Description

Often, in the effort to achieve the ideal print in photography, there is an unrecognized bounty in the test prints, experiments, and mistakes that usually make their way to the trash to never be seen again. What if instead of discarding what is considered flawed in the process of creating a masterpiece, it is the trial and errors that are honored and utilized to create work that is shared with others. In this workshop participants will use the process of cyanotype solar printing, along with the techniques of bleaching and toning their prints, to create internal and external landscapes. By embracing a learning mindset, participants’ test prints will be used as much as possible to create their pieces, minimizing waste, while honoring what it is to be human, a journey never meant for an ideal, but rather one made in experimentation, mistakes, and growth.

The days will include experimenting with the cyanotype process, using natural materials, stencils, and unconventional materials, to mimic natural elements. Participants will learn ways to lighten, or “bleach”, their prints using a mixture of baking soda and water, as well as learn different ways to tone their prints with things often found in a home kitchen(tea, wine, coffee, and spices) The workshop will culminate in cutting out and backing their favorite shapes, to then layer onto a background of their creation. Using the prompt: what landscapes do I nurture within myself, and what landscapes nourish me? Attendees will create the frame for these landscapes using stencils created from photos of themselves taken during the workshop. Through this workshop participants will learn the technical knowledge of cyanotype printing, a 3 dimensional approach to collage, and create a physical representation that honors the missteps, failures, and happy accidents that are a part of the growth cycle in our human landscape.