Engraving Japanese Paper

As we move day by day through this ever changing landscape of physical isolation and virtual connection I am heartened to see how many artists are turning to their studio practice.

I too am spending time in the studio to anchor and redirect my mind when it starts running down the slippery slope of uncertainty.

In this post I share with you the laser engraved Japanese paper pieces I am currently creating.

Engraving Japanese Paper

Laser engraving Japanese paper is a dance between strength and fragility.

Using delicate settings the laser cutter can be set to engrave the faintest whisper onto paper or pushed to the edge, engraving away all but a few fibers.

This subtle technique perfectly reflects what I am seeking right now, refuge in internal silence and the reassurance I find in the natural world.

The image is created by loading two drawings from my sketchbook (left) into the laser cutter then laser engraving each in layers of multiple passes using a fine setting.

The first pass barely engraves the paper, turning it off-white. For the second pass I switch to the other drawing and block off parts of the paper to prevent the laser from engraving those areas. Between each pass I mask different areas in response to the image that is emerging.

The lightest areas are places where the mask has preserved the first pass, while the darker areas are created by the laser hitting those areas multiple times.

The effect is a layered image emerging from the paper.