Dene Ross

My interest in papermaking began in the mid-1970's, when I realized that books were printed on paper that would not last a century.  As a photographer and printmaker, paper was the foundation for my work, and I sought a more permanent material.  Through research, I gained a fascination for the process of papermaking, and paper itself became the medium of my artistic expression.  Over the years, I learned natural dying techniques during my stay with a Navajo tribe, explored the Chinese process of embedding organic matter such as flowers and leaves, created organic pulps, and applied pure pigment to create pulp paintings.  Since 1979, my artwork has been exhibited widely.  Selected exhibitions include Tulane Medical Center and Loyola University New Orleans, Bloomingdale's White Plains where they designed rooms around the artwork, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Hudson River Museum, College of New Rochelle, Nordstroms, the Executive Suite at the Westchester County Office Building, and Rhinebeck Art Fair.  Since 1979, I have been teaching workshops in papermaking and have conducted residencies in schools in NYC, Westchester County, Southern Connecticut, Rome, Italy and Athens, Greece.  I also teach a graduate level course in papermaking for art education and art therapy master's degree candidates. In April 2015, I exhibited my newest embedded Pulp Paintings in Tallahassee at Spring House, the only private residence built in Florida designed by the great American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Master of Fine Art and Art Education. Art Staff Development Classes Educator.

I have been lecturing and exhibiting handmade paper and pulp paintings throughout the United States since 1978.  I have been a guest lecturer at the New York Botanical Gardens, Mamaroneck School District, Dieu Donne Papermill in NYC, Silvermine Guild Arts Center in CT, schools in Westchester County, Connecticut, Rome, Italy and Athens, Greece.  I trained teachers in Queens District 28 at the New York Museum of Art and had a studio residency at New Rochelle High School.  I teach graduate-level courses in papermaking for art education and art therapy master's degree candidates. Papermaking, which can be completed in a short period of time, provides an immediate sense of accomplishment and bolsters self-esteem and creative development.  I have taught curriculum through the arts and art for art's sake, believing both are vital for learning other disciplines.  I have conducted a papermaking studio and residencies including: The Arts Education: A Common Ground for Learning conference sponsored by the NYS Alliance for Arts Education; Dows Lane School in Irvington; French American School of New York in Larchmont; Woodlands High School for the Greenburgh Empire State Partnership project; and a mural residency at the Van Cortlandt Middle School in Croton where I was selected as the first of four residency artists for an intensive year-long Arts Partners program for 6th graders who created a permanently installed mural at Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.  The residency began with a slide lecture of the history of papermaking.  Next, students made two pieces of 5' X 8' "papyrus-like" paper of cotton and yellow flower petals.  On one paper students wrote their first and last names in hieroglyphics.  On the other, Egyptian imagery was researched by students, transferred and colored in colors used by Egyptians.  The final hanging contains a work from every 6th grade student. I have successfully taught collage and low relief sculpture classes in camps.  I currently teach landscape and still-life acrylic painting classes for adults privately, at local libraries and in summer camp.  In my Landscape Painting course, students create a finished acrylic work in 2 1/2 hours using 6" X 8" canvas board and small brushes.  I explain the Impressionist style of painting.  Students are able to use pictures for inspiration.  Even students with no prior experience are successful.  (See photo 4 for student work of 3 small paintings.)