Papirmass (pronounced pah-purr-mass) is a Canadian art subscription that sends you a print from a new artist or illustrator each month. Their name is a play on the Danish word for "pulp," and they were founded by two artists to help keep themselves and others inspired and motivated through art.
They share the artist name in advance each month, but never spoil the artwork. I love their colorful and modern shipping envelopes, and I get so excited to open them up and see my surprise each month.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About This Art Subscription
The Subscription Box: Papirmass
The Cost: $14/month ($12/month for prepaid quarterly, or $8/month for prepaid annual).
The Products: One artist print (or prints) plus info about the artist and an additional card with creative and inspirational quotes/activities, each month.
Ships to: Ships worldwide for free!
Good to Know: You must sign up before the last day of each month to receive the following month's artist (so for December, you had to sign up by November 31st)
Edition #98, Featuring Illustrator Karolin Schnoor
The featured artist this month is German illustrator who works from London, Karolin Schnoor.
All Papirmass editions come with these small interview cards with the featured artist. Karolin shares her thoughts on working from home, the origins of her included print, and some advice for aspiring artists.
I really love this quote about the print this month: "I also wanted to draw a woman that felt relatable to me; this began my love for drawing women with thighs! Real thighs :)"
"Sweater" by Karolin Schnoor, 8 x 10 Thermographic Print
I feel like I say this every month but... I LOVE this print! As a woman and a knitter and a person who loves pattern mixing, it's just perfect. I love all the detail, from the texture on the socks to the various patterns on the sweater and the striped pants, too.
I also happen to have two framed black and white prints hanging above my dresser already, so this one is just perfect to add in a nearby corner above my teacup chair.
This is the first thermography print I've received in Papirmass. It's hard to see in the photos, but the black areas are a bit raised (almost like using an embossing powder with stamp ink or something). They're also a deep, dark black and are glossy. It's a beautiful effect and I thought it was some kind of unique screenprinting technique at first.
The backside of the image, like always, has more information about the print itself and includes framing ideas and an art appreciation prompt. Papirmass definitely takes time to make sure you can really enjoy and learn from your art experiences, which I love.
This box also always includes an artist quote with a creative activity on the back. This one is honestly already my mantra when it comes to making things. 🙂
This month's creative activity is doodling, and they've included this cute sweater illustration! I usually keep these on my desk at work until I need a break and inspiration strikes, and this is a perfect one to fill in during my next conference call.
Verdict
I really look forward to Papirmass every month! If you're interested in contemporary illustration, for $14/month ($12/month prepaid quarterly or $8/month prepaid annually), this is a very affordable subscription that's always perfectly executed. I recently went all-in and signed up for a full year, and I have zero regrets.... $8/month is super easy to fit into my budget to get some fresh inspiration and a wide range of artwork to hang in my home and office or share with friends. Plus I cannot wait to see what they do for issue 100!
Is this box still available if I subscribe today? No. If you sign up now (before March 31st), your first edition will be the April box.
Check out all of our Papirmass reviews and more subscription boxes for the home and office in our subscription box directory!
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What do you think about Papirmass?
Do you like receiving surprise art in the mail? What do you think about this month's artwork? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
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