In this hands-on workshop, explore the art of creating vibrant paste papers and transform them into beautiful, functional pieces. Participants will begin the day by experimenting with a range of surface design techniques, using stamps, found objects, and even natural botanicals—gathered from the Historic Yellow Springs gardens or brought from home—to create unique, layered patterns.

As the papers dry, students will shift focus to simple bookbinding structures, creating reusable templates and learning how to construct journals, portfolios, or folded book forms. Additional ideas for using decorated paper—such as handmade cards, collages, and embellishments—will also be explored.

This workshop is perfect for artists, crafters, and paper-lovers looking to combine surface design with book arts. All levels welcome.

In this workshop, Taylor will demonstrate how she layers surface decoration techniques at the leather soft, leather hard, and bone dry stages to create colorful, tactile porcelain pottery. Slip trailing, refining by carving, and underglaze painting with paper resists will be covered. Strategies for choosing color palettes, fixing or incorporating mistakes, and composing a compelling surface will be discussed. These techniques can also be applied to stoneware.

Taylor Sijan is a full-time studio artist from Catawba Island, Ohio. She earned a BFA in 3-D Arts from Bowling Green State University (2016), completed two years of post-baccalaureate study in ceramics at Wichita State University (2016-2018), and obtained an MFA with ceramics emphasis from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2021). She has taught workshops at institutions including Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft, Peters Valley School of Craft, Gasworks NYC, The Hudgens Center for Art and Learning, Touchstone Center for Crafts, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts, and Wooten Clayworks.