Handmade Paper Seascape Painting Process

figure 1

This blog explains the process I use to create my handmade paper paintings. In this case, the painting I will create is of a seascape which will be included in an upcoming exhibit at Cove Gallery on Cape Cod. Using cotton and abaca (a fiber from the inner bark of the banana tree used in industry to make tea bags due to its remarkable wet strength), and pure pigments that are light-fast (they will not fade), I will explain step by step how I create the painting. The photo shown here (Figure 3) shows the painting in its embryonic state. A mix of cotton and abaca beaten for 11/2 hours in a Hollander Beater (figure 2) was used to create the 40 x 20 sheet. The wet pulp was poured onto nylon screening and allowed to dry. The purpose of using the screening is that it will grip the pulp as it dries thus preventing it from warping and shrinking. Uneven shrinkage is a common problem in handmade paper art. A basic outline of what will become the composition has already been applied. The original photograph (figure 1) which I took during a recent excursion to the Cape Cod National Seashore acts as the inspiration for the painting.

figure 2, Hollander Beater

figure 3