My final semester as a fine art student I devised a darkroom technique for brushing or splattering developer onto the photographic paper. The result looks like something straight out of photoshop, but it is completely analogue. It’s magical. ✨
I’ve often bemoaned my lack of darkroom facilities to continue exploring this technique.
Enter cyanotype (sometimes called sun printing.)
Mom and I had a play a few years ago. We used pretreated paper which is a great entry into cyanotype.
(This piece is Mom’s. The gingko leaves make such a nice bold silhouette.)
When I learned you could mix up a solution to make any paper / fabric / pottery light sensitive I knew I had to try. I eventually ordered the supplies, but was so busy editing the Kindle Curiosity podcast I never got to it.
When Olivia invited me to participate in her “I am an artist” collab I knew the time was right! (After all I had been hoarding the supplies for 3-4 years.) I did a few tests and ultimately ended up applying the solution with a brush in the same way I used to do in the darkroom. The upside to cyanotype is you don’t need a darkroom! You expose the image with sunlight!
You can read more about my inspiration for this piece here. Olivia featured a whole series of artists who each put their own stamp on her interactive print. If you want to make your own you can find them stocked in her Etsy store.
I’m so excited to see where this will lead! Thanks for the prompt Olivia. 💙