“Will you choose to see the beauty? What will you make of it?”
Chelsea Putnam
I am so excited to be teaching my masterclass “Forest, Field, Imprint” on the Paper Lab platform this Thursday, February 19, 12 pm EST.
The spots I had available have already been taken but if you are a paid member of my Substack community, “Rivers Speak in Voltage” you will receive a link to the recording.
www.stories.karenolsonphotography.coom
There is also still a chance to join the Paper Lab year long program. It’s a really dynamic space for those who would like to increase their knowledge in papermaking and related techniques. Membership gives you access to my class and many others.
@paper.lab.berlin
Not all things that hold us together are visible or tangible. Sometimes you just know there is a strong connection, a spark, a light that illuminates the bond that ties two beings together.
By tending relationships with other species, we thrive, and remember what it is like to feel alive.
I am thrilled to report that my artist book, “Rivers Speak in Voltage,” has been accepted into the show “Narrative Threads” by Abecedarian Gallery.
The show can be viewed in person at the Moody Memorial Library, Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
The catalog can be viewed online at:
https://abecedariangallery.com/product-category/exhibits/narrative-threads-2026/
Thank you, Alicia! @artistsbooks
#artistsbooks #karenolsonphotography
The Long Way In
Photo transfer on artist made cattail paper
#karenolsonphotography #papermaking
@inkaid1
This little post card was sent all the way to Germany to become a part of The International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists permanent, Ruby Jubilee collection. Starting with Art Centre Silkeborg Bad in Denmark, the exhibition will travel to several locations throughout the year. Entries came from the global membership in a wide variety of media and processes.
For more information visit https://www.iapma.info/IAPMAExhibitions
@iapma
#iapma #iapmarubyjubilee
Rivers Speak–but Do Trees Talk?
The tree huggers among us want to know—do plants and trees initiate conversation? Do they respond to our inquiries? Do they offer knowledge of some kind?
Check out the post at www.stories.karenolsonphotography.com
#foresttherapy #natureconnection #plantintelligence #humannatureconnection
Two cascade books - double sided.
Particularly enjoying the soft, unabashedly pink shades of Japanese kakishibu with modifiers. A bit of abaca lace ties them together.
There are a few new options in my shop, including these books, in case you might be up for a look.
Also, we are closing in on the last couple of weeks to sign up for the Italy Retreat @italianatours where we will explore paper dyeing, photo printing, and sculpture techniques. June in Italy is high season and reservations for the rooms must be made in advance. The workshop is definitely a go. I would love it if you could join us!
#italyartworkshop #papersculpture #italiantours #karenolsonphotography
“An Opening, Not an Answer”
Artist-made papers with cattail and Himalayan Balsam, pigment print on kozo paper, linen thread, beeswax
#papermakingwithplants #karenolsonphotography
To listen without words is to trust the body, the heart, and the space between us. The body knows how to listen—through rhythm, breath, and shared presence, we create coherence.
#coherence #foresttherapy #karenolsonphotography
Back from a good, restorative break and ready to greet the New Year.
A new post is up on my Substack, “Listening Without Language.”
A video tutorial on glues and adhesives will follow, along with a community Zoom meetup discussing the theme “The Glue That Binds Us - A Metaphorical Exploration of Adhesion, Connection, and Creative Resilience.
You can find everything at:
www.stories.karenolsonphotography.com
#creativeresilience #foresttherapyguide #heartsense
‘Nine versions of the same story.’
A collection of nine small, two page books that hang on the wall.
Photo transfers on dyed hanji, Himalayan Balsam lace, linen cord.
I am sure you have had this experience, friends or family members each telling their own version of the story with passion. The more time passes, the more the story unfolds with details.
#artistbook #handmadepaper #karenolsonphotography
Introducing — Rivers Speak in Voltage
Walk with me—into the spaces where art and nature entwine, where the act of creating becomes a form of listening. Through stories, imagery, and quiet reflection, we’ll cultivate resilience, awareness, and a renewed sense of connection. Each post is an offering—part reflection, part artistry, part gentle guidance—designed to explore how the rhythms of the natural world can awaken and steady us, reminding us what it means to feel deeply alive in a complex time.
Rivers Speak in Voltage is a bi-monthly newsletter and community space where I dive deep into our relationship with art, our connection to the natural world, and how these practices support resilience.
This newsletter is free to subscribe to, and each post will be delivered directly to your email inbox so you can read at your own pace.
You also have the option to join as a paid subscriber, which includes monthly Zoom meetups, video tutorials, and access to a private chat where you can connect with fellow creatives and ask questions.
I would love for you to be part of this growing community.
You can visit the newsletter at www.stories.karenolsonphotography.com
I am so excited to share this with you and I would be delighted to have you join me!
A little something I call “Close Companions.”
From the Kinship series.
‘Nine Versions of the Same Story’ - a collection of small “books” from the Kinship series. Each one is made from Himalayan Balsam lace pace and two layers of hanji, stained with dye and pigment printed.
#kinshipseries #karenolsonphotography #naturaldye #artistbook #handmadepaper
“Paint not what you see but how you respond to what you see.” A lovely quote from Jacki Barklie @jackiebarklie taken from the Friday Feature Artist interview @taketwoartcourses
Today’s work explores exactly that. I painted responding to my latest forest walk with dye on washi papers from @washiarts using modifiers. Had so much fun! Especially in love with the last one. Envisioning a new series.
#naturaldye #washipaper #artistplaydate
New workshop for 2026!
Wild Light Retreat - Paper Sculpture and Artist Books
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico October 7-13, 2026
San Miguel de Allende offers a wonderfully diverse culture and a thriving arts scene, and I’m delighted to return to teach this workshop.
This immersive, retreat-style workshop invites participants on a transformative creative journey—one that opens the heart-sense and awakens intuitive awareness. Through discussions and demonstrations, we’ll discover ways to let the inherent qualities, textures, and characteristics of each material guide the creative process and shape unique compositions.
Linda Laino will be our host in San Miguel. Full details at the link in my bio.
https://www.karenolsonphotography.com/wild-light-retreat
#wildlightartretreat #artworkshops #artretreat #artistbooks #papersculpture
Finally completed, “Rivers Speak in Voltage.”
This one certainly took patience. A difficult structure for handmade paper. I explored many new ideas here.
The broader concept is a work in progress. This poetic piece is a beginning.
Pigment prints on Baram Hanji paper, artist made papers from abaca, cattail, corn husk, and Himalayan balsam, natural dye, antique linen thread, and Korean hanji.
#bookarts #handmadepaper #karenolsonphotography
Interlude
Taking time for a self guided forest therapy walk. Fernald’s Neck Preserve, orange trail. So peaceful.
For me, autumn is a season of mixed emotion. Deep grief combined with the joy of rich color, intense fragrance and a soft landing on a bed of pine. It is a time for self care, fully indulging in this wide range of sensations.
Work in progress. This is the book I started work on @mainemedia with @susankaegrant
It will be an edition of 3 with printed images and handmade paper. I am trilled to discover that text can be photo transferred onto my delicate handmade paper. It’s so exciting to lift the print and find every detail in tact!
#artistbooks #papermaking #karenolsonphotography
