RE: flax paper and palladium
Very nice, Anne. Thanks for sharing. -----Original Message----- From: Anne van Leeuwen & Peter Hoffman [mailto:anne_peter@earthlink.net] Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2006 8:59 PM To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca Subject: Re: flax paper and palladium Camden, Here are 3 images, all photograms. Kinda different. http://annesvl.myphotoalbum.com/albums.php Anne On Dec 14, 2006, at 4:48 PM, Camden Hardy wrote: > Anne, > > Thanks for sharing your experience. I'd love to see some samples, if > you've got any digitized... > > Camden Hardy > > camden[at]hardyphotography[dot]net > http://www.hardyphotography.net > > > > On Thu, December 14, 2006 2:03 pm, Anne van Leeuwen & Peter Hoffman > wrote: >> Chris, (and Camden) >> >> I am a papermaker so I'm happy to be able to contribute something to >> the list. I will be teaching some of these combined processes >> probably next year at the Brimingham Bloomfield Art Center just >> outside Detroit. I was just hired to be on their faculty. >> >> I'll mention sources for paper and info at the end of this email. >> >> Paper made from flax and abaca (a wonderful fiber from the banana >> family) are much, much stronger than any cotton, whether it's rag or >> cotton linters. In the sheet formation process they (flax and abaca) >> have higher shrinkage so must be restrain dryed otherwise they >> shrivel up. (That is great for some purposes, such as paper >> sculpture.) >> >> I've been using combinations of flax, cotton and abaca for some time >> with my alternative processes and am very happy with these fibers. >> The weight varies depending on the papermakers desires. But both >> flax and abaca have wonderful wet strength for very thin sheets. The >> paper will withstand repeated rinsing, I've never had any of my own >> paper fall apart on me. (Until recently when I tried thinner sheets >> of !00% Rag, I didn't like it and won't do that again). >> >> An occasional project I'll do is make larger sheets (22X30 or larger) >> of flax paper, walnut dyed (soaked walnut hulls, you get a great >> dye). Using cyanotype I get a navy blue that is attractive on the >> walnut colored paper. Frequently I'll get oversized negatives made >> from Kinkos or a blueprint company and make images. On the walnut >> dyed paper, the navy blue color and with the "unsharp" oversized >> negative I get interesting textural pieces. >> >> Also, I have toned cyanotype paper with the tannic acid rinse, then >> washing soda. Depending on the length of time I can get an almost >> black color to the cyanotype portion. The paper itself can be a bit >> stained but what I have done is to draw with watercolor pencils or >> watercolors on the images (usually floral photograms) and get a very >> unique image. >> >> I have a type of Hollander beater so can make the pulp myself. It is >> expensive otherwise. Making the paper cuts the expense way down but >> it is work and time consuming. >> >> Camden mentioned U of Iowa as a good source for the paper. They are, >> in fact they restored the US Bill of Rights (I believe). Great >> facilities. >> >> Also here are two other sources for those interested: >> >> Twinrocker >> www.twinrocker.com (excellent source for information about paper and >> a place to purchase paper) >> >> And here is a book written in about 1984 called: >> >> THE NEW PHOTOGRAPHY >> by Catharine Reeve & Marilyn Sward >> >> Excellent papermakers who experimented quite a bit with alt >> processes. >> >> Chris, fun to hear of your experiments. >> >> Anne >> >> >> >> On Dec 14, 2006, at 10:21 AM, Christina Z. Anderson wrote: >> >>> Good morning, >>> Yesterday I had the fun experience of collaborating with an art >>> grad student who makes her own flax paper. She wanted to put >>> photographs on her flax sculptures, so I told her to come over to >>> my house and we'd see if it worked. I thought those on the list who >>> are paper makers might like to know this. >>> >>> I guess she buys the flax pulp from a paper supply house, which is >>> somewhat expensive--she said $100 a bucket (it comes liquid). I >>> know NOTHING about paper making, but the flax paper is dark >>> parchment tannish, and quite textural, and very long fibered, but >>> the paper is flat and very thin. It irons well (flax being same as >>> linen, of course) and lays flat, in other words, after wet baths it >>> doesn't shrink and pucker. >>> >>> I thought it would disintegrate immediately in the development >>> bath, or whatnot. It didn't . We were doing small prints for >>> testing and not large though, but they held together perfectly, >>> even when I held them up by one edge. Very strong. >>> >>> I tested one with just regular pt/pd, one on top of gelatin size, >>> and one with the pt/pd cut in half with water. The paper is very >>> absorbent so that 26 drops were sucked up into an area of, let's >>> say, 4x6. On the gelatin size it did not soak up right away so >>> that was a good thing, so sizing could be the way to go, but the >>> print we agreed looked best was the one with pt/pd cut in half with >>> water. It was warmer in tone (redder) than the others. >>> >>> Then after we completed this test it occurred to me that cyanotype >>> toned with tannic acid would be the cheapest and easiest way to go >>> (no development or clear baths) but what amazed me is the beautiful >>> tonal range of pt/pd on this paper. >>> >>> I also felt it would be great paper to give a final soak in wax to >>> transparentize. >>> >>> I think Camden is going to test VDB and liquid emulsion for her, >>> right Camden? For archival purposes, I wonder if the toned cyano >>> would be best, so you don't have to mess with silver left in the >>> paper? Nevertheless, this paper has great possibilities. I told >>> her she should sell it, but each sheet just to make (small sheets) >>> is about $10 so selling them, she'd have to probably charge $25 for >>> say, a foot and a half square sheet? >>> >>> I wish I was a paper maker...I wonder if there is a commercial >>> source for homemade flax paper? Someone google it for me, I have >>> to go gum print :) >>> >>> This is definitely the benefit of teaching in an art environment-- >>> collaboration. The other grad student who came over to watch does >>> large charcoal drawings, erases and redraws and erases and redraws >>> while she films the drawings over an 8 hour day, and then ends up >>> with a movie, dark and charcoaly--really beautiful. >>> Chris >>> CZAphotography.com >>> >> >> > >
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