The paper I used today was very heavy, 246 pounds to be exact. [Note: this is not the weight of a single sheet, but rather the weight of 500 sheets, or a ream of paper.]

I like the weight because the paper won’t buckle significantly if I soak it with water and, I can incise the surface without worry of cutting though. Another feature of this particular paper is its linen-textured surface. This pattern softened the look of the watercolors I applied.

I began by cutting straight lines using a razor guided by the straight edge of a steel ruler. I used an divider (a compass with two metal points) to etch arcs into the paper. With the paper soaked, I introduced different colored inks into the scratched designs. Some of the lines also served as borders, defining colored shapes, others were simply lines (or fuzzy lines, depending on how much ink the scratches absorbed.

Abstract 022317
9″x12″ 246# Linen Finish Paper

I like the ambiguity of this piece. It could be a sailboat or a face, or whatever YOU see in it.