Published!

The March/April 2010 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors has published my letter about using Citra-Solv - it's in the Muse Flash section.
http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/blogs/clothpaperscissors/archive/2010/02/17/cloth-paper-scissors-march-april-2010.aspx

Old stuff

Last April I made a set of pictures for our bedroom here in Naples. I decided to photograph them today as a means of encouraging myself to make some new work. The background is created from printed paper that has had the pattern knocked back by painting over with gold gesso, tissue paper, strips of a National Geographic magazine page that had been treated with Citra-solv and torn black paper that had been embossed with a pattern from textured wallpaper. The crumpled texture of the tissue paper has been lightly rubbed over with a gold Shiva (Markal) paintstik.

Citra-solv

Using Citra-solv with National Geographic pages is a great technique for making collage papers. Paint Citra-solv to one side only of a National Geographic double-page spread, place the "wet" side face down on the the other page & rub the back a little. Use a heat gun to dry the back of the wet page and pages are ready in a minute or so. Peel the pages apart before they stick.

In the UK Citra-solv can be bought online from 21st Century Health - I get the large 32oz bottle, expensive but works out more economical in the long run.

http://www.21stcenturyhealth.co.uk/productdetail.asp?category=&prodid=30

National Geographic pages work the best because of the ink that is used in the printing process - possibly a base of gold?