On the process of making her leaf bowls

Family that saved her belongings during World War II Thriving art culture at camp Leaving everything behind On the process of making her leaf bowls On the process of creating her Japanese paper bowls From double weaving to microfilament “flat” hangings Marriage to Bob Stocksdale Moving to Cincinnati after Topaz Learning how to weave Mother also wove growing up

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Signe had put us onto this fellow by the name of Booker Morey who actually processed bigleaf maples. He took away the solid, the chlorophyll part, and so all you had were the veins of leaves. They’re very beautiful… he gave me some, and then I started buying them from him. That's how the leaf bowls came about…

I soaked the leaves for about half a day until the veins became very pliable. Then I would be able to work with them. Prior to that… I would cut a leaf form. I usually used a pair. The paper leaves would go on the bowl first, and I worked upside down this way. Then after that dried and I was able to get them off the mold, I would soak the actual leaves in the water for at least half a day. Then when they were really pliable, they got paste on them, and applied onto the paper bowl, the paper leaves.

Date: November 23, 2018
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Patricia Wakida
Contributed by: A Co-Production of the Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum and KCET

art artist bowls leaf