Papier mâché forms take on an Asian look

Dear Sandi: My mother-in-law gave me a few pieces of those papier mâché forms found in craft stores. I’m not too sure what I’m going to do with the one that looks like a small reindeer, but a couple of the pieces are different vase shapes. I’d like to do something with these for my family room, maybe something Oriental looking. Thanks. —Robbie M. Salem

Hi Robbie: I am very familiar with the type of papier mâché forms you are talking about, and we have done a number of different things with them.

If you are going to paint them, apply a number of coats of paint to create your base layer. These forms have fairly visible paper lines on them. To hide those overlapping paper seams, you also can put a coat of gesso on the surface first and allow it to dry before starting your base coat of paint.

After you have built up your base and it has thoroughly dried, apply your design work. If you are confident with your ability to draw or paint freehand, look through some books on brush painting and kanji for inspiration, then go for it. If you are not too sure of your skills, then look for stencils with Asian designs. There are many on the market that have copied the lovely brush painting techniques of the Asian masters, and usually there will be an English translation along with the characters, so you can even choose sentiments that mean something to you. Also include imagery that denotes this influence, such as specific birds or flowers. The stenciling world has come a long way in the past few years, and I am always amazed at the huge variety.

If paint and/or stenciling isn’t the way you want to go, another good option is montage. You can use a variety of things for this, including fabric, paper, unusual fibers and embellishments.

We created a piece similar to what you are asking about for a client that wanted something suggestive of Asian but not too “true” to the theme. Her main requirement was that it be in neutral shades of blacks, white and natural and that it look “like it has been hanging around for a few centuries.”

Whether you're looking for handmade paper, furniture, fabric or accessories, you will find it at loose ends. If it is unusual, organic and fabulous, then loose ends is the place. Showroom hours are 8 am to 5 pm weekdays and the first Saturday of each month 10 am - 3pm at 2065 Madrona Ave. SE, Salem, or visit us online at www.looseends.com Questions? Give us a call at (503) 390-2348.

We began by covering the entire piece in a natural shade of handmade paper, using a premixed, water-based wallpaper paste. We used a rather heavy paper for this. Then we gathered together a number of other handmade papers in shades of gray, black, taupe and natural and tore them into small, workable-size pieces, about 3 to 4 inches, in a variety of shapes.

We then did the same with a selection of different Oriental papers that had kanji writing on them in various scripts and sizes. All of the pieces were applied with the wallpaper paste, allowing the papers to overlap each other.

For the next step, we chose a number of other types of fiber, including some black fishnetting, some banana fiber and particularly linen bark, a wonderful natural fiber that has an airy, almost spider-web quality to it. These were all applied with the same wallpaper paste as the papers. While the fibers and netting were still wet, we worked them on the pot’s surface, pulling them apart, then alternately letting them build and bunch up in other places.

Sandi Reinke is an author, frequent television guest and lead designer for loose ends (www.loosends.com), a Salem-based interior décor, garden, and casual lifestyle company. To ask Reinke a decorating question, e-mail info@looseends.com or mail her at the showroom address, 2065 Madrona Ave. SE, Salem, OR 97302. Phone: 503-390-2348.

Wallpaper paste, used in this type of layering needs at least 24 hours to dry. If in doubt, give it an extra day, then you can apply whatever type of surface finish to it that you want. This is where you will determine if the piece is to look like a rustic pottery or a highly polished and elegant vase. The surface sealers are available in everything from matte to high shine, with a couple of variations in the middle. If you really want to age the piece, you can apply watered-down acrylic paints in shades of raw umber or raw sienna before you finish the piece with your sealer.

At this point, you can call the project done, or you may want to add some embellishments, such as old Chinese coins, some beads, maybe luck stones, etc.

If you’re not sure just exactly what you want to do, look through a few books for some inspiration. You probably will get so many ideas that you will wish your mother-in-law had given you a few more pieces. July 22, 2005