Paste Paper Creation.

                              

I spent the weekend in the wonderful world of decorating my own paper. Paste paper to be specific. My transformed pages became the basis of a book, filled  with my own poetry. I was inspired by both where I was, and what I was doing. My verse was all done in calligraphy.  
I  started out  with  lovely blank sheets of good quality paper, Arches text wove was the choice. Next comes the fun of choosing colors. Liquid acrylic paint works the  best. Three or four colors are enough to make a finished book. I chose a blue, green, and magenta red.  Plus a  purple evolves when the red and blue overlap. I found a glitter white I added to the mix. Always good to soften the colors,and what joy to have a hint of sparkle.
Using  good quality paint is worth it for blending and consistency. You do get what you pay for. The liquid form is easiest to mix. Next comes the mixing of the paint and the paste. Formerly I have used a home made paste of  flour blended with the paint in a certain ratio. Nowadays, there is a prepared mixture to blend. It saves on  the fuss and mess, but I kind of miss the purity of starting from scratch.
Then the fun begins. The paper gets moistened, and  the paint applied. Paint brushes are good tools, so are cut up sponges. There are those that liken it to finger painting.It is good to loosen up. I found it fun to use like watercolor. As I manipulated  the paper, paint would run and give a dripped quality that appealed to me at that moment. It is also intriguing  to use stencils, or draw designs in the wet paint.
 I did four sheets. Keeping them all in the same hues created  an automatic harmony and cohesiveness from page to page.Very important for the next step. Stay tuned....