Friday, November 25, 2011

 Paper on the brain!

I've been doing a head count in my paper library today and checking how it's doing. Paper ages and is susceptible to a wide range of environmental damage in storage. Little critters like to eat the gelatin sized stuff too. I do an inspection and inventory every couple months.It also helps generate ideas and reminds me what's lurking in the dark corners.


I don't have my own paper cutter, which is okay. I don't have room for one of any useful size really and the small ones are difficult to come by anyway. I have been a teaching assistant at the School of Visual Concepts for quite a while and they have a wonderful 23" cutter I can use.

I cut down full sheets to a number of fixed sizes that I've found comfortable to work in on my printing presses and keep them on hand. I don't run out too often, there is always new paper coming in.


My paper collection may be a manifestation of some latent hoarding kink in my psychology. (My lovely wife has pointed this out gently on a number of occasions) Stacks of the cottony paper stuffs take up several storage areas of my home and the studio is packed with it. I use every part of a sheet of paper. I have found that even tiny off-cuts make for useful artwork. I usually even toss trimmings and scraps into a bag to be pulped into small hand-made sheets later.

I am picky about my paper and very 'use specific'. Ultimately, I'll print on anything I can find but, if I have choices or if it's artwork...I get heavily opinionated. I could fill volumes with rants about commercial paper and the sad state of the fine printmaking paper selection.

But, I won't. I'll just keep counting sheets and checking for paper nibbling critters and humidity damage.











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