Plow Lights

The ink I use is a transparent mixture of finely ground carbon matter ( rock and grime) suspended in water. Value, tint, shade, and tone are manipulated by varying the particle density in the liquid. Commercial mixtures, called “India Ink”, are available with ready to use concentrations in both black and colored variants.

   I start drawing by brushing or streaming washes over paper. Most of this activity drifts toward unknowns. Liquids find their own level as they are directed around fibers on the surface that influence the flow. There is a micro-reaction similar to that of trees responding to atmosphere in nature. During this process step some of the ink dries up and bonds in place while the rest of the drawing remains wet. Then, waiting for the right timing, I flood clean water over the entire piece to remove any of the pigments that have not adhered. This additional cataclysmic transformation reveals the final marks, line, and context forming a completed work.