Cyanotype - 8x10" Pampas Grass

The Artwork:
This listing is for a handmade, one-of-a-kind piece of cyanotype art. It measures 8x10" and is made on 140lb watercolor paper. A seedhead from an ornamental grass is featured in this elegant and unique piece. The plants were carefully pressed and arranged on specially coated paper and exposed in the sun to create this enchanting blue and white image. The plants appear in white/pale blue silhouette against a deep Prussian blue background, with a white border at the edge. No pressed flowers are attached to this artwork; they were merely used to create the silhouettes. Please view all listing photos for details and any "happy accidents" in the way of blue ghosting within the white portions of the image.

What is Cyanotype?
Cyanotype is an alternative photography process dating back to the 1800s. In my home studio, I mix two chemicals, potassium ferricyanide and ferric ammonium citrate, which I then paint onto paper with a brush for different visual effects. Once this emulsion has dried on the paper, I select and carefully arrange my pressed flowers and foliage into the desired design, and carry it outside on a sunny day. After several minutes in the sun, the image is adequately exposed, and I carry it back indoors to remove the plants and develop (wash) the print. Once the excess emulsion is washed away, and the final blue-and-white image is revealed, the artwork is hung to dry.

Why Cyanotype?
This process allows me to combine my love for botany, pressed flowers, and photography into an enchanting piece of art. I am so fascinated by the silhouette and shape of these pressed flowers, as well as the translucency of certain leaves and petals.

Care and display:
Cyanotypes can fade if placed in direct sunlight. Their blue color can regenerate if placed into a dark place. Avoid high humidity such as bathrooms or kitchens if possible. Alkaline (acid-free) environments can damage cyanotypes, so keep this in mind while framing.

This print ships in a cellophane sleeve with rigid backing in a rigid envelope. It is sold unframed.