paper, ink, materials

Handmade Paper

I make paper with recycled materials and natural, locally foraged fibres including hemp, bull rush, wool and cotton fibres. In the process I explore with additions of porcelain, native clay and natural pigments for colour, strength and texture.

Ink

Oak galls

Oak galls grow from a leaf bud. They are the result of a chemical reaction between wasp and tree. The wasp lays an egg in the leaf bud, the tree then grows a gall around the egg. The gall protects the larvae until the new wasp is ready to leave. The galls are extremely high in tannins and makes a deep blue black ink when a mordant of iron sulphate is added.

Oak gall ink

The galls are gathered, crushed to a fine powder then soaked for a day in rain water. A mordant of iron sulphate is added which reacts with the tannins changing the liquid to a deep blue black ink. The ink darkens on paper as it oxidizes.

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