Colorado State University and it sparked her interest. Soon after, she left South Dakota for Colorado. Not knowing exactly what she wanted to do, she knew whatever she decided it would involve something with art. After some time in Colorado, Earl decided to return to South Dakota to complete her education. She returned to Aberdeen and attended Northern State University for a year before transferring to the University of South Dakota where received her Bachelor of Fine Art. Earl’s medium and work was originally in printmaking. She eventually moved away from printmaking to work with clay. She says “clay kept me humble. It is not very forgiving…it cracks… its demanding”. She recounted a time when she lost several pieces due to imperfect conditions. Earl still has her printmaking press and from time to time will create a print or an embossed piece. As for clay…well you get the picture. After leaving clay, Earl began paper making. She describes working with this medium more “forgiving than clay.” She had found her niche and away she went! Forty-one years later, Earl is still successfully working with paper. I shared with Earl as a child I remember an art project making paper with old blue-jeans and a blender. Outside of the art project, I had no idea what it takes to make paper: I was clueless. I asked if she would educate me in her process, which she was happy to oblige! In a room adjacent to her studio is where the paper is made. There are large wooden forms/or boxes with screens and a machine that has been with her since the beginning of her journey with paper: The Hollander Beater. Earl cuts one half inch squares from old corduroy and then puts them in the Hollander Beater. During the next three to four hours the fibers are beaten to a workable consistency and meshed together so she can form sheets. The sheets are the basis for many of Earl’s creations. She makes one-of-a-kind greeting cards some with hilarious captions and others with positive messages. When asked about where she finds the humorous captions, she says they come from her own life experiences. “You have to be able to laugh at yourself ” she says. If you have not seen an “Earl” card I urge you to seek them out. Her cards are beautiful and uplifting and not even close to the same category of a storebought greeting card. These cards are unique pieces of frameable art and make an amazing gift on their own. Earl also makes books wrapped in 6”x48” planks with a lifetime stress-free and captions like her paper with images warranty, designed to coordinate with today’s décor and to stand up to all of life’s messes. Retailer Imprint ©Floor Designs Copyrighted by Mannington Mills, Inc. ®©™Mannington Mills, Inc. 2016 BEAUTIFUL | DURABLE | FLOORS Designed for real life and built-to-last, Mannington® vinyl, laminate, hardwood, and Adura® vinyl floors are both beautiful and durable. Larsen Carpet Laminate | Porcelain | Resilient | Hardwood gton.com | 1.800.356.6787 vEARL continued on page 27 6”x48” planks with a lifetim designed to coordinate with today’s déco 208 Walnut|605.665.2067 Historic Downtown Yankton mannington.com | 1.800.356.6787 ©Floor Designs Copyrighted by Manning HERVOICEvJULY/AUGUST 2019v11 Retailer Imprint Retailer