The Mark of the Maker is as well-crafted as the paper and the mill which are its subjects. Visually, this video is rich in color and texture. The eye of the film is that of an artist: there is careful attention to visual detail and skillful editing to create a unified whole, as well. The scenes of up-close calligraphy on Twinrocker paper provide especially exciting images. Only once or twice did artful water drips distract and irritate where full shots of machinery would have been more informative. Taken as a whole, however, the film does not slip into sentimentality as it acquaints the viewer with the first American hand paper mill built since 1929. Original music by Scott Gilbert is quite lovely and is skillfully interwoven with the narrative provided by the Clarks, their employees, and three artists who have worked closely with Twinrocker: water colorist Jim Cantrell, calligrapher Janet Lorence, and printer/bookmaker Michael Gullick. The film creates a quiet, meditative mood of careful examination. One has, in watching this film, the impression of a well-thought through, carefully shaped work. It is not a documentary but a studio visit such as any of us might be pleased to have an invitation to. There is a pleasant, satisfying blend of hand papermaking facts with a hint of personal Clark history -- though the latter is rather too tactfully treated. As part of a couple/partner enterprise myself, I was curious about the division of labors beyond the expected divvying up between the artist and the engineer. I wish the video had taken a closer look at the more mundane side of craft at Twinrocker. How the balance of decision-making and slog-work has been worked out in this example of a thriving business would make valuable viewing for any who are or want to be involved in similar pursuits. "Making paper every day" includes a lot of time and a wide variety of jobs away from the vat. As the film emphasizes the uniqueness of the Clarks' success, it is a shame that its scope was not widened to include a clearer picture of how that success was built. We would have been better served learning how Twinrocker's markets were developed, what key decisions lead them into new areas, what personal sacrifices were necessary beyond their expectations, and how mistakes and failures shaped their growth. Even without this more probing point of view, The Mark of the Maker remains lovely and well-crafted, enticing the inexperienced viewer to learn more about hand papermaking, inspiring the working artist to persist, and recording with an artist's sensibility a proud bit of American history and ingenuity. The film is informative in both spirit and fact for audiences of age twelve and above. Unhappily, McGowan has priced the video beyond the range of most individual or small group buyers, viewing the market for this film as university and art school libraries rather than working or aspiring artists and public collections with limited budgets. It is clear that the Clarks are well-deserved in their success: they are hard-working, persevering, highly skilled, and clever risk takers with high standards, who have continued to develop and refine their vision and their product. They were the first to catch the handmade paper wave at a time when most others had not yet seen it coming. Martha Blowen

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