The Finished Papers

L to R: pure cotton; carrot-top dyed; carrot-top dyed with copper modifier; goldenrod dyed

Construction

"It’s all a big game of construction, some with a brush, some with a shovel, some choose a pen."

- Jackson Pollock

Golden Artist Colors posted this on their Facebook page the other day and I thought it was appropriate to what I have been doing. Long before my vision (of what my final work will be) is completed, many steps must be carried out.First is the papermaking process; next the dyeing. I am constructing...

Carrot Tops and Goldenrod

Tools

August 24, 2011 - After spending a few days beating cut up cotton sheets in my Mark Lander Beater, I began the process of dyeing this pulp with plant materials easily accessible to me. The carrot tops I got from carrots I bought at the farmers' market and the goldenrod is growing wild in my backyard.

L to R: cotton pulp after mordanting; carrot tops dye bath; unrinsed cotton pulp

dyed with carrot tops, rinsed pulp with lots of the color removed.

L to R: goldenrod before & after simmering; dye bath

Cotton Rag Pulp

The first batch of pulp from cotton sheets is so soft and so brilliant white it almost seems a shame to dye it! I will definitely have to save a pure batch to make paper with too!

Cotton Pulp for Paper

Today I began cutting up white cotton sheets and beating them in my Critter. I plan to cut up five sheets in all which is seven and a half pounds of dry fiber. After beating this into a pulp, I will experiment with dyeing them naturally. I plan to try goldenrod, culinary sage, carrot tops, tansy, the nuts of Pignut Hickory (a relative of the black walnut), marigolds and whatever else presents itself.

Gathering Willow Bast

My husband, Bob, grows three or four types of willows for basket making material. Yesterday I cut back a number of branches that were growing into a pathway and put them on the ground in the shade so that he could strip them when he got home from work. It rained for about 15 minutes which was just what the willows needed to stay moist. Bob informed me that it is too early in the season to gather branches for basket making because the wood is still too weak.

I checked them in the morning and tried peeling the bark away from the woody core. It came away very easily. I knew I could not pass up the opportunity to harvest this bast for future paper, so this afternoon when I was finished with what I needed to do, I moved the branches to my new papermaking outdoor studio (that Bob built for me as a 25th wedding anniversary gift) and began to spend the rest of the afternoon stripping the bast from the woody core.

About halfway through the stripping process it became evident that the branches were drying out because the bast was not coming off easily any longer. I put the remaining branches in a bucket of water and let them sit for about ten minutes. This helped to revive them.

I placed the stripped bast in a bucket of water so that they would not dry out. I wanted to be able to remove the outer bark from the bast.
It was a very easy task! I just laid a strip of the bast onto a board, held it down with my fingers and with a putty knife, scraped away the green bark. I was not able to get all of this bast scraped today. I hope to have some time tomorrow to finish the job. If I don't, I think I will put it in the freezer. If I let it sit in the water it will ret, which would probably be okay, but it will no doubt change color.I am saving the green bark that is removed to use at a later date as a dye. I did a dye experiment in the spring with willow bark, but it didn't work. There are too many variables to know why, but I will try a different technique with this batch.

Trace Monotypes

Today I created two monotypes using the trace method. I was experimenting and am pleased with the results.

Chine Colle Workshop

This weekend I attended a two day workshop at the Center for Contemporary Printmaking. This was the first time I have taken a class there. The instructor, Patrick Egger, is a recent MFA graduate from RISD. He studied under Brian Shure. Pat learned this chine colle method from Brian and taught it to us. I was one of three students enrolled in the workshop, which was wonderful because we each got our own press to use!

This method of chine colle uses a Japanese cooked wheat paste that is brushed onto rice paper and allowed to dry. About 30 minutes before use, this paper is put into a damp pack (placed between moistened pieces of newsprint and wrapped in plastic). These papers are then placed on top of the inked plate and a backing sheet (traditional European printmaking paper) that has been in a damp pack for 24 hours is placed on top and then put through the press.

I did a small series of prints with a drypoint etching plate I created today. The papers I chine colle'd were prints and ghost prints I did previously on thin mulberry papers.





I also used this method to collage previously printed papers together.



These pieces have been collaged over a print that I didn't care for. This will be the basis for a new print.



I really like this method. It allows me to paste up a lot of material at one time that I will have on hand to add to my printing plates as I work on them. A little bit of preparation will enhance creative expression. No need to stop the printmaking flow to prepare a piece for chine colle.