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ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #45: This is a combination of wet-in-wet color mixing and glazing on Unryu paper, which I was delighted to find means “Cloud Dragon Paper.” It contains long, swirling strands of kozo, which caught part of the wet pigment, creating a delicate texture. I began by painting the surface with irregular bands of yellow-orange acrylic ink. After it dried, I add a glaze of diluted red watercolor mixed with granulating medium and sprayed it with water as it started to lose its sheen.

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ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #44: This is the cover for a piece called Family Secrets. I used a Dremel tool to modify the shape of the central hole and to make grooves in  the wood. I then  added additional texture with an X-Acto knife and stained the surface with walnut ink and diluted acrylic.  Next I glued a flat slice of walnut shell, which I cut with jeweler’s saw, to the watercolor painting in the center.

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ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #43: This was done on an upcycled vinyl banner. First I used a permanent marker to sketch the design on the unprinted back of the banner, marking all the negative shapes with an x. I then cut out all the negative areas with an X-acto knife. After I finished cutting, I painted it with a mixed acrylic bluish black.