It is beaten to a fine pulp and suspended in water. Chemicals and pigments are then added. To begin, a large screen is dipped into a vat of pulp suspended in water. The water drains off through an underlying screen and damp pulp is left on the surface of the screen - this serves as a base sheet to which I add shape and color using stencils, cups, and squeeze bottles. The pulp is layered and slowly built up.
Some sheets are three-quarters of an inch thick before pressing and drying.
There is always an element of surprise in pulp painting, as I cannot completely control the blending of color and fiber. Each fiber retains its individual color - this and the layering of fiber create a feeling of depth in the finished painting. In the Tall, Tall Grass was my first book using pulp painting as a medium. My books are really a joint family effort. My husband, David who is also an artist, not only makes my screens and totes my pulp, but together with my daughter, Indigo, serves as a wonderful sounding board.