Another day of testing and I have finally settled on the ratio of ingredients as well as a color for the final prints.  Going back and forth between the first and second results, I tried some dilute paint on the paper.  This was not exactly the solution, because the problem that arose with that mixture was the lack of visible pigment.  So when the reaction of the salt with the water happened, the design wasn't visible. However, I looked again at the first trial...beginner's luck seemed to be the only conclusion then.  Thinking more about it though, I tried to…

During the times when I feel unproductive or that I am not working on the "fun stuff" enough, I try to find a small and somewhat quick project I can do in order to get back on track. Here is a reporter style notebook that is small enough to use up scraps I hold onto in my studio.  (It is important to use these every once in a while so you can defend yourself when being accused of keeping unnecessary remainders.) The paper was cut to letter size, printed with lines, then cut down to its final size.  The stack…

I am experimenting with salt printing for the first time as I try to figure out a cover decoration solution. Ultimately, I would like to use salt prints as a more central part of my content in the future, but for now, I am trying to use them as an alternate way to incorporate color. I first learned about the salt printing process at the Guild of Book Workers Standards of Excellence last year in San Francisco. Carolee Campbell demonstrated her use of salt prints in a recent book called The Persephones. Her use of ink and salt creates unique,…