Relish Festival – Paper from permaculture

Using seasonal garden fibres to create botanical paper

Saturday June 3 at Relish Festival – 2 sessions

Venue: Gatakers Artspace, 311 Kent St Maryborough

Create and taste!

Papermaking is an art form which is very compatible with local food growing and permaculture gardening. Artist, gardener and slow food cook Zela Bissett is offering two x one-hour papermaking workshops as part of the Relish Festival in which participants will get to make (and keep) a sheet of botanical paper derived from common garden plants including lemongrass, ginger, okra, onion skins and turmeric. Zela will explain how to prepare stalks for paper-making and create sheets of botanical paper from seasonal by-products of pruning, weeding and trimming. You will also try some garden taste sensations including lemongrass cordial, rosella syrup and nasturtium capers.

Session 1 10 am until 11am Limit of 12 participants Cost $10 per head

Session 2 2pm until 3pm.      Limit of 12 participants Cost $10 per head

Zela holds a degree in Visual Arts and a Master of Environmental Education, and she combines these to show you how you can make something natural and beautiful from garden by-products. Zela is an experienced and informative presenter who will introduce you to the process of cutting, cooking and rinsing fibres, followed by demonstration of couching sheets of paper using a mould and deckle. A selection of papers will be on sale.

Left, above: Paper made from banana stalks and onion skins is removed from the vat.

Right: Zela ready to blend cooked onion skins to add to the pulp in the vat.

Enquiries: Gatakers Artspace (Susan or Trevor) 41905723 or Zela’s mobile 0400366195