Ostrich Fern I

• 12 x 18 Original Cyanotype
• Heavy Cotton Paper
  
• Archival Quality
• Unframed

Connecting with nature is an essential part of my existence, inspiration + peacefulness.  It only takes a momentary pause to realize how much beauty exists in our natural world + the evidence of God's majestic work.  I am continually inspired to capture the beauty in this 19th-century photographic blueprint process called Cyanotype.

I consider the collection of these organic specimens for artwork an act of worship.  I astutely look for interesting material on my various nature outings + travel when possible, always imagining what beautiful images they will produce.

This soothing Prussian Blue color is produced when two chemicals are precisely mixed, hand-applied to paper in a darkened room, cured + later exposed to sunlight. 

I select + place the specimen on high-quality paper, which is hand-torn in sizes that beautifully reflect the authentic proportions of the specimen.  After a precise amount of exposure, the plant or organic sample is removed, the paper is washed clean of the chemicals + the captivating silhouette is revealed.

The hand-applied solution, along with the selection + placement of the organic material, makes each piece a unique keepsake. 

Cyanotype is a 19th-century form of camera-less photography + one of the most permanent photographic processes. The scientist John Herschel first developed it in 1842 for blueprinting.  Anna Atkins, a botanist, later used cyanotype to capture her algae collection.  She is often considered the first female photographer + a pioneer of the Cyanotype process.