The 1980s: Expansion and Commercialization
American decorated paper experienced widespread popularity in the 1980s as a result of an increase of practitioners who were selling, publishing, teaching, and organizing events such as the First International Marblers’ Gathering (1989). For aspiring artists, there were abundant educational opportunities and new supportive organizations. The design community became aware of the artists and utilized their work for an array of marketplace goods, from couture clothing and prestige gifts to the packaging of cosmetics and food products. American papers also became desired by print culture, resulting in their appearance in all types of books and printed matter.
Claire Maziarczyk (b. 1955)
Pattern Gray Blue V-10R paste paper, 1985. Methylcellulose paste with Golden Artist Colors on Mohawk Superfine paper.
This ombré pattern was produced in different colorways since the beginning of Maziarczyk’s career, active 1981–present. It was frequently purchased for use in fine bookbindings and as wall covering throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The pattern is a 4½” repeat, made by painting and combing straight and wavy stripes on top of a solid-color basecoat.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Claire Maziarczyk
Amanda Degener (b. 1958)
Layered Indigo Day, 2019. Handmade flax paper; Belgian flax, indigo dye, gelatin.
Amanda Degner, active 1982–2020, was a co-founder of Hand Papermaking Magazine and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. From 1992 to 2020 she was proprietor of Cave Paper in Minneapolis, Minnesota (in partnership with Bridget O’Malley, from 1994 to 2017). Cave Paper produced handmade papers for many uses such as fine press books and wall coverings. The papers are prized for their quality, durability, and natural coloring.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Amanda Degener and Bridget O’Malley
Katherine Loeffler (b. 1950)
Suminagashi paper, undated. Liquitex acrylic paint on paper.
Katherine Loeffler, active 1981–2021, was inspired to marble in Santa Fe, New Mexico, after seeing a demonstration by Pamela Smith. She then took a workshop with Don Guyot, with whom she published Directory of Decorative Papermakers in 1989. As Peregrine Arts Bindery, Loeffler sold her work in shops in California, New Mexico, and Colorado. This visibility led to commissions for book jackets, stationery, and film props. Until 2021, Loeffler sold her work through Etsy.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Katherine Loeffler
Diane Maurer (b. 1944)
Reef, 1990. Overmarbled paper; TALAS watercolor marbling paint, gouache on Scott Offset paper.
Diane Maurer, active 1982–present, of Spring Mills, Pennsylvania, is an artist equally proficient in traditional and contemporary marbling, suminagashi, paste paper, and fold-and-dye techniques. A prolific author, she has published numerous articles and books, including the iconic treatise on marbling, The Ultimate Marbling Handbook, published by Watson-Guptill in 1999.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Diane Maurer
Faith Harrison (b. 1950)
Marbled paper, Wave pattern, ca. late 1980s. Proprietary ink on Mohawk paper.
Baby Boomers will remember the marbled Kleenex box issued in the 1980s. The marbled pattern on the original box was reproduced from this paper, or one like it. Harrison, active 1980–1994, purchased her business in 1980 from Terry Harlow, renamed it Decorated Papers, and eventually moved it to Easthampton, Massachusetts, a town of many book artists and fine press publishers. Through it, she licensed and sold her papers and proprietary supplies.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Faith Harrison
Faith Harrison (b. 1950)
Kleenex tissue box, marbled Wave pattern. Kimberly-Clark Corporation, ca. 1987.
The “Classic Foil” tissue box and iterations of it have been a staple in American homes since the 1980s. The Kleenex commission was controversial among marblers, as Harrison was poorly paid for her design. Published guidelines for the licensing and reproduction of marbled work first appeared in Graphic Artists Guild Handbook in 1991. Also shown is a recent reuse of Harrison’s design on Kleenex Mega Jumbo Papel Higienco (Mexico, 2019).
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Faith Harrison
Diane Maurer-Mathison. Making Paste Papers. Spring Mills, PA: Diane Maurer, 1994.
Diane Maurer of Spring Mills, Pennsylvania, has published numerous commercial and handmade books on decorated paper technique. Making Paste Papers is an open edition, handbound in an accordion structure, each copy with a different cover paper. It is part of a series which includes Suminagashi Marbling and Making Fold & Dye Papers. This book includes original paste papers and instructions on making paste, preparing paper, applying paste patterning, and finishing papers.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, Gift of Mary Schlosser
Clare Bolton. Maziarczyk Paste Papers. Oxford: Alembic Press, 1991.
This book, devoted to the work of paste paper artist Claire Maziarczyk, was produced in an edition of 175 copies. It includes a general history of paste paper, nineteen original papers, and descriptions of how they were made. In 1988, Bolton, who specializes in printing miniature books, published a miniature accordion book with Maziarczyk’s papers titled Miniature Papers.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, Gift of Mary Schlosser
Cathleen Baker. The Paste Papers of Louise Lawrence Foster. Whittier, NC: SpeakEasy Press, 2009.
This limited edition printed letterpress on handmade paper includes fourteen examples of Foster’s elegant paste papers and two others on the covers of the book. Baker (author), Foster (artist), and Frank Brannon (publisher/printer/ binder) were in the book arts program together at the University of Alabama. Through their lasting friendships after graduation, the three collaborated over great distances to create this book.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Friends of the Thomas J. Watson Library
Louise Lawrence Foster (1944-2020)
Paste paper, ca. 2010s. Painted, combed, and drawn with acrylic paint on commercial paper.
Louise Lawrence Foster, active 1980–2019, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was a painter, designer, and book artist. She made paste papers in both traditional and contemporary patterns, after studying at the University of Alabama with bookbinders Fritz and Trudi Eberhardt and calligrapher Suzanne Moore. Foster taught hand bookbinding, paste paper, and drawing at several southern colleges and in occasional workshops. Her work was represented by dealers Vamp & Tramp Booksellers, Birmingham, Alabama.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Melodie Carr
Robin Heyeck (b. 1940)
Suminagashi paper, 1985. Japanese ink, Zerkall Frankfurt paper.
Robin Heyeck, active 1981–present, is an artist who marbles paper exclusively for the letterpress books, broadsides, and ephemera she publishes at the Heyeck Press in Woodside, California. Since its founding in 1986, Heyeck Press has published more than thirty books, primarily books of poetry. Three titles are on paper arts: Marbling at the Heyeck Press (1986), Adventures of a Marbler (2006), and Suminagashi-zome (1991).
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Robin Heyeck
Tokutaro Yagi. Suminagashi-zome. Translated by Kyoko Muecke. Woodside, CA: Heyeck Press, 1991.
Tokutaro Yagi was the Kyoto master of Japanese marbling (suminagashi) in the 19th century. In 1913, he dictated this text to Professor Kyoko Muecke. This first English edition of 200 copies, marbled, printed, and bound by Robin Heyeck, is printed on custom Twinrocker handmade paper. The book includes instructions for twenty suminagashi patterns, twelve marbled illustrations, and three wood engravings by Rik Olson. It is bound in marbled silk.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Friends of the Thomas J. Watson Library Gift
Ingrid Butler (b. 1947)
Marbling clogs, mid 1990s.
When artists were asked to send archival and ephemeral items for the Paper Legacy Collection that might show insight into their careers, Ingrid Butler, active 1982–present, sent her marbling apron and clogs, along with a few whisks. These humble relics of a long, productive artistic life in decorated paper embody the time and experimentation invested in the making of the paper, as well as Butler’s love of color.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Ingrid Butler
Ingrid Butler (b. 1947) and
Dana Draper (1982-2018)
Underpainted moths by Dana Draper and overmarbled by Ingrid Butler, undated. Acrylic paint and metallic pigment on black paper.
Ingrid Butler and her husband Dana Draper operated Moth Marblers together in Sausalito, California, until Draper’s passing. Butler has since continued independently. Moth papers, produced since the mid-1980s, are known for their modern aesthetic, layered techniques, and use of plant and insect motifs. Butler and Draper produced both one-of-a-kind and editions of paper on commission. At their peak, they produced fifty sheets of paper and twenty lengths of marbled silk per day.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Ingrid Butler
Mimi Schleicher (b. 1957)
Shades of Spain, 1991. Spanish marbled paper; Golden Fluid acrylic paint on Fox River, Neenah Classic Laid paper.
Mimi Schleicher sold work at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, North Carolina from 1988 to 2012. From 1993 to 1995, she and her mother, Patty Schleicher, operated Inklings, a marbling gallery which represented the work of over twenty-five marblers. In 2022, they and others coordinated a marblers’ gathering at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. A reproduction of Shades of Spain is on the cover of Marbling Bath.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mimi Schleicher
Laura Sims (b. 1954)
Spanish marbled paper with floral motif, ca. 1985–2014. Acrylic paint, commercial paper.
After being introduced to marbling at the John C. Campbell Folk Art School, Laura Sims, active 1985–2014, set up Indigo Stone Studio, in Asheville, North Carolina. There she made paper, note cards, and textiles which were sold at the Southern Highland Craft Guild venues. Sims taught marbling at noted southern craft schools, including Arrowmont, the Campbell Folk Art School, and the Penland School of Crafts, and authored several books on marbling.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Jim Charneski
Regina St. John (b. 1944)
Workshop demonstration paper with three patterns derived from a Chevron base pattern, 2017. Acrylic paint on tan paper.
Regina and her husband Dan St. John operate Chena River Marblers in Amherst, Massachusetts. Regina, active 1984–present, specializes in contemporary acrylic marbling. In their workshops, they instruct students in the evolution of traditional and newly devised marbled patterns. This is one of three demonstration sheets in the collection that show pattern development. Both St. Johns teach internationally and marble commercially at their home studio, which has a sales shop for their paper and textile creations.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Regina and Daniel St. John
Daniel St. John (b. 1943)
Large Tiger Eye, 2018. Marbled paper; proprietary paint on Hahnemühle paper.
Dan and his wife Regina St. John operate Chena River Marblers in Amherst, Massachusetts. Dan, active 1985–present, specializes in marbling traditional patterns using historically accurate water-based inks, as well as making marbling equipment. He named his technique Contemporary Classic Watercolor Marbling. Dan learned his skills from Garrett Dixon in 2011. The St. Johns teach their techniques internationally and at their home studio and continue to create product lines of paper and silk items.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Regina and Daniel St. John
Virginia Buchan (b. 1953) and
Nora Ligorano (b. 1956)
Paste paper, 1990. Acrylic paint on Mohawk Superfine paper.
Virginia Buchan and Nora Ligorano began working together from 1986 until 2009, making blank books covered in their paste paper. In 1988, they founded Lost Link Bindery and Lost Link Paper, which had studios in Long Island City and Williamsburg, New York. In 1992, they added Lost Link Design, through which they sold monoprints and licensed patterns. At their height they offered twenty-eight paper designs, mostly inspired by the New York City ambiance.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Virginia Buchan and Nora Ligorano
Virginia Buchan (b. 1953) and
Nora Ligorano (b. 1956)
Longstitch blank book, 1989–1990.
New York artists Virginia Buchan and Nora Ligorano met at Paper and Book Intensive in 1984 and were soon working together at the Center for Book Arts making blank books covered in their paste paper. In 1988, they founded Lost Link Bindery and opened a studio in Long Island City. This is one of two Lost Link longstitch blank books in the Paper Legacy collection.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Virginia Buchan and Nora Ligorano
Mimi Schleicher
Marbled paper trade catalog, 1992. Reproduced from original papers for Crescent Cardboard Company.
Artist, author, and educator Mimi Schleicher operated Mimi Schleicher Hand Marbled Paper and Fabric in Weaverville, North Carolina. This catalog is the result of a 1992 commission for twenty marbled designs from the Crescent Cardboard Company. Three products were produced with the designs: unbacked marbled papers, papers backed with adhesive, and papers mounted on white and black acid-free mat boards.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mimi Schleicher
Ink & Gall. A Marbling Journal, 1. no. 1, 1987. Front cover art by Mustasa Düzqünman.
Ink & Gall was published from 1987 to 1993 by Dexter Ing and Polly Fox from Santa Cruz, California, and Taos, New Mexico. The journal and its newsletter provided an international forum for marblers to share work and information about marbling. Each issue featured an article on an artist, as well as information on paper history, technique, book reviews, workshops, exhibitions, trade fairs, and suppliers.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Don Guyot
Thomas Leech (b. 1950)
Under and Over Marble, ca. 1991.
Marbled paper; acrylic paint on commercial paper.
Thomas Leech, active 1979–present, marbles his own handmade paper using his proprietary technique, Integrative Marbling, which combines drawing, painting, and marbling on treated paper. Under and Over Marble is marbled on commercial paper. Its design was created by painting with luminescent paint on dark paper and subsequent marbling. From 2001 to 2021, Leech succeeded Pamela Smith as Director of the Press at the Palace of the Governors, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Thomas Leech
Ink and Gall, 5. no. 2, 1991. Front cover art, Under and Over Marble, by Thomas Leech.
The original Under and Over Marble reproduced on the cover of this issue is shown above in its original orientation. Many Paper Legacy artists are represented in Ink & Gall. A full run of the journal was given to the Watson Library by Don Guyot. It has been digitized and is available through the Library’s Digital Collections.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Don Guyot
Milena Hughes (b. 1939)
Branch with Leaves #1, New Growth Series, 1990. Marbled paper; Grumbacher acrylic on Rives BFK paper.
Milena Hughes, active 1983–2008, of Evanston, Illinois, studied illustration in Chicago before learning to marble. Her skill as a draftswoman is evident in this work. Hughes accepted commissions and licensed her designs commercially but was never a production marbler. She is known for her marbled paper designs, fabric, wooden bowls, and interior marbled floor decoration. In 1983, Hughes founded the Marbling Resource Center at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center in Evanston.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Milena Hughes and Caryl Hancock
Marie Kelzer (b. 1954)
Brushed, combed, and roller-printed paste paper, 1994. Methylcellulose paste with acrylic paint on Mohawk Superfine paper.
Marie Kelzer, active 1988–present, produces paste papers, products, and publications at her workspace in Marina de Rey, California. Kelzer developed her skills while working as a bookbinder and conservator at various institutions. Since 2005, she has licensed patterns to textile and stationery companies. Kelzer documents her papers in a series of self-published paste paper pattern books. The dotted motif on this paper has been printed with a pastry roller.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Marie Kelzer
Marie Kelzer (b. 1954)
Printed cotton fabric, 2005–06. Westminster Fibers, Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina.
From 2005 to 2006, Marie Kelzer licensed twenty-one paste paper designs to Westminster Fabrics, a company known for its cotton fabric for quilting. Each design was reproduced in five to six colorways.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Marie Kelzer
Marie Kelzer. Paste Paper Patterns, vols. VII and IX. Marina del Rey, CA: Paper Arts, 2002 and 2020.
Marie Kelzer has produced nine volumes of Paste Paper Patterns in editions of eighteen copies. The books contain samples and descriptions of Kelzer's papers. Volume IX (above) includes papers painted between 2017 and 2019. This spread features Kelzer’s tools and techniques. Volume VII (below) includes papers made between 2009 and 2012. The pattern on Plate 5 has textured stripes made by the wheels of the toy car shown adjacent.
Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Friends of the Thomas J. Watson Library Gift