TR: flax paper and palladium
-----Message d'origine----- De : Anne van Leeuwen & Peter Hoffman [mailto:anne_peter@earthlink.net] Envoye : 15 decembre, 2006 15:59 A : alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca Objet : Re: flax paper and palladium thanks, Keith On Dec 15, 2006, at 9:42 AM, Keith Gerling wrote: > 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 >>>> >>> >>> >> >> > |