I've become obsessed with paper. I spent hours in Fred Aldous today looking at different types. But the type I want doesn't seem to exist. I want big paper - A2 at least or better still A1. I bought some M1 paper today, but it's white. You see, I really want coloured paper with dark, strong, mucky-looking colours. I want it to have quite a bit of tooth but not as textured as an Ingres paper for instance. When I was talking to the girl in the shop about this she suggested I make my own. Now that sounds like a very interesting idea. But to make such big sheets of paper I'd need a really big deckle and you probably can't buy them that size. So I'll have to make my own.

Is this what it comes to? It starts as an idle idea in London Zoo that I could buy some pencils and a sketchbook and make a few drawings. And just a few months later I'm seriously considering making a deckle and making my own paper?