One of the complication for using alum solution extensively is that it makes the Xuan paper very brittle, as I come to find out. I don't know if the culprit is the alum itself or the tiny bit of animal glue (suppose to work like a binder) that I mixed in with the alum. In any case my Xuan paper is like the dried outside skin of an onion. I inadvertently snag the edge of the paper on my felt under pad and the paper immediately rips.
That means wet mounting is the only viable alternative to present this painting. In the wet mounting process, the painting itself is thoroughly wetted down to relax the fibers, in this case, to soften the dried onion skin. If I can be careful to align the torn edges and fit any detached pieces back into the proper position ( like a jig-saw puzzle ), I stand a pretty good chance of repairing the rip. Obviously I must take extra caution when I apply the starch onto the back of the painting.
My wetted painting lies face down on a smooth surface and starch is applied onto the back with a stiff brush. The brush looks extremely intimidating at first. Surely it will tear the wet tissue like Xuan paper into pieces. It is counter-intuitive, but the stiff brush actually helps to spread out any creases and expel air bubbles that are trapped under the wet Xuan.
A piece of blank Xuan which is larger than the painting is carefully placed over the painting which is wet with the mounting starch. This is now covered with several layers of newspaper.
The newspapers help to absorb any excess water that seeps through the backing, and also shield the wet painting from the harsh pounding and brushing with a dry coconut fiber brush. This process is very similar to a press which wrings out excess water and forces the backing paper to adhere firmly to the back of the painting.
The now moist newspapers are now peeled back, revealing a completely smooth and flat backing.
Starch is now applied to the edge of the border.
The piece is now carefully lifted from the smooth surface onto a hard board for drying. The lifting process turns the piece face up now, which is the way it sits on the hard board.
The drying process will shrink the paper a tiny bit, enough to pull it taut and flat. Remember the starched shorts days? You get the gist!!! The dried piece can now be cut from the glued border and is ready for framing.
