wouldn't this make a lovely postcard?

Here is one version of the Gingko Grid that might just be installed next month at Sinclair College's Works on Paper Gallery. Progress has been slow on other pieces. I have three large tiled pieces and the Gingko Grid. If things go well I might have at least one other larger piece and the grid may grow to 15 pieces from the current 12.

Anyone have a roll of amberlith or rubylith that they want to part with?

the proverbial drawing board is an open field

noteworthy: Make your way to building 13 to see...

Bridgette Bogle has created a drawing installation as part of the 2010 Faculty show at Sinclair College's Triangle Gallery. Next month I will be across the way in the Works on Paper gallery concurrent with Glen Cebalash in the Triangle Gallery.

Back to the drawing board for a couple of projects. My first attempt at an Anthrotype got rained on and the very water soluble vegetable matter of the pokeberry juice washed away. The transparency didn't fair to well either. As of yesterday, I have begun attempt number two. It is in an open field in the South Park neighborhood. I plan to move the printing frame around, perhaps taking it to school to leave it in the practice field while the marching band does their drills. All in an attempt to get some sunlight to fall on the Anthrotype for long periods of time.

Over the last 9 months, perhaps longer, there has been a slight shift in the color of the Vandykes that I have been producing. The really rich dark brown that caught Chris Anderson's eye two years ago is gone. It's time to do some testing including re-visiting my old processing regime. Tonight I processed a print and went without using any citric acid in the processing. It seems to have made a difference. Only with a dry down and the morning light will I be able to tell.

Pokeberry Anthotype Day One -Three

I began the anthotype exposure two days ago. Based upon what I have seen after two days and knowing how light is at a premium in back of the house, I expect the exposure to take about 3 weeks.

did someone say "Pokeberry Anthotype"?

It's pokeberry harvesting season and while I am a little fuzzy on how edible they are, the birds love them and they are the perfect organic material to create an anthotype.

For those of you reading this who don't know what an anthotype is, let me offer a little information. The anthotype is yet another process invented by Sir John Herschel around 1842. It is a direct postive process because the sun bleaches away unprotected areas of a substrate coated with organic dye. If I were to use a photographic negative, I would get a copy of that negative in anthotype. If use a postive print or transparency such as the image above, I would get a single color postive copy of the picture. Here's a link to an exhibtion of anthotypes that took place at Ryerson University. http://www.imagearts.ryerson.ca/topographica/Anthotype.html

Herschel used pigments from flowers such as the Iris for this process. Contemporary practitioners have used beets and berries for creating their images.

This will be my first anthotype and I plan on giving the exposure about 3 weeks in the late summer early autumn Ohio sun to have a really strong image. I'll post here once the exposure is started.

Let the grand experiment begin.