Candace Thayer-Coe Botanical Handmade Paper Embraces Cloud Art

In the Mezzanine

On display February 2 - May 30

Artist Bio

Candace Thayer-Coe is a paper artist using craft and artistic expression to create works of art. She studied and practiced Japanese and Western paper making in the Philippines. Her favourite papers are those that have a proper composition and surface for traditional marbling techniques: Japanese “Suminagashi” and Turkish “Ebru”. She produces one-of-a-kind marbled sheets on commercial and her own handmade paper.  As a member of the Craft Council of BC Candace has curated exhibits for their gallery in Vancouver including a celebration of the ancestral weaving with, ‘Sharing a Musqueam Gift”. She has taught Suminagashi workshops and exhibited her work in various Vancouver locations and now brings her art to Kelowna, teaching, selling and exhibiting.

Artist Statement

The discovery process of paper-making inspired me in the mountain town of Baguio City in the Philippines at the Duntog Paper Mill. There I found art within the botanical structure of the rich fibres available in the tropics. I played with the composition of the elements and fibres creating intense, flexible, textured and strong papers suitable for traditional Turkish marbling; originally known in Turkey as ‘Ebru’ from a Persian word ‘Ebri’ meaning ‘cloud like’ and the earlier Japanese method of ‘Suminagashi’, meaning ‘ink floating'. Marbling has energy of its own, it seems alive as it works with me to provide mystical and uniquely crafted patterns and images with an artistic life.

My Cloud Art is a technique of patterning colours floating on liquid and capturing the image by making a mono-print on paper.  I  float water colour inks prepared with Ox Gall on the surface of water thickened with Carrageenan. And then, I  capture the image created on treated commercial or my own handmade paper. When my expectations of creative expression and ideal technique has been met I frame the piece for showing. 

My vision is the re-emergence of the ancient craft of marbling and creating an awareness of it’s artistic capabilities and promise. I have presented my work in exhibits and stores along with workshops in Manila and Baguio City, Philippines, Vancouver B.C., Galiano Island and Seattle in the US. I came home to continue my marbling quest in Vancouver and now Kelowna where my Cloud Art greeting cards are currently available at Picture Perfect & Perpetual Blooms and Style Boutique.