Washi Intensive | An in-Person Hands-on Workshop in Blaine Washington

wa = Japanese and shi = paper · washi = Japanese paper

Registration opens: July 2025

Note: if you are interested in being notified early about registration for this workshop, please let me know at info@washiarts.com

Spend an entire day learning about washi, it’s 1400 hundred year history, the extraordinary range and types of papers. During this hands on, in-depth workshop you’ll learn about the various fibers, and why, where they are grown and how the fiber is prepared, makes a difference in the paper.

We’ll look at handmade papers of kozo, gampi and mitsumata. Some of the papers use Japanese fiber and others imported fiber, and we’ll spend time understanding the difference in feel and performance. We’ll look at machine made papers, sized papers, dyed papers, backed papers and paper with inclusions. We’ll learn how to identity paper by feel, and get to know washi by it’s fiber content and production method rather than by name (as the names can be misleading). Since most good paper has to be ordered online these days, we’ll examine a range of paper weights to better understand what to expect when you order a new paper for a project.

After a lunch break, we’ll look at decorated papers — chiyogami / yuzen, katazome-shi (stencil printed papers) and discuss their historical and contemporary uses. Testing will include coating the papers for protection as well as adhesive basics (jin shofu wheat starch paste / rice paste / funori, konnyaku).

This workshop will include a fabulous range of Japanese papers which you’ll test on, and will include a written description of the source of the paper, the fiber, its uses and properties which will be bound into your sampler. You’ll be inspired to use these beautiful papers in every aspect of your artwork.