A walk in the woods provides the inspiration for my work. I always carry a small baggie to collect precious treasures that I love weaving into my art.  

I am a papermaker, book artist, paper sculptor, and new calligrapher focusing on the natural world for my source of inspiration and materials. My current work reimagines handmade paper and deconstructed books as sculptural elements. I invite viewers to examine their relationships with and between paper, wood, and trees and connections to our natural world. I use paper to create trees and tree-based elements of artistic means.

Oak trees are a common theme in my completed pieces. Oak leaves, barks, twigs, and other found natural objects insert their way into my creative process. To me, all the small details matter. Each mark, stitch, and cut is intentional and yet created in the moment. I allow the meditative quality of handwork to form and finish each piece.

As a papermaker, I integrate plants as accents and dyes into recycled fibers for my papers. I often use plants considered invasive or ubiquitous around my home, and I source recycled papers and fabrics that would otherwise be trashed.

I create artist books with many of the same natural elements. The book - as art - shares many interests in one medium. My books encourage further exploration of what we expect from a book and how these expectations can be manipulated. 

I also form paper sculptures, often replicating flowers and other natural objects. Each piece is formed one-by-one, each unique. My sculptures ask viewers to entertain the versatility of paper as an art form. 

My educational background includes art and writing degrees. I also hold the Book Arts Certificate from Minnesota Center for the Book Arts.

Dana’s Website
danaslowiak.com