Skip to main content

Inspiration Interview with Erin Groff of Pulpa Paper Products.

Artist Erin Groff of Newark, Ohio, creates with fiber that is cotton mixed with various recycled fibers, dyes, and botanicals from the garden. The cotton and additives are soaked, possibly dyed, and beat into a pulp. Once this pulp (slurry) is created, it goes through a screening and pressing process and then left to dry. 
Erin built on the education she received from Columbus College of Art and Design, played, experimented, and now sells her art and sculpture online. 
This is what she has to say about Inspiration...

What insipres you?

Ahhh, a timeless question, "what inspires me?" Sometimes it seems so difficult to find and other days I can find it in the way the sun hits the trees, the way a child plays, or even as simply as the taste of really good peanut butter and jelly sandwich.



When have you had your greatest "A-ha" moments?
Keep in mind artists, that sometimes it isn't about how GREAT your art is, it's about how GREAT YOU BELIEVE you art to be. The excitement and energy we portray is fed into others around us, and they feel that too. They begin to think " This must be awesome"!, and it is!!!! This is my A-Ha moment!


What do you do when you feel you are in need of inspiration?
As I previously mentioned, there are those days when inspiration is difficult if not darn right impossible to find. What is one to do, especially if ones livelihood depends on inspiration to create the products one sells? Yikes! Well, they don't call us starving artists for nothing. Cleaning out my workspace and studio always helps, I find when everything is put back into it's place, neat and tidy; I cannot wait to spread it all out again and make a new mess! Otherwise, I take a bath, along with a deep breath, possibly a nap. Wake up, then go for a drive and hope that sun hits the trees just right!!

What do you feel you do to inspire others?

I try to live open minded and child like. At almost 35 years of age, I feel I haven't progressed much past cutting and pasteing, and I am thrilled for it. So many people I know get caught up in the 9 - 5, mortgages, and children, and husbands, dry cleaning, and PTA that they forget to stop and have fun. I want to be a testimonial to the fact that you don't have to be a grown up to do all these things. To be youthful and child like does not mean immature and childish! So cut something up, yell out the window, and don't worry if anyone else thinks this is NORMAL.
Peace, Love, and Handmade Paper!
Thanks Erin!!!

Please be sure to check out Erin Groff at Pulpa Paper Products, www.pulpapaperproducts.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for leaving a message!

Popular posts from this blog

Introducing the new "Focus" line of aspiration rings.

I have been working on a new line of “dream driven” rings, which are now available at Jewel Envy in Toronto, and soon online. This line is based on a simple idea – stay focused on your dream. Many of us have vision boards, or other ways to inspire us and remind us of the things in life we want to manifest. However, once those visual reminders are out of sight, they can be out of mind. My vision is two-fold. One, a beautiful, easy to wear ring that helps to stay focused when making decisions about time, money everyday, all day. Two, a constant reminder of love and support as a loved one works towards their dream.  The rings follow a motif, but are elegant and subtle, leaving it up to the wearer to share the deeper meaning with those they deem worthy. Our dreams and goals are varied and individual as we are, but the Focus line has launched with three rings which look beautiful with or without the aspirations: Focus - Writing a Book:  This is designed with the aspirations of someone who w

Jewellery Holds Our Memories

Jewellery is often with us during special moments, experiences, and milestones. Sometimes it is given to us by a special person, or in a special way, or at a special time. Our jewellery pieces carry these memories for us, even when we didn't mean them to. Sometimes, there are experiences so personal, and so common, that we keep them in our own special way, and only share them with certain people, when we feel the time is right. It might be through a song, a poem, sculpture, or painting, and this is often the way that artists touch us in the deepest way - by channeling, sharing and expressing our stories. As a goldsmith, my poetry and sculpture is precious and portable. I am acutely aware that I am always creating vessels that may carry memories and emotions which haven't happened yet, but sometimes, I also get to design pieces that can carry an emotions someone has been holding alone. This is a special connection we artists have, and always have had, to the human experie

It's Good to be in Knots

 Through the pandemic, much cleaning was done.  Many boxes discovered, and their treasures revealed.  Treasures like old rings (too small), brooches (too outdated), and necklaces (too broken).  You may, like me, have wondered why treasure chests in the old movies always seemed to have loose gems in them.  There could be a terrible, historical reason for that I can cover in a another post, or it was just theatrical drama, but I think many people these days have similar stashes because they simply do not know what to do with them.   Over the last few decades, there have been literally tons of silverware and ornate jewellery deemed gaudy and melted down for money.  Diamonds get reset into new engagement rings.  But what about pearls?  How do you know if they are real, if they are worth anything, do they need to be treated in a special way, and what can you do with them? 1. Real pearls have a subtle, grainy texture.  Experts will look for clues like seams to give away mold lines in plastic