Happy New Year All!

It’s the middle of Summer here in Australia, and my favourite activities at this time of year are those that require the least amount of time and effort but are still thoroughly satisfying.

One easy art form that has always fascinated me is Cyanotype photography. It’s a beautiful and straightforward cameraless technique that produces blue-tinted prints.

With a growing collection of leaves that I’ve gathered while walking my dog in the park, I thought it would be fun to merge these two interests and see what results I could create. 

I like how the cyanotype process brings out the random shapes in dry, broken leaves.

And highlights the midrib and intricate veins of the softer, deteriorating ones—these leaves are my favourites.

It’s remarkable how leaves retain their shape and form for so long, even as they endure the elements and gradually decay. Each one tells a story.

Adding a touch of watercolour paint, transforms simple images into effortless creations, which in turn tells a new story.

It’s fascinating seeing the textures and details of the leaves appear on paper through the cyanotype process.

Once you have the basics, the opportunites to be creative are never-ending. I took my cyanotype images and used physical and digital art mediums to alter them again.

I think the combination of nature’s artistry with the experimental nature of photography and digital art work well together. What do you think?

I will definitely explore this concept further.

If you’re interested in creating your own cyanotypes, there are lots of amazing creatives who have posted detailed instructions online. I’m happy to answer questions too but I’m still learning so nothing too difficult please 🙂

Until next time, Jacqui