Feeling Stressed out? Make a sheet of paper and unwind a little, then create a masterpiece in charcoal on your sheet of paper, and discover a world of relaxation in the art of creativity.
"What, me, make paper? And draw? You must be crazy," you say.
No problem, it's a piece of cake. Anyone can do it, using stuff that you can find around the house. Here's how:
The Paper
Make a rectangular frame, the mould, thirty four centimetres long and twenty five centimetres wide by joining four bits of two-by-two centimetre wood together using glue and nails. Make a "deckle" of the same size in the same way. Cover the mould with net curtaining by stretching it across the frame and tacking it on.
Shred four sheets of used computer paper, or photocopier paper, into thin strips, and place into a large saucepan. Add sufficient water to submerse the strips. Boil for an hour or so, skimming the scum off the surface at regular intervals to remove the worst of the ink spots. Drain the water off in a colander, and squeeze out the pulp.
Take a handful of pulp and put it into your liquidiser. Fill the liquidiser with water. Liquidise at full speed for 20 seconds. Pour the pulp into a 2 litre jug, and make up to 2 litres with water.
Place the deckle on top of the mould (wire side up) and hold the mould, but not the deckle, under water in a tub or sink with one hand. Pour the pulp into the mould, shaking the mould from side to side a little to spread the pulp evenly.
Lift the mould out of the water and allow the excess water to drain off, before removing the deckle. Turn the mould upside down, depositing the formed pulp onto a piece of wet felt. Using a sponge, soak up all excess water by pressing it onto the back of the mould. Lift the mould slowly to expose your sheet of wet paper. Notice the attractive "deckled" edge of the paper.
Allow the paper to dry on the felt overnight. Iron the sheet flat and remove the last bits of water the next day and, voila, you have a sheet of hand made, recycled paper.
Unwinding a little yet? Good. Once you have mastered the process it is easy to experiment by adding scraps of coloured paper, onion skins, food colouring, and petals of flowers. Now, on to the masterpiece.
The Drawing
Find a stick of charcoal, about twelve millimetres in diameter, from your bag of BBQ lumpy charcoal, and break off a three centimetre piece.
With your sheet of paper in front of you, turn the charcoal stick edge on so that the length of the stick is facing the paper. Without consciously thinking of any shapes or forms, draw the edge of the charcoal randomly over the paper in straight lines, in circles, diagonally across, applying heavy pressure, light pressure, any way you feel like, but leaving some blank spaces.
Put the charcoal down and stare at the paper with half closed eyes. Turn the paper round until you find a recognisable shape. It may be the beginnings of a landscape or a portrait, or even an abstract form.
Take up the charcoal again and accentuate the shapes that you have found. Use a soft eraser to create highlights or lighter areas. Use the sharp tip of the charcoal stick to make sharply defined lines, smudging other areas with a finger to create softer areas. Keep working at it and, before long, you will have created a recognisable work of art.
When you are satisfied with the result, spray some hairspray over the drawing to fix it, so that the charcoal doesn't smudge.
Frame your picture, hang it on the wall and boast about it to your friends and family, because you have created something unique, a special piece of yourself.
In the process, did you notice how the world went by without you noticing whilst you were busy creating? How you focused on the task at hand to the exclusion of everything else? How your concerns evaporated? How you simply relaxed?
Great, isn't it?
