Found Paper

I use found paper in my textile work.

My mineral piece,
Looking for Labradorite
detail showing paper

What is found paper? It's paper that is FOUND.

And you can find paper in some wonderful places.

The piece of paper in Looking for Labradorite is from Arles, in the south of France. I found it while I was there on a holiday.

me in Arles-it was so windy that day
I had to sit down so my dress wouldn't fly up!

Well... I didn't really find it. I ripped it.

view from the top of the Arles amphitheatre

The Arles amphitheatre measures 136 m x 107 m.
The Colosseum in Rome measures 188 m x 156 m

It was an advertisement for a film, I think, and with the rain it had become unglued and was draping off the wall. The event was over so I decided to "find" it and I ripped it off. The raw uneven edge is very interesting.

fossils from the stone of the Arles amphitheatre

I have also used found paper in "My City", a collage I created for takepART 2012. The paper is from an advertisement that was on a pole in downtown Toronto. I specifically tore off the part with the letters.

The best time to find that kind of paper is after a rain.

Found paper seen in the creating stage.

Your found paper does not have to be found outside. Found paper can be a stamp from an envelope, a school child's homework, a chocolate bar wrapper, a page from a book that is falling apart.

Keep your eyes open.