FIGURED PAPER: October 2011

A BRIEF HISTORY

FIGURED - adj
patterned: decorated with a design or pattern

I first saw the term FIGURED PAPER in a craft book printed in 1938; it referred to paper that was painted, marbled or dyed. All they had to use at that time were watercolors, India ink and some dyes. They used oil colors for marbling, as they do today. While the effects were not bad, the coloring was not waterproof and not light fast, tending to fade rather quickly. In addition, the surface of the finished paper was not easy or forgiving to work on.
Thanks to the wonderful world of acrylics, those problems are gone. We can now mix and match paints, inks, glues and finishes in endless combinations. The availability of acid free papers ensures long lasting quality in painted and dyed papers. The finished sheets can be used in any project you can imagine, and clean up is a breeze.
I began making FIGURED PAPER about eight years ago. I wanted to make two large wooden screen panels for my dinning room and I wanted them to match I liked the idea of decoupage and using my own design, but could not find the right papers to use, and decided to make my own. The rest, as they say, is history and what this blog is all about.

FIGURED PAPER

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Sunday, October 2, 2011

Mandalas in Motion