Hi there and welcome to Slumbermonkey Designs (alias Lindsay Buck). Hopefully you have just arrived from Giova Brusa to see more papery goodness...
I LOVE PAPER! There; I have made my declaration and said out loud what I have thought and felt about this wonderful thing ever since I was a small child. I always had paper with me; as a sketchbook, in scraps or sheets and even as unwound lolly sticks that provided a perfect small square of white loveliness to draw on. As I got older I used paper in lots of different ways, always trying out new ideas and techniques. One of my most recent passions is cyanotype printing and now that the weather is getting a bit sunnier and the days longer I am feeling the lure again!
What is Cyanotype?
Cyanotype (sometimes called blue print) is a photographic process discovered in 1842 by the English scientist and astronomer Sir John Herschel. However it was Anna Atkins (regarded as the first female photographer) who really brought the process to life. She documented plants by placing specimens on specially coated paper and exposing them to the sun, thus creating incredibly detailed images like the one below.
My Work
Inspired after reading about Anna Atkins I decided to investigate how easy it was to try for myself. I actually found that all you need are the two chemicals ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide (which I bought from an online craft store) paper and bright sunlight! For my prints I decided to use some found graph paper. It had quite an old fashioned feel to it, slightly yellowed but with a clear and interesting structure. I experimented with lots of different things and these are some of the results.
For the top one I created a very ordered feel by using some of my collection of buttons in a grid system. The bottom one is based upon a photograph of a gate that I took. I made a negative by printing onto acetate in black and white and exposed it to the sun in the same way.
Some of the smaller pieces I used to make cards and hand embellished aspects of my prints. As you can see I have used recycled card. I love the slightly rough texture and unfinished feel of this type of card and paper.
What do you think of my cyanotypes? I would welcome any comments and if you are interested in my work do get in touch (links to the right!)
Thank you for stopping by to look and I hope you will hop on to the next on the list for more paper appreciation via Beka Buckley.
Majo Bautista / Tona Bell/ Louise Best / Cathy Bluteau / Jennifer Bomgardner / Giova Brusa / Lindsay Buck / Beka Buckley / Joanna Caskie / Jonathan Chapman (Mr Yen) / Halle Cisco / Sarah Clare / Cathryn Clarge / Dawn Clarkson / Rhiannon Connelly / Jenny D'Fuego / Molly Dhiman / Ian Dudley / Ayisatu Emore / Akmal Farid / Monika Forsberg / Claire Fritz-Domeney / Louise Gale / Chrissy Gaskell / Julie Hamilton / Emma Hawman / Rachel Hazell / Holly Helgeson / Claudine Hellmuth / Kim Henkel / Sarah Hoffman / Joanne Hus / Paula Joerling / Beth Kempton / Julie Kirk / Eos Koch / Katie LaClair / Kristy Lankford / Michelle Manolov / Doreen Marts / Rosie Martinez-Dekker / Tori Mears / Maria Mederios / Lise Meijer / Debbie Miller / MaryJane Mitchell / Suzy Naidoo / Grace Noel / Hannah Nunn / Camilla Olsson / Jo Packham / Rachelle Panagarry / Monette Pangan / Melanie Paul / Nicole Piar / Jen Pitta / Liz Plummer / Julie Reed / Michelle Reynolds / Lisa Rivas / Angee Robertson / Natalie Ryan / Aisling Ryan / Elisabet Sapena / Kyrrha Sevco / Jamie Sprague / Elizabeth Steele / Terri Stephens / Juniper Stokes / Mary Tanana / Maike Thoma / Linda Tieu / Gabrielle Treanor / Tammy Tutterow / Deborah Velasquez / Jordan Vinograd Kim / Cat Whipple / Brooke Witt / Katie Wood / Amelia Woodbridge
Lovely Lindsay - what a great topic. Love the cards !
ReplyDeleteSo interesting perhaps I need to try that one day. Thank you for writing about it.
ReplyDelete/Camilla Olsson - also in the blog hop www.camillaolssonart.wordpress.com
...I've always thought these were such a neat and magical trick. A kind of cross between an x-ray and photo-negative. So pretty. I'm wondering how feasible this would be for my punklings to try? A neat spring break activity for sunnier days :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link in the blog hop! My post for today's hop is live now :)
I love the blue against the buff coloured card, dreamy combo. I really like the buttons image and I would LOVE to try this too. The little sun printing kits to buy are pretty pricey and if it's as easy as you say I am inspired to give it a go. Just need that sun now {*}
ReplyDeleteHello! I'm here from the lovely blog hop! I adore your work! Truly magical!
ReplyDeletehttp://cozydoodle.blogspot.ca/2014/03/the-paper-love-blog-hop.html
Wow, the cyanotypes are beautiful. I'm loving all the paper love on this blog hop. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSo original and a wonderful process, love them!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous cyanotypes! I have found a new reason to love paper!! Your prints and cards are wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeletehttp://hollyhelgeson.blogspot.com/2014/03/from-story-booksto-comic-stripsto-paper.html
I think your cyanotypes are very appealing! I'm ever so much a fan of paper too.
ReplyDeleteRecently I'm into indigo and blues as well! I love what you're doing!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing! I have seen these in the past, but have never tried it ~ you make it look so easy and fun with wonderful results! Love what you have done with the process! I have enjoyed all this paper fun - here is mine: http://bricolage-julier.blogspot.com/2014/03/paper-love-ephemera.html
ReplyDeleteCyanotypes sounds like such a complicated process but you made it sound so easy :) i'm sure it requires a lot of patience. nicely done. Molly-also at the blog hop- http://designfivestudio.blogspot.in/2014/03/for-love-of-paper.html
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work! I have always been a fan of the cyanotype, I think it's the color that attracts me.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting LIndsay. I haven't done cyanotype since college so it was good to see it again! Really liked your cards and the button print.
ReplyDelete