Date of event: April 6, 2013, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Shan Jones is a paper artist who lives in Oakland, teaching and creating art with upcycled materials.

Always curious, making and creating has been a way of life for Shan. With a love of travel, the different countries have had an impact on her art. She explored glass, wood, metal and ceramics in Manchester, England at Three Dimensional Design, before being won over by paper and its versatility.

Shan spent several years traveling, photographing and journaling her experiences around the world. She went from Russia to Japan, South East Asia to the Americas, learning techniques from the artisans along the way and drawing upon those experiences for each project or workshop. Shan now has a small paper arts business creating invitations, stationery, jewelry and rubber stamps using materials that were once (or twice) planned for a different use and extending its life and beauty. Upcycling paper goods from recycled materials, like the joy in discovering an abandoned book from a dusty shelf, creates opportunity and possibility.

“Seeing a product through from beginning to end, and creating a finished product is very satisfying. Being able to share an original artistic creation with the world is something I hope to continue to do. ”