Two Women Talk: No. 4
Hello dear readers,
I've appreciated the feedback and conversations surrounding my art collaboration and friendship with Ellen. Good food for the soul. Thank you!
Today is day 3 of 7 in the 7 Days Series Ellen and I challenged ourselves with. We limited ourselves to a 5x7 work area, only using cyanotype chemistry (and maybe some additional 'secret chemistry' thrown in...), and printing on natural fiber papers conducive to receiving light sensitive solutions (as well as holding up to a lot of soaking and washing in water). We do not confer with what the theme of the day is so it's a joyful surprise to each of us once we share the one print we are happiest with for that day. Take a look at the diptychs of our daily work on our Two Women Talk Instagram page to see how the pieces pair as well as follow what transpires on the series. We would love to engage in feedback and discussion as well - that's the rewarding part - connection and discovery.
My reflections so far: Day 1, it was really tough for me to get started. What paper should I use? What materials should I use - local plants? Collected dried flowers? Feathers? Digital negative, real materials, a combination? What? What!? It literally took me a few hours of just wandering in the yard, in my studio, handling all the things I laid out to use for the week before I finally coated some papers already prepped to the 5x7 size and started throwing chemistry and raw materials down. First print - meh. Too busy and bland. But at least I got started. As I played with 2 more prints, I began to feel more focused on what I wanted to achieve - leaving room for discovery but with a guided hand.
In the end, I chose the one piece of feathers and maple seeds laid on top of plastic wrap over a wet cyanotype sprinkled with 'mystery items' from the kitchen and photo chem closet. I like the watery, watercolor effect as well as the negative space left on the outside edges. The pop of yellow, yellow-green, and lavender were a sweet surprise in addition to the hues of blues - compliments of that 'secret chemistry' sprinkled on over a wet cyanotype.
The finished piece sans a coat or two of a cold wax varnish which I will do in a few days. Untitled as of yet. A cyanotype photogram using only UV light from the sun to expose...
And these are our two pieces shown side by side. I love how Ellen's piece feels like I'm peering into the forest floor...
Day 2 felt more focused and in control. I had a better idea of what I specifically wanted to play with so I got to work quickly. The first day took me until 4pm to feel like I had something to share - and I began at 9am. Day 2, I was finished by 2pm and didn't even start until 11. I only did 3 prints total to my 6 on the first day and I liked all 3 of them. However, the one I chose was a heart piece. I used items with special meaning to me. I absolutely love how it turned out the minute I tossed it into the first wash. It changed dramatically after 15 minutes of purging the chemistry off but I was still happy with it. Once it gets the wax varnish, the details will emerge more clearly as well...
Another photogram on Arches Platine cotton rag paper; also a wet cyanotype as the day before. I really enjoy the painterly feel of the sensitized chemistry when it is allowed to meld and move about.
And, here are our pieces side by side. Interesting to note - we both used smooth, hot pressed type papers and a single flora subject was our central focus - without conferring over the theme at all....
Below is what it looks like fresh from sun exposure into a water bath to develop the image and stop the exposure processing. I actually love the first impression and now wish I had quickly scanned this before it completed its development process... Why did it go from this to that cyan blue at the top? Because cyanotypes are made by mixing equals parts of ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide producing that cyan color which can be toned, faded, or brightened by adding additional chemistry. Over time, it will cure to that cyan color and stay that way as long as you don't leave it in harsh, direct light (it will fade as it's not lightfast...). You can speed up the "blueing" process by adding just a smidge of hydrogen peroxide in the rinsing which instantly 'cures' it (yes, smidge is a real measurement...)
So, today is day 3 of 7 of this fun and insightful project and I'd better get a move on! Head on over to our IG pages to see what emerges from our studios today. We post our progress each evening before 9pm PST in the US. Our Two Women Talk blog posts are posted the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month - please subscribe to receive timely updates. We'd love to hear your thoughts, your own art collaboration experiences, or answer any questions you might have...
What do you think? Would love to hear from you. Thanks for reading. Best wishes for good health and cool temps for you and yours...
Comments