Curiosity & Branching Out
“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”
For years I have admired the simple beauty of cyanotype prints. You might recognize them for their crisp, white silhouettes against bright blue backgrounds.
Curiosity got the cat in 2021, and I bought my first set of cyanotype print making supplies. Unfortunately, they sat in my supply cabinet for over a year before I felt ready to give them a try. My garden has been so full of life lately, as I’ve been dedicating a lot of time to my plants in 2022, and more native plants have moved into the space as well. Intrigued by the incredible variety of plants I was finding, I pull out the cyanotype making kit and got to work
What is this? Cat nip? Cat mint? I’m still not 100% sure.
What started as an afternoon project quickly turned into a multi-day creative journey. I’ve been experimenting with different paper types; different plants; application processes; making prints while the solution was still wet vs. dry; different additives, and so on.
While I don’t think this technique will ever replace my love for watercolor, the similarities between the two make it a great addition to my body of work. I’m seeing plants in a new light, and it gets me working outside a lot more.
What have you been curious about lately? What’s a new creative journey you’ve been contemplating?