About Paperslurry

When you first saw handmade paper, you were instantly obsessed with it.

Beautiful.
Disobedient.
Soulful.
Unconventional.
Sublime.
Organic.
Human.

Lightyears away from boring, bright-white, stale, too perfectly and obnoxiously flat, neutered, industrially-made papers.

Could you start making your own papers? But how on earth do you even do that? And what are other artists doing out there?

You’re someone who wants to know about it all.

And I believe that ANYONE can get caught-up in a frenzy of paper pulp and revolutionize their creative work with papermaking.

Founder May Babcock

Hey it’s May, founder of Paperslurry.

I’m a papermaking artist based in the United States who gives voice to waterways by turning seaweed, sediment, and plants into paper. You can see my artwork at maybabcock.com.

I’ve taught papermaking at top-tier art schools such as RISD and School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, and renowned art centers like Penland School of Craft. My art has been shown at RISD Museum of Art, New Bedford Whaling Museum, National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute, Fitchburg Art Museum, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. I’ve created wildly ambitious public art installations at airports and state houses (with paper pulp, how else?), and shared papermaking with many communities — for over a decade.

Why I Started Paperslurry Back In 2012

I am admittedly an avocado-on-sourdough-toast eating millennial who does enjoy some internet. And when I first started making paper one eternity ago, I was disgruntled that even a Google search for "pulp painting" gave me next to zero information. Where was everybody?

But hand papermaking was amazing. A GAME-CHANGER for my art.

I felt the internet world needed to know how amazing it was, and so I started Paperslurry.com to share what I learned along the way, and to help fill the online gap. There HAD to be more people just like me, who were starting out and who wanted to learn more. I started creating original tutorials, infographics, interviews, and articles about artists and projects that I found exciting.

Paperslurry is something that I wish I had as a beginner — and I’m happy that it can be that place for you. Paperslurry serves as a resource for anyone looking for more information about hand papermaking.

And, after teaching papermaking in-person for over a decade, I’ve decided to teach what I know online.

If you want to supercharge your artistic papermaking, signup for my free email newsletter Paperslurry Weekly to become a brilliant papermaker.

How I Fell In Love With Papermaking

Meeting hand papermaking was transformative for my own artwork. My first experience with papermaking was while completing my MFA in printmaking, where another graduate student (Megan Singleton) was working with some gloppy, pulp stuff, making interesting scents with said pulp stuff, and running noisy equipment. Finally, I asked what in the world she was doing. So, we made a collaborative woodcut printed on wet paper together, and I knew that was it—I found my life’s passion and purpose.

Everyday, I’m grateful for hand papermaking, and get a ridiculous amount of pleasure, adrenaline, and fun as I continue to innovate and experiment in my papermaking studio.

How to Get Started with Papermaking

Are you ready to learn papermaking for your art? Want to learn from me, no matter where you are in the world?

I’ve created PAPERSLURRY WEEKLY, a free email series that will give you papermaking tips and inspiration every week.

Enter your email address below to get started and become a brilliant papermaking artist: