Petrichor is a flax paper, dyed with indigo and pomegranate rind, externally sized with gelatin. My goal in creating this paper was to introduce a new and complimentary design to the Cave Paper catalog that reflects my home in Tucson, Arizona. It was important to me that both the material and the resulting colors connect to the land, light, and spirit of the region. Pomegranates are prolific in this area and drop their fruits in the fall, the rinds of which can be cooked to create a highly tannic dye. Similar to dye made from black walnut, this golden dye can be layered on top of indigo for a range of effects. “Petrichor” (peh·truh·kor) can be defined as the distinctive, intoxicating scent accompanying rain as it falls on very dry earth. In the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and Northwest Mexico, the fragrance of our rainy season brings a particular euphoria and relief from the dry summer heat. This paper is meant to invoke that first deep breath of verdant air, as washes and riverbeds run deep with the monsoon rains.

This design begins as most do at Cave Paper. Belgian flax fiber is beaten and rinsed in our 25-pound Valley beater for about four hours. Sheets are formed on Tim Moore moulds, pressed, assembled into spurs of four sheets, pressed again under very low pressure, and then hung on marble racks to air dry. The dry sheets are then partially dipped in an indigo vat multiple times over the course of several days to create overlapping layers. The dye made from pomegranate rinds is then brushed across the entire sheet, creating golden-yellow areas where the base sheet is untouched by indigo, and a range of greens where the two dyes combine. Once we achieve the desired colors we size the sheets externally with gelatin. The final step is to mist the paper with water and flatten between blotters and cardboard layers in a stack dryer. The resulting sheets have the strength and durability that makes them ideal for use in bookbinding, although our paper is used by all types of artists.

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