“The Journey” was a two and a half year process that began with a blueprint (you can see here) created using a sumi-e technique, round brush, black ink on white paper, pieces then cut and tacked onto brown paper, arranged and rearranged many times. The elements of the design were then translated onto painted paper, usually using tracing paper and either scissors or an x-acto blade, though a few pieces were simply cut spontaneously and freehand. I’ve never labored so long or hard on a single work of art. Unfortunately, the photo will never do the materials justice. The acrylic ink is incredible, and each shape is fashioned from cut paper, so the original work of art shows all these layers in relief against each other. On my Instagram account, leilacurrah_art, you can see more pics of the work in progress.