PULP owner Kris Westerson began making books and paper in the fall of 2008. She almost immediately sold what she made to friends and colleagues. And then began being asked to make custom pieces. However, the idea to establish a business making and teaching about handmade paper, hand-bound books, and letterpress didn’t arise for another four years.
“When I began to look for a new place to live in January 2013, I wanted to move to place that was favorable to craft and art. I selected Charleston and moved here in June 2013 ready to meet people and establish this business,” says Westerson who now calls West Ashley home and can often be found teaching classes at SpaceCraft Studios in Avondale.
“Moving here, knowing no one and starting a business is a very exciting, rewarding venture, but also a challenge,” says Westerson. “Learning the market, location, and people who might support my business, and getting involved with the art and making community is fun, but takes time.”
When Westerson first moved to West Ashley she established her bookarts studio first and quickly become known for making beautiful, well-crafted hand-bound books. Now that she owns a Hollander beater, Westerson is now able to make her own handmade paper, for which she’s also becoming known for.
“The first time I immersed my arms in a vat of pulp I was hooked on making paper. It is messy, fun, and freeing. The process keeps me in the moment, mindful, with room for the happy accident,” says Westerson. “I begin by layering pulp on a base sheet and adding fragments of patterns using stencils and pigmented cotton pulp. When a piece full of colorful patterns comes together it is supremely satisfying as is sharing the integrated result in a book or a painting.”
According to Westerson, starting a business can be likened to creating a piece of art. “I had an inkling of what I wanted to do and then physically making it a reality takes so much longer,” she says. “Challenges are also opportunities, though, and I have accomplished quite a bit in a year and a half. Because I make things, I also understand process, so I know everything is a process and building a business will take a few years.”
While at the moment Westerson operates PULP through an Etsy site and teaches classes, and has PULP Parties, she hopes to eventually grow into a physical location where she can offer regular classes in bookbinding, hand papermaking, and letterpress with a production hand papermaking mill. For now she is using her website www.kriswesterson.com as her virtual sorefront.
“Ultimately, it is the product, but also helping others to find their own inner artist I hope to accomplish,” says Westerson. “Working with your hands and making is so physically, psychologically, and emotionally rewarding. I want to spread the word about how making — and especially making paper and books± can save lives! Really!”
(843) 766-WEST (9378)
publisher@westof.net
