piece. Genius!!!!!
The poetry of it all makes it art . Your art is poetry. Your poetry manifested
Great idea! I'd love to know how the color of the grasspaper changes over time.
Thanks! Surprisingly, the color is pretty stable. I have plenty of pieces that look just as they did on day one. Over time though, I’ve seen some paper lighten a bit, especially with things like sun exposure. Personally, I enjoy the unpredictable nature of the paper even when it comes to the color shifting!
This is nice you are genius 😊
Thank you so much!
How absolutely adorable!!!
I appreciate it!!
Very ingenous. Loved it, thanks for sharing it.
i think its actually hilarious and awesome that you printed grass on paper made of grass. Grass meta lmao. such a fun video
This dude is making paper out of grass, what am I doing with my life??
I know right
Just WOW. I'll surely try this at home. Kudos to you for the amazing creativity!
I clicked on this video thinking why not, and was pleasantly surprised by a really fascinating art project. Great stuff. Unique idea. Keep it coming. 🙏
Very beautiful! Does the paper change to a different color over time or stay a bright green?
Great question! They all dull slightly, but the paper I have stored away in a ziploc bag have stayed pretty green! Others that were left out have gone a more yellow-green. To be honest, I'm surprised they are holding up so great!
I wondered this too!
"I'm bored... Huh, I'll make grass paper to print grass pictures on it, that'll be fun".
Just wait until you see my video about photographing rocks... 😂
@@corymart lol
It looks like those crunchy seaweed snacks! Thanks for sharing, this opens up a world of ideas
I have that same blender! It was my mommas, and it still runs like a champ! Great video. Subscribed. Much ❤from Nashville, TN
The pieces came out amazing! I love the process. Does the paper ever go bad or rot in any way? Or does allowing the grass to simmer prevent this? Thanks for the video =-]
Thank you very much! I made the paper in February of this year and I just checked other pieces I have stored... from that batch and there is no rotting at all! They are even still a nice earthy green-yellow color. I have noticed paper that has been out (in the air or sunlight) has yellowed a bit more than the ones I have stored though. Thanks for your question!
Thank you so much!
Question 🙋♀️ ////Sorry but what is washing soda?? Thank you
Sodium carbonate. Its like baking soda aka sodium bi-carbonate. Except its been baked to drive off the extra water and CO2. You can do this conversion in your oven at home, if you find yourself unable to source it elsewhere.
@@littlefang7883 ok thank you sir so much I didn’t know so I decided to ask and now I’m happy that I asked thank you so very much for the information 🤗🐾🤗🐾🤗🐾🤗
Thank you @Little Fang you would be correct! Washing soda is basically a stronger baking soda, which I did make at home in my oven! It helps to break down and soften the tough fibers (in this case tough grass fibers!) in order to get a good pulp for paper making. Thanks for asking!
Loved this so much and especially loved your concept for your prints. I want to give this a shot now, sounds like a wonderful way to make something really unique.
Wow love your idea. ❤❤
I love you end note. Strong massage
Thanks very much! I found it such an interesting concept to explore.
Someone's been watching Dr. Stone
Wow, I love it. Printing grass on grass. Thanks for sharing this with us. :)
Exactly! Grass on grass! So happy you enjoyed the video, thanks for your comment 😊
Such a great project. Love it!
Could you please give more details? I have a pretty big lawn which we mow regularly. Secondly, as i am a calligraphy buff, this has my interest piqued.
I can try and answer any questions you have. Calligraphy would be an awesome application!
What is washing soda? The first ingredient you mention.
@califgypsy Sodium carbonate. It's often used to clean things like baking soda would be. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. If you can't get washing soda, you can make it by cooking baking soda in a hot oven for about 10-15 minutes. I hope this helps. 😁
Where is Myne ? She needs to know paper can be made from grass !
Was thinking the same😂
Hey! Don’t forget about Senku! He’s the one whos came up the idea to make paper shield for this.
That was absolutely ingenious and so creative, amazing.
The use of the ochre was a stroke of genius. Up until that point, I didn't think it would work, frankly. Well done! The final print came out great! Now I am looking around, wondering what else I can use to make paper!
That's a cool art project! I love how it came out in the end
Love the color!
Beautifully done, especially with the noise free presentation.
Sounds and movements, that's the natural world
This is wonderful art. I love it so much.
This is brilliant. Thank you for sharing it.
Wowww the finished product is so cool!!!
Such a beautiful inspiration
What?!!! Great stuff! So neat, did not know that could be done. Love it!
Love every minute!
Very interesting art project. I watch it from the very beginning to the very end always like seeing something interesting that I’ve never seen done before. Thank you for sharing.
so beautifully done.
Fantastic and thank you for sharing 🎉
Not only is this such a quality video that I thoroughly enjoyed, but the end project was so cool I would love to hang copies of all the prints on my wall.
This is amazing! What an eco friendly future this could create!
Thanks for your inspiration