When I was a kid, I was obsessed with my sun block printing kit. I loved it and it seemed at the time like something lots of other people did too. The resurgence of this pretty way to capture a bit of your garden for your home couldn't please me more, even if it does make me sound like my mother and make me wonder if I may need to begin lying about my age.
Sun printing (also called cyanotype) was originally developed by Anna Atkins (a British botanist, 1799-1871), who used the process to document and catalog plants. She felt it was more accurate than her drawings. There is a great telling of the story of the algea that she first documented at Venetian Red.
The process (as applied to more than just scientific record keeping) reveals beautiful results that are perfect for decor of all kinds.
Both Martha Stewart and Garden Design have nice write-ups about the how-tos. You can get printable fabric at blue prints on fabric.
You can also learn more about doing it yourself from a Print Workshop: Hand-Printing Techniques and Truly Original Projects by Christine Schmidt of Yellow Owl Workshop.
I am excited to give this old craft of mine a new twist. Maybe I can even get my kids hooked on it, and one day when they are 30-something, they can say, "Hey, that's not new! I used to do blah blah back when I was blah blah..."
Shown Above:
1. Glithero Blueware Tiles
2. Once Wed
3-4. Garden Design
5. Martha Stewart
6. Rinne Allen
7-9. Glithero Blueware Tiles
10. Studio Glithero
Images: As credited above.
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There's something so beguiling about this graphic design. Not just nature inspired but nature itself. I much this to a highly stylized interpretation. And that blue!
Well I guess I am young enough for this to be "new" to me. I like it!
I'm wondering: can you expose the fabric to light again ? I'd love to do some bedding using that technique, but if I can't use the sheets afterwards, it's pretty useless.
Loora. Yes. Once you've exposed the picture, you then set it.
And since we're in a sharing mood around here, I'll share some of mine: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnerd/419609595/in/photostream/
I think these look best when there is a little bit of blur.
I have a couple of packs of that paper at home. It's been sitting for ages. I know what I'm doing this weekend! (Assuming it's sunny)
Lorint, even if it's not sunny, you can still expose the sun print paper. There's plenty of UV on a cloudy day to make an image. You might just have to let it sit for a while longer for cloudy days. The biggest factor for me is the wind!! It always wants to blow away my graceful leaves!
Love this post - especially the ceramics!
A professional cyanotype artist, among other media -- http://elizabethbriel.com/
That tile application is amazing, and i want to learn how it's done / if it can be done on one's own! I remember there being reverse paper as well where it turned white where the sun hit it and left everything blue or brown where something cast a shadow. It'd be interesting to see those applied to tile as well.
The cake example is quite interesting! Very clever.