Photographs by Timothy S. Allen
Exploring the World with a Camera
Sitka Center For Art and Ecology
Jane Ingram Allen was selected as one of the artists in residence for Fall 2013 at Sitka Center for Art & Ecology in Otis, Oregon. Jane will be an artist in residence there from October 16, 2013 to January 10, 2014. The Sitka Center is located in the northwestern part of Oregon on the coast just above Lincoln City. It is a beautiful area, and Sitka Center is part of the Cascade Head National Scenic Research Area. They have wonderful studios and small cabins for the residents here. We are living amidst tall Sitka Spruce trees and also able to see the ocean where the Salmon River runs into the sea. There are many elk here we are told – we haven’t seen one up close yet but have seen a big herd of elk far up on the mountainside.
Jane is having a great time making her handmade paper art in the big and light-filled Boyden Studio at Sitka Center. This studio has great facilities for a papermaking with a huge bathtub sink, stove and lots of tables and also a high ceiling for her suspended installations. Jane is making paper for her artworks from plant materials collected in the Sitka area. Jane’s husband Timothy S. Allen is here with her at the Sitka residency, and he is enjoying taking photos of everything. For some really great photographs of the Sitka area and the Oregon coast (also some of Jane’s art projects!), take a look at Timothy S. Allen’s photo blog at https://allentimphotos2.wordpress.com
Jane’s workspace is located in the Boyden Studio. It is a huge space high ceilings with lots of tables, excellent lighting and many sinks. It is ideal for paper making.
The Boyden Studio, where Jane is working, has areas for hanging recently couched handmade paper to dry. There is also a kitchen area with a stove that is ideal for cooking plants to make paper.
One of the first projects Jane did after arriving was to make handmade paper using the Sitka logo.
Jane also molded damp handmade paper to one of the Alder trees on the Sitka site. Here she is removing it after it has dried.
After traveling to Tillamook, Oregon and seeing the quilt squares on the barns. Jane became interested in making handmade paper quilt squares. The quilt squares on the barns is part of the Tillamook Quilt Trail. Here is their website, http://www.tillamookquilttrail.org
Jane is making one part of the quilt square by dipping a frame into a blue paper pulp vat.
To make the patterns for the quilt square, it is necessary to cut each part of the pattern from a material called buttercut and sticking it to a frame. Buttercut is normally used for covering material prior to sand blasting.
Jane is couching a handmade paper onto a fabric that is then hung up to dry.
Recently couched handmade paper quilt squares are hung out to dry.
Jane is working on a dried quilt square.
Jane working on her paper quilt. She is putting the individual squares together using threads and gel medium.
This is the finished quilt.
One of the other residents, poet Tom Crawford, visited Jane to see what she was doing. Tom has been talking about writing some of his poems on Jane’s handmade paper.
Photographs by Timothy S. Allen 
Thanks very much for sharing, Timothy. Looks like you are having a wonderful time in Oregon, despite the rainy weather. Jane’s paper art is very impressive. Beautiful.
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Thank you. Yes, despite the weather. Today is rainy but the last couple of days have had sunshine. I kayaked across the Salmon River to the spit and then walked back along the south side of the estuary. It was beautiful but rough. I did see a bald eagle fly up off where it was perched along the side the Salmon River. When the bird saw me it turned away. It was only about 30 meters away when it turned.Spectacular! No camera shot – too quick but the image is imbedded in my mind.
Jane is doing a some interesting paper here. She is using the plants from this area to make paper. Right now she is working with Sitka Spruce bark. It will be interesting to see how it turns out. I’ll take some pictures of it.
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Your wife’s art is beautiful. I recently discovered residency programs as I read in my writer’s digest magazine. I toured the Studios of Key Residency Program during the summer and really enjoyed their set and program. I will one day participated in a residency program after I become a full-time RV to travel the US photographing and writing.
You have a well-organized blog site. 😉
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Thank you for your positive words. Residencies are a plus. They are worldwide. An excellent resource for U.S. residencies is the Alliance of Artist Communities http://www.artistcommunities.org For international ones Resartis http://www.resartis.org/en/ Good writing a shooting to you.
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Hey thanks, for the information.
I signed up for the newsletter belonging to the artist communities and will be reading further about what they offer.
I have the Sitka location marked as a place to visit when I travel west.
Again, thank you! 🙂
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Your welcome. Best in pursuing artist residencies. Some such as Sitka are fantastic.
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