Khandroling Development Plans for Spring 2013

During 2012, several individuals met on a regular basis  to discuss the potential for developing an agricultural cooperative on lower Khandroling, formerly a small working farm typical of the region. This spring the "Coop" team plans on initiating the following pilot projects to inaugurate the project:

• Putting in 2 beehives for honey production

• 2 small test plots: 

Flax to be used for fibers in the paper making project

Barley to be used in conjunction with the honey to make Chudlen

• Planting fruit trees ( 30 to 50 depending on cost) up on the high part of the west side field

• The coop had the soil tested at the southern field; we will buy and plow in the necessary organic materials to make it suitable for planting vegetables

• Another mushroom plot, using the logs from the new road

 Photo credit Jacqueline Gens, Nary inoculating logs on upper Khandroling with mushroom spores


Members of the team currently include, Yuchen Namkhai, Paula Barry, Joe Zurylo, Nary Mitchill, Sebastian Ratti, Jacqueline Gens, and Leela Hewitt-Whitcomb. Earlier a working draft of a proposal was created in collaboration with Yuchen Namkhai that will evolve as pilot projects manifest in 2013. In the meantime, individual members of the team are actively researching local permaculture and landscape design resources in the area as well as enrolling in classes on beekeeping. 

 

Recent News from Khandroling Paper Cooperative

A couple of weeks ago Naomi Zeitz and I attended a three hour workshop on pulp painting at Dieu Donne paper mill in NYC as part of our Khandroling Paper Cooperative venture. We are always seeking to improve our craft.  Here are a few examples of our work from the workshop which was mailed to us after drying.

11 X 14 pulp painting on Abaca using a classic mould, pressed in a hydraulic press, then restraint dried. Naomi Zeitz

Although you can't see it here, the abaca is tissue thin and very translucent. This work is destined for our upcoming show

 11 x 14 cotton papers with stenciled pulp painting using a classic mould, pressed in a hydraulic press, then restraint dried. Naomi Zeitz


We made a stencil of a Tibetan cloud which
worked well here. Naomi Zeitz. Cloud stencil by Jacqueline Gens

Here is my experiment joining two pieces 11 x 14 cotton paper to make a long scroll. I then experimented with a brush to paint calligraphic gestures with the pigmented pulp. When the paper tore with the use of a brush, I simply patched crudely with cotton pulp pulled out of the vat that  pressed out evenly. Jacqueline Gens

During the workshop we viewed Dieu Donne's archive of works on paper. We love pulp painting and hope to continue with our experiments using handmade stencils and pigmented pulps to add to newly made wet pieces of paper. Naomi is especially gifted at coloring her pulps. Here  she is taking notes from our instructor at Dieu Donne.

One of the main projects we are currently developing is to make paper for handmade boxes to hold crystal wands.  Each box will be made with paper infused with sacred substances we have collected. Thanks to a generous donor we have many fine crystals to use for this project.

Here are some of our expermimental prototypes made by Margherita during our Janaury workshop.
















For further information about Khandroling Paper Cooperative updates, workshops and our Spring schedule, visit http://www.khandrolingpapers.blogspot.com