Melissa Harshman
Joy  

Media: Pigmented Abaca 

Artist Statement:
Two years ago, I was motivated by the work of other papermaking artists to investigate pulp painting. I had been working with floral imagery in my prints and wanted to research how to use the same inspiration in handmade paper. Since that time, I have attended a class at Women’s Studio Workshop to continue this research as well as experimented in my studio with different fibers and imagery.

The piece titled “Joy” was my first foray into pulp painting. I used a drawing based on one of my relief prints as a guide as I drew freehand over 200 paper flowers in a variety of hues of pinks and yellows. The title refers to the feeling I had making the work as well as the aesthetic of the piece. Flowers have always been an inspiration to me in the wonder and intricacies of their construction. I hope to convey this through the work, making the viewer feel as if they are in a field of wild flowers.

Biography

Melissa Harshman is a printmaker and papermaker who has taught at the Lamar Dodd School of Art since 1993. She is currently the Chair of the Printmaking and Book Arts Department. Her most recent award was a Sr. Faculty Research grant titled "Explorations in Papermaking".