Certain Blue

I have a long history of working in hand papermaking. For the past twelve years, I have ventured down the unexpected path of growing, researching, and learning to process indigo to dye paper and cloth. I am captivated by the colors produced which vary from teals to aquas to blues of clear days and dark night skies. I especially love that these blues speak to me of water. Some pieces on exhibit include indigo studies. The others allude to my sensory encounters with a lake in Vilas County, where I've resided for over four decades, and to visual recollections of my childhood spent mere blocks away from Lake Michigan.

Debra Ketchum Jircik is a hand papermaker and incorporates indigo, natural dyes, earth pigments and stitching into her work. She grows and processes indigo in the traditional Japanese way. Debra lives outside of Eagle River on a small spring fed lake where she enjoys observing the seasonal changes and loves wild swimming.