Hand Strength and Creating Art

One of the things that has affected what I used to do is the loss of strength in my hands and arms. The picture shows my handmade paper, which has been embossed on pottery tiles my mother made for me using old textile printing blocks to make the imprints. Then the embossing has been wiped briefly in melted crayon and overdyed with watercolor inks. To get a good embossed impression requires going over and over the damp paper with sponge and then paper towel, pressing, pressing, pressing. I can no longer do this, and I keep looking for a way to simplify that process. There are embossing systems out there by Sissix and others, and their embossing plates are pretty, but they are not "unique."

Even making paper (pressing out the water) for more than a sheet or two is tough on my body. Fortunately I have a huge reserve of these papers that I am finally using up. It will be interesting to see what direction my papermaking (which has always been a foundation of my collages) will take. I am experimenting more with printing and painting. One of the best gifts of this time when I cannot work or teach is that I am playing around with techniques and experimenting with processes without regard to whether it will sell. Always after grief, comes new ground....

The most important thing I have learned in the last five years is this:
"Just Keep Going..."

An Incredible Resource for Collage Artists: http://www.Artellaland.com