The web apparently hasn't caught up with her much  .

She is apparently still alive, as the Palo Verde Art Center (CA) is doing a seminar where she is apparently a guest speaker:

"TILE PAINTING
Zen Del Rio (ZR-1)
Thursdays, 7/13 - 8/24, 6:30-9:30pm
$120, Members $100
Learn innovative tile painting techniques developed by renowned artist Gemma Taccogna. Make trivet, address plaque, multiple tile sea/landscape compositions and still life murals. A rare opportunity to develop your designs under the guidance of one of this country’s most revered and prolific ceramic artists. Special seminar by Gemma."

http://www.pvartcenter.org/classes-adult.html

elsa.rubenstein: I wish I knew more too! Your brother is so luck to have studied sculpture with her!

Hello Paperartist!

It would be nice if you could persuade Gemma to show some of her work in a gallery page on the PapierMache site.
Any chance of that?

Best wishes

DavidO

paperartist: I am so excited about seeing the pictures. I'd love to see her work. I know so little about her that an little morsel of information would be totally delightful.

Oh I sure hope that you hear something back soon about your request to be added to the visitor's gallery paperartist!

I'd love to see those pictures!

Let her know that there is a girl out there on the internet that is completely inspired by what little work I have seen from her.

Does she have a website anywhere? I was never able to google one.

Russ is away at the moment but it's all in hand. 

Finally, I have posted a few pictures to Gemma's Gallery.

She gave me her unpublished autobiographical book (to copy) and said I could share anything with you. That will be a lot of work..but if you all are still interested, I will do it.

Please, let me know what you think.

How exciting is this?!?

Thank you, thank you paperartist!

Thank you so much for posting the pictures. It makes me so happy to see her work.

Is her unpublished autobiographical book going to be printed in the near future?

Hi Trish,

Yeah, I am baffled as to how Gemma got those smooth finishes, too.
Not that she didn't try to teach us, she did. The secret is sanding, a LOT of sanding.
Gemma has some 2 piece plaster molds of some of her pieces.
We put a layer of gauze in the mold letting it hang out over the edges and dusted it with powder. We used bath powder.
Then you smooth in a layer of torn pieces of roofing paper dunked in a solution of wheat paste, water and white glue. It should be the consistency of milk. Roofing paper is a course black paper that you can get at a hardware store.
The next layers are torn newspaper, soaked (not mushy-just wet) in the same wheat paste solution. Press as hard as you can on each layer to make as smooth as possible (saves you some of the sanding). Let it dry between layers
Next we pulled the piece carefully out of the mold by the gauze that is hanging out. Throw away the gauze. Fit the 2 pieces together and tape (we used just masking tape) trim the edges if needed to make a smooth seam. Add more torn newspaper to cover the tape.
When it is dry cover with several layers of Gesso, letting it dry between applications. Poke a hole in the bottom so it can breathe. This prevents mold and other such unwanted stuff.
Now you start sanding. We liked to use an awl on the first few sandings as well as on the rough spots. Then of course, you use sandpaper starting with course and then finer. Any gullies are filled with gesso.

When the surface is smooth, you can decorate and paint.
We used, as Gemma did, string, lace, etc soaked in wheat paste for decorations or final details.

PaperArtist (Jackie)

paperartist: I am so happy you explained to Trish1958 how Gemma got her finishes so smooth. I was wondering too.

I, like Trish have never used (or heard of) roofing paper before. I wonder why that paper was chosen over any other.

Roofing paper for durability, that makes sense the more I think about it.
I bet everything she made is very durable.

So, the secret to that smoothness is lots and lots of sanding?

I was hoping it would be a secret that would be a lot less work.   

I am currently reading a book borrowed from the library called Papier Mache Artistry by Dona Z. Meilach (Crown Publishing, 1971).  There are several photographs and references to Gemma. 

One photo caption:  "The figures were originally made from clay, then two-piece molds poured of the clay models.  Usually front and back are separate molds.  The cut papier-mache halves are taped together at the side seams.  Details and painting are added by hand..."

Sue