Jim Meilander
Handmade Paper, Mixed Media,
Printmaking
Active hand papermaking studio with demonstrations, mixed media art featuring handmade paper.
Directions to Studio #18 at 46400 Bourns Gulch Road, Gualala:
From Hwy 1 at mile marker 2.81, turn east on Glennen. At 0.18 miles turn right on Bourns Gulch Road, go 0.5 miles uphill. Studio is on the left, turn left at driveway.
Studio Tour Hours:
Aug. 23-24 & Aug. 30-Sept. 1
11 am to 5 pm
My studio is also open year-round by appointment.
No pets please.
Primarily a mixed-media artist, my artwork includes handmade paper, printmaking, collage, painting, drawing, and sculpture. My abstract imagery is a playful, personal synthesis of real and imaginary. I am inspired by my natural and man-made physical surroundings, objects used in work and play, and pure fantasy. I am currently working on a new series of artwork inspired by forest trees surrounding my studio.
Producing the handmade paper that I incorporate into my mixed-media artwork is an integral part of my creative process. I begin by making sketches. Then I create a painting using a palette of pigmented abaca, cotton paper pulp, and pulp made from plants growing wild in Mendocino County. I find the varying neutral shades obtained from wild plant fibers especially welcoming. Collage elements are then embedded into the work in progress. After the paper has dried, I continue to develop the work using acrylic paints, printmaking techniques, collage, pencils, pens, charcoal, and encaustic. As I work on each piece, I allow for spontaneous images to develop.
My wife Joan and I originally co-founded our studio Submarine Paperworks In 1984 at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, then re-established it when we moved to Gualala in 2000. I have an active role in operating Submarine Paperworks that includes designing and fabricating the equipment such as molds and deckles, deckle boxes, a hydraulic platen press, and a vacuum table. I recently restored a 1966 Voith Valley (Hollander) beater.
Active Member: North American Hand Papermakers
Education: BS in Art Education. Ohio University, Athens, OH
Recent Awards from Gualala Arts:
Best Collage at Gualala Salon (2021, 2025)
Third Place in Prints & Graphics at Art in the Redwoods (2021)
Best of Show in Putting It All Together: Collage and Assemblage (2018)
First Place in Printmaking at Art in the Redwoods (2015)
First Place in Collage & Mixed-Media at Art in the Redwoods (2012, 2008)
Recent Exhibitions:
Joan Rhine & Jim Meilander Together: Individual & Collaborative Art at Coast Highway Art Collective, Point Arena, CA
The Art of Paper at Art Center, Ukiah, CA
Expressions in Handmade Paper 3 at the Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka, CA
Where to Find My Art:
Discovery Gallery, Gualala, CA