After leaving NYC, we had an invitation to stay with papermaker Judy Tobie and her husband Roger, who live in between NYC and Philadelphia in Princeton, NJ. They invited us into their home and we got to know each other over a great vegetarian chili that Judy had prepared. After dinner we discussed papermaking and Hand Papermaking magazine. Judy showed me around her home then, but the next morning is when we got the official museum tour, as Roger called it.
Judy Tobie with some of her work in progress
On this trip we’ve seen several great ideas for home studios, but no home papermaking areas until now. Seeing how Judy arranges and works within her home space gives me a lot of home for papermaking outside of Columbia in the future. (though I wish I could stay at the Center for Book and Paper Arts forever!) She has an inside dry studio, with all the sculpting, gluing, paper materials, and books needed for her practice.
beautiful studio area
Then she has an outdoor papermaking area, especially great for the workshops she teaches where participants get to experiment with a variety of pulps. It’s well shaded, so working with all the water outside stays delightful, even as hot as it is at this time.
outdoor papermaking area (cooking equipment in back right)
She even has the beater I’ve been keeping an eye on myself for a while: a Mark Lander critter! Judy had just finished beating some abaca, which she uses often for her sculptural paper vessels.
her Mark Lander/critter beater
Besides the sculptural paper works, Judy also sometimes works in collage, cardmaking, and jewelry, and so she keeps a variety of her handmade papers to use in other artworks.
some of her gorgeous handmade paper
It was also wonderful to see Judy’s sculptures peppered around the space, and Roger is interested mathematical origami–so they have both paper sculptures and origami on display–paradise!
some of her paper casts
her handmade paper vessels
Thank you so much Judy & Roger! it was delightful meeting you and learning about your practice.
