Summer work and play
It is always surprising to me how long it can take to prep surfaces. I've been prepping newsprint and other recycled paper with gesso as I really love how pliable it is for weaving and manipulating. I find a minimum of three coats is optimal for strength and flexibility. Took me over a week to prep five A1 sheets - and three of them only needed one side done. Paint, dry, apply second coat, dry, apply third, dry... flip over and if necessary repeat... It all depends on how the paper flexes whether I'll apply more layers of gesso. Then I painted on two of them and they are now on day four of drying, with a fan blowing on them! I only painted with acrylic, with a little retarder in it to make it flow better. I've never had acrylic take this long to dry before. I'm hoping I'll be able to start cutting them up tomorrow. Not sure if I'll weave them together, into themselves or mix with other stuff yet. They're just random shapes, etc. no real thought process to t...