Cyanotype is an historic photographic printing process that gives a cyan-blue print. It uses sunlight to activate light sensitive chemicals which have been applied to a substrate. This can be done on paper and textiles as well as ceramics.
Images are placed onto the light sensitive cyanotype base and act as a resist to the sunlight leaving their image behind.
The process using two iron salts and the sun for developing, was discovered in 1842 by Herschel. The process has changed very little in over 170 years.
Each cyanotype is a handmade original. It is an intensive hands on process and each print is treated individually to give each one unique characteristics.
Blues can be reduced or toned with various household substances to give a range of colours.
My range of scarves has been created using several natural fabrics as well as the all time favourite, silk. Designs are mostly photograms of plants. Cyanotypes are photographs, not dyes and they require extra care in handling.