Gummed paper tape

I've been thrilled to discover a way to make gummed paper tape when you need it. This could be useful in our climate where the humidity dampens those very expensive rolls of gummed tape enough to stick them together and ruin them before you've used a fraction of the roll. The way to do it yourself is to cut some strips of ordinary brown paper, a heavyish weight, brush on gum arabic and allow to dry. When you're ready to use the tape dampen the glued side with a sponge and apply.

What's it good for? It's good for stretching watercolour paper (on a board that's bigger all round), and easy to remove afterwards by dampening it because gum arabic remains water-soluble.

It's also great for sealing the edges of a screen for art screenprinting. After it has dried give the tape a double coat of polyurethane varnish.

See also Testing the gummed paper tape

Tree, Chaguaramas -- Update

After printing a few sheets of the third colour I've decided to abandon this print for now because the registration of the yellow is way off. I didn't realise it was so bad until the third color went on. Luckily each colour is on a separate block so starting again is no problem except I'm out of paper and will have to wait for more to arrive before going ahead. Expecting to resume in a week or ten days.

Tree, Chaguaramas 2

Feeling I didn't know the tree well enough I decided to make some exploratory studies. First I played around with the drawing in Gimp (or do you say, The Gimp?), which I'm just starting to learn.

Tree, digital manipulation of drawing

Then I made a collage, in fact am still working on it, there are some changes from this afternoon which are not in the photo . . .  I have no definite plan in mind yet.

Tree, collage

Still don't know it well enough so I made a drawing from a photo taken at the same time. This has more detail and gives me more of a feel for the tree. Am thinking I need to go back to Chaguaramas and do another drawing and find out what species it is -- the trunk looks as if it might be a young Banyan?

Tree, graphite

Don't seem to be anywhere near a print yet, this could take a while, much more than two weeks. It has become very interesting to me and I want to take time to explore it, wherever it may lead.

Tree, Chaguaramas

Tree, Chaguaramas, graphite

I've been looking for a drawing for a relief print and think I'll try this one which I did in Chaguaramas on Saturday May 15 on a drawing/painting day with a group from Women in Art. Will report progress as it goes along, though not necessarily every stage -- the print will take at least a couple of weeks. Haven't decided yet what techniques or colours I'll be using. Here goes . . .