Friday, January 18, 2013

Sorting a garden of paper

                 
It is brrrrrr outside but spring has arrived inside the studio. I vowed that after the new year - and after the Pulp Art exhibit opened - it would be time to tackle the stacks of paper accumulated during the past six months or so.

Inevitably, sorting leads to scanning the images I can't bear to part with. These stunning early 19th century lithographs are hand-colored. Some are by well-known printers such as Day & Haghe, pioneers of lithography. Others are from classic magazines such as Curtis' Botanical Magazine and The Floriculture Cabinet.

If they were in mint condition, they'd be highly collectible, and I'd be matting them and selling them in the "Things I Can't Bear to Cut Up" bin. But you can't see it in the scans, because I cleaned them up a bit, these are less than perfect. So, they will go under the knife.

The plan is to use them to create a fantastical garden - maybe as part of The Grand Tour series. Meanwhile, I thought I'd share some favorites from the stash ...