Flores Mensajeras

"Centli" Hand-made Book and Codex with Corn Paper

Book Title:

CENTLI – Corn in the Nahuatl language

A limited edition of two handmade books on the theme of corn.

Artwork and bookbinding by Eduardo García-Villada.

Dimensions:

Book - 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches

Box - 4 1/2 x 6 x 1 1/2 inches

Binding:

Book I - Keith Smith's Buttonhole Stitch.

Book II -Long Stitch Variation.

Sewn with waxed linen thread on black book cloth.

Cover boards covered with marble paper and colored Japanese itajime (fold and dye) paper.

Text Block:

End sheets of dyed purple Mexican amate paper.

Signatures of handmade natural corn paper alternated with dyed blue Mexican amate paper.

Artwork:

Decorative applications of corn husks, paste paper, dried flowers, crash linen, and pheasant feathers.

Illustrations from "Design Motifs of Ancient Mexico" by Jorge Enciso (Dover Publication, New York, 1953) drawn with tempera, black markers, and acrylic paint.

Written Text:

Poem fragments by Pablo Neruda (1954) "Oda al maíz."

Calligraphy in Foundational hand with white zinc gouche.

Date:

April 2010

Ames, Iowa

USA

Hand-made corn paper (7) - Drying the sheets

This was a late Spring and early Summer production that resulted in dry corn paper sheets ready to be made into hand-made books!




It takes about 24 hours to squeeze/drain most of the water. After this, the sheets are separated from the stack and placed on a flat surface in a shaded area. Each sheet of corn paper should still be attached to a piece of felt. At this point, I place newspaper sheets underneath each sheet of corn paper to collect more water. I usually place three to five sheets of corn paper with their corresponding felt and alternate them with a stack or section of newspaper. Finally, I put a board and a heavy object (a brick) to continue the drying process.

This process takes between two to three days depending on the humidity and the temperature of the room. I do not use a blow dryer in this process, but the following link for the video 'Make Paper - Loading the Drying Box' gives you an idea of the process when a drying chamber is used.

Hand-made corn paper (6) - Making and pressing the sheets

This step includes experimenting with the pulp by adding dyes and other fibers such as cotton and recycled printed paper. As a result, there is an element of surprise once the sheets are formed and dried.



The best part of this step is the fun that comes from dipping your hands and arms to fish out the fibers using with the frame and the deckle. At this point, the fibers are drained as they collect on the screen of the frame and form into sheets.



The corn paper sheets are sandwiched between alternating sheets of felt. A stack of 8 to 10 sheets is then pressed using a two-board press as shown in the picture above.

Hand-made corn paper (5) - Dissolving and Stirring (Charging) the pulp in water

For this step we need a large plastic tub filled with cold water. I add two handfuls of pulp into the water and stir the pulp. A frame with wire screen and a deckle are dipped into the water-pulp solution (slurry) to form the sheets.


A recommend Chapter 3 of the book "Making Your Own Paper: An Introduction to Creative Paper-making" by Marianne Saddington for easy to follow instructions on how to make a mold and a deckle. Chapter 7, Project 10, includes a recipe for making cornhusk paper. The book also includes instructions for projects on how to make a press for drying paper sheets.

For an instructional video on how to "charge" the pulp into the vat by Gretchen Sherberhorn (?) from Pyramid Atlantic follow this link: "Make Paper - Preparing the Vat with Pulp."

Hand-made Corn Paper (4) - Making the pulp

Pounding, blending, and making corn paper pulp:



After the fibers are cooked, the pulp is strained to separate the pulp. The pulp is then rinsed two or three times with clean cold water. I use a large piece of window screen fabric as a sieve to separate the solid pulp from the water. After the rinse, the pulp is squeezed by twisting the fabric. Think of cheese cloth when cheese or yogurt are made. Now the pulp is ready for pounding.

Hand-made Corn Paper (3) - Processing the dry materials

Sorting, clipping, chopping, and soaking the dry materials:



Well, after a long break I decided to continue documenting this process. It took me some time to come back, and in between I made a couple of books and survived the flood of 2010. The corn field where I pick up the material for my paper was covered with water for a couple of weeks. My family and I had to stand in line to receive bottled drinking water from the local Red Cross. It seems like the flood was long time ago. O how well we recover. Thank God!!

Now, back to my story. I collect stalks, roots, and husks, and separate them into different bins. The husks produce softer and more pliable sheets, and they are easier to cut up with just about any kitchen scissors. Roots and stalks give more texture and are hard to cut up. They also take more time soaking and degrading. Sometimes stalks are loaded with splinters, so I recommend the use of gloves when handling roots and stalks.

When I find a good rhythm during my paper-making I combine different proportions of stalks, roots, and husks. Sometimes I like to add other fibers to the pulp such as cotton lint, recycled paper pulp, but that comes later. So, gather some friend in your backyard, serve some tapas and mojitos, and clip you heart out!

Cooking the materials (husks and stalks) after fermentation:



After the clipping and sorting is done, I place the raw materials in large plastic garden containers. Then, I rinse the dry stalks, roots, and husks with clean water. Rinsing ensures that no dirt or mud goes into the final pulp. I cover the containers with lids and the soaked clippings stay in my garden fermenting and braking down into small particles for about two weeks. I mix the clipping every other day using a strong stick or paddle. By the end of the second week the clipping are VERY stinky. So, use a mask or cover your nose with a bandana. Yes! You need to be a "bandido" a this point.

I believe the cellulose that is contained in the clippings (and what really makes the paper) is now released. Then, I rinse the fermented clippings, and cooking is next. I used to cook the pulp in my kitchen, but it is so stinky that after hearing so many complaints from my family, I decided to use a small burner and do the cooking outside.  As seen in the picture, in a five-gallon pot filled with water, I combine about 5 lbs. of pulp with 1/4 cup of ARM & HAMMER™ Super Washing Soda (100% sodium carbonate) and let the pulp boil for about two hours.

Note: Thanks to Guy for lending me your camping gear to do my paper-making.

Flooded Corn Field

The South Skunk River has been cresting for the last two weeks. Last night we had a big storm that contributed to flood large portions of Ames (Iowa) my hometown. The corn has been growing very strong in the fields where I get the materials to make corn paper. I was looking forward for the corn to mature and dry before it was time to see the big machinery collecting the corn during harvest time.


This afternoon I went to see how the flood had affected the corn and this is what I found: The river was running thorough the corn field. All "my corn" will be ruined! I hope the farmers who own the field have flood insurance. After I finished shooting this video, I found out that the town water plant was shut down. We were advised to boil the residual water before drinking it. A trip to the supermarket to get bottled water made me see how we act during emergencies.

There was no water left over to buy, and the lines of hoarders with their supermarket carts loaded with bottled water went to the back of the store. It was very busy and I got to think about people in other cities during an emergency (New Orleans, New York, the Florida Keys). I found an abandoned 12-pack of flavored water and I grabbed it along with two cases of seltzer water, the only water I found to buy. I will continue reporting about my corn paper project, hopefully not under this case of emergency. I still have two ears of corn left over to eat for dinner.

Hand-made Corn Paper (2) - Collecting dry materials from the field

This is an early spring activity. I prefer to collect corn stalks, husks, and roots after they have gone through the process of decomposition in the fall and they have been covered with snow for the entire winter. Once the snow has melted, just about the same time the crocus and tulips begin to sprout, I go out to the field with my oldest son, and I carry a black plastic garden bag.



The fields can be very dry and dusty, and we need to wear leather gloves to avoid getting splinters in our hands. Last year I was very ambitious and collected four bags full of dry material. This is when the fun begins.

Evolution of Corn: A Mural in Ames (Iowa, USA)

This mural titled "Evolution of Corn" is located at the city of Ames's post office. Lowell Houser, an artist from Ames known for his wood blocks and black and white drawings, painted the mural in 1935 as a commission from the Treasury Department Art Project.

The "Evolution of Corn" mural gives context to my hand-made corn paper project: The Aztec and industrial motifs; the Amerindian and European farmers; the green, red, gold, and silver colors of the palette are all my inspirations.

Photo by Eduardo García & Susan A. Vega García

Hand-made Corn Paper (1) - Beginning

Winter, spring, summer, and fall. The life cycle needed to process hand-made corn paper. From planting to harvesting, and a long dormant period, the raw materials are ready to be collected.










This is the beginning of a series of blogs about the process of making hand-made corn paper. The place is Iowa (USA), and the inspiration comes from the "culture" of corn found throughout the Americas.