Testing the dye
general, my art, printmakers, prints :: posted on August 14th, 2009
This looks a bit strange but there is a reason behind the madness! For a start the paper size I am using (40 x 80 cm) is a lot bigger than anything I can immerse the paper into to steam or simmer. So I rolled up the paper with eucalyptus leaves and stood the rolls on top of the immersed leaves and simmered it for about 45 minutes. I turned the paper around at the base, so that the staining would vary on the bottom of the paper as it steamed.
Then I put the paper into a bucket and covered it with the hot brew. I turned it a few times so that the paper was covered quite well, but I left it only for one night. You can see the bottom of the paper has a much stronger colour than the rest, which is where it was resting in the simmering water. I’m sure that it would have been a lot more stained if I had been more patient!
You can see the eucalyptus stain on the paper in the fan area where I masked it from the other etching plate. It has the aged look I was hoping for and is really quite exciting to work with. More to come I believe! Actually I’m off to Bruny Island again for a couple of days and I intend to immerse some paper in the tannin rich creek which should act as a mordant and increase the colour results of the dye process – perhaps!
August 16th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Linden! This is so successful! Congrats and I think the colouring is lovely. Can’t wait to see more.