Digitally Printed Amate Bark Paper Textures

In working with a new series of large size books (see post "A New Idea about Digitally Printed Alternative Surfaces" on my KathyAnne Art blog ) I created some bark paper with the amate bark process.  I used a pound of kozo fiber from Japan, boiled, simmered and cooled the fiber before pounding it into paper.  These pieces are details from a larger piece that is collaged from the prints created.

The bark paper is printed, layered with other prints.  When the paper was made, I left holes and spaces.  In order to keep this see through idea going throughout the collage, I used large pony type beads to separate the layers of paper and tied the beads inside with waxed linen thread.

Amate Bark Print Textures

One of my favorite textural surfaces I create from Kozo Bark that is pounded into paper using the amate bark process.  When coated with inkAID digital grounds, it makes an incredibly beautiful textural print.
In the next couple weeks I will be creating and finishing a 2 foot by 4 foot piece using my amate bark paper that is in the works.

For this process the bark is soaked in water and boiled, separated into fibers that are woven together and pounded with a flat rock to create the surface.  Once the surface dries, the surface is coated with inkAID Clear Matte precoat and printed on my Epson 4800.  When pounding the paper it has to be the correct thickness to fit through the printer.