Dec. 2, 2009 at CAPA - making knotweed paper and working on a giant "mother earth with knotweed" puppet

Hello Folks,
I am posting this for the students as we are having difficulty accessing the blogspot at CAPA --
we can see some of the images and the posts but are having a hard time posting.

So, today the students made some knotweed paper. We are using the Hollander beater. First
we made some cotton pulp and then added some knotweed pieces. Later we added some flax
pulp as well. Maybe tomorrow we will try to make 100% knotweed pulp!

Connie visited today and was extremely helpful with her suggestions for the "image" of the mother
nature sculpture that will become a paper mache head for our giant puppet. Also, we discussed the
ongoing "saga" of our installation. The CAPA kids will make the knotweed path -- we can
add the puzzle pieces as well as crushed knotweed and maybe some "turtle" shells made of
paper mache. The giant puppet - if we get it done - can great the visitors outside in the
parking lot.

We also discussed the use of the knotweed paper -- oh, so many ideas . . . so little time!!!!

The CAPA kids want to return to Schenley Park to make a "illuminated" performance piece of
students walking through the hillside drawing. We are trying to make that possible.

Meanwhile, Connie also suggested that we consider photos from the first two knotweed
gathering sessions.

Personally, I think that all of this is proceeding very well --and once again, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE
TO BLOG!!!! We are screen-printing patches and posters . . . . making knotweed paper, stamping on
knotweed branches to break it into smaller pieces for the path . . . . KNOTWEED, KNOTWEED, KNOTWEED--
DARN IT, I'm seeing it in my dreams . . . .

Two students made great designs for the announcement today. While several others have been
creating images that we can screen-print onto poster or patches for the opening.

This should be a EXHILATARATING WONDERFUL EVENT!!!!
WE HOPE THAT EVERYONE WILL ATTEND, BRING FRIENDS AND FAMILY, ETC.