Printed on French Paper: Meet Helen, Showcasing Paper Beyond Print

I'm Helen Hiebert and I live outside of Vail, Colorado. I teach, lecture and exhibit my work internationally and online, and I am the author of the several how-to books about papermaking and papercrafts.

I love paper as a material and have been exploring various ways to work with it for the past 30 years. I construct installations, sculptures, films, artists’ books and works in paper, and I teach, lecture and exhibit my work internationally and online.

I discovered French Paper when a friend told me about the sample books, which include one sheet of each paper from the different collections- every color, every style!

At the time, I had just started teaching online classes and was putting kits together. French Papers ended up being the perfect match for my course called Flexible Book Structures. I love that there is a wide selection of colors, weights and collections in 8-1/2" x 11" sheets, and I've also used your colored envelopes for a variety of project

 

Paper inspires me. Every time I discover a new paper, my imagination is sparked! First, my mind starts to envision new creations, but the magic happens when I start manipulating the material in my hands: cutting, folding, crumpling, tearing, weaving and more. I also like to engage community around universal topics that inspire me, such as hope, motherhood, and light.

I created a permanent dandelion sculpture, The Wish, for a library in Denver. When you step under the giant dandelion puff, you hear recorded wishes from the community. (Pictured as the Cover Photo) Another piece I created is called Mother Tree – a large paper dress with crocheted strands of mother’s milk that fall to the floor, surrounding her like roots. 

I use French Paper's construction line for a Shadow Lantern project that I designed and teach frequently. It is easy to cut intricate windows in and comes in lovely earth colors.

Website: Helen Hiebert Studio

Instagram: @helenhiebert