Dawn Wohlford

I could be the Poster Child for the slogan “Reuse, Reduce, Recycle.” Handmade paper is the basis for the majority of my artwork. I turn old clothes, dead plants, shredded money, and old doormats made of natural fibers into paper pulp. Then I press or “cast” the pulp onto pieces of rusty metal, vintage glass, cardboard, old wood, cracks in the sidewalk and anything else with an interesting surface texture. I seal each paper casting with a coat of paint; then I blend oil pastels, colored pencils or paint on the surface and seal again with clear varnish. Sometimes I incorporate rusty metal, bicycle tubes, animal bones and other found objects into the piece. My approach to art making is methodical. Each piece is carefully planned and goes through several time intensive processes before reaching its final state. Each stage informs and alters the finished piece. The finished piece aspires to be both a beautiful object and a thought provoking or humorous reflection.

IA