Following on from my last post, this week I pulped some more of my old print proofs (yes, you’ve guessed it, I have quite a pile of paper to recycle!) and also prepared some of the white offcuts for new paper. My goal was to embed some of my more recent prints into the surface of the new paper.
The first thing I noticed was that my recycled-print pulp was quite yellow again – this type of pulp relies heavily on what colours were printed on the surface originally and I’m using up some multiple-stage reduction lino print samples of native plants in yellows and ochre mainly.
I wanted my pulp tinged blue/grey, pretty much a paynes grey. I wondered whether using Drimarine K dyes would work as my original paper was cotton rag based. I semi drained the pulp, so the dye wouldn’t just float around in the water, and added some dye powder. Then I ran for the camera, what a cool effect!
After two lots of dye it was looking a great colour. However, I know from experience that it can dry quite light, but I was a bit nervous adding the colouring. So I printed a plain two-layered sheet.
Looking good and definitely has a blue/grey tinge. So I added a torn piece of print from my latest Elian adventure.
I bit of paper edge crumple as I didn’t let it thoroughly dry before removing it from my window, but I’m moving forward. I torn up another print and added it to the pulped paper sheets before pressing.
Quite like this. One more trial:
Really like this version with the print floating within the centre section. Wonder what it would look like with some drawing on it?
TactualTextiles 
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