Friday, October 21, 2022

Cyanotypes

 Spent some time in North Carolina recently, at the John C. Campbell Folk School, learning the cyanotype process.  Great class, great teacher (Cindy Steiler).  Learned a lot and had much fun.  Also got Covid. Meh.

Cyanotype is a process in which you use the sun to create photographic images on specially-treated fabrics (or wood or glass or whatever) using "negatives" created from transparency sheets.  It's mad scientist territory -- stained aprons, long rubber gloves, chemicals and solutions.  Great fun.  You should stalk Cindy Steiler, find out where she's teaching her next class, and go there. Seriously.

Here's my first piece using some cyanotype panels I made out in North Carolina.  These panels are both negatives and positives of the same image created from an old photograph.  Some of the panels have been bleached and/or treated with tannic acid, and all of them are embellished with beading, old buttons, ribbons, lace, metal charms, embroidery and hand-cut letters.


sweetiehoneybabygirl

Six cyanotype panels 22"h x 25"w


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