Description

What are the ways we are in relationship to our surrounding environment? Can the awe and wonder we have for the landscape also be extended to the ways we view ourselves?

In this workshop, participants will use the craft of cyanotype solar printing to create environmental portraits of themselves as one way to answer these questions. The days will include experimenting with the cyanotype process using natural materials gathered around the Sitka campus and portrait stencils created from participant photos. Our creative guide will focus on inherent belonging and embodied expression, as natural as the landscape surrounding Sitka. The cyanotype process is a wonderful vehicle for this intention, as it is non-toxic, requires UV light (sunshine) for exposure, and results in a deep blue mirroring the sky and sea.

On the final day, Ebenezer will share techniques and the thought process behind blessing portraits through added embellishment, a touch his photographic practice is known for. Participants will be invited to adorn their final prints with gold leaf, gold paint, and/or paper. Attendees will gain technical knowledge of cyanotype printing and, more importantly, will leave with a physical representation of how they are a vital part of the landscape, connecting the inspiring setting of Sitka Center to their physical form.

Note: The cyanotype process involves a blend of iron compounds and UV light. All components involved in the process are non-toxic and can safely be poured down a drain.