I dug up a reed, dock leaf and burdock on the nature reserve in September 2024. Each plant was tall with an imposing structure in the died-back, post-summer, nature reserve. I planned to draw them on 1.8 metre strong, light, Japanese Kozo paper, to be hung in the middle of a space. The thin Kozo paper would allow light to travel through giving the sense of the plant growing in the space.
Reed
In ink on old tracing paper, I wanted to test the drips from the inks, aiming to give a sense of the watery river and using a more translucent paper. It cockled with the water so I am hoping the stronger Awagami Washi Kozo paper, which has longer fibres for strength, would remain flatter. For now I have hung it from a branch with bull clips but I will find a branch from the river and hang without clips.
I also drew the reed in charcoal on the Kozo paper…The charcoal has a soft velvety texture on this paper.
Dock
The dock leaf is in charcoal on 1.8m Kozo paper. The leaves were alive, dark-green and exuberant and the flowers and their stalks were brown and gone to seed.
Dock leaf, charcoal on Kozo paper, 180 x 98cm
