In case you were wondering...

On my plate is the making of three postcards destined for friends who sent me a mixed tape (CD) to keep my ears happy this summer. Thank you for the tunes. I haven't forgotten my promise and that's what this entry is about...partially.

Anyone who dives whole heartily into the wonderful world of anthotypes will at some point wonder about their lifespan or more specifically, how ambient room light may affect the image. I decided to test out a fluorescent light fixture here in my studio by using the it as an exposure source for paper that has just been coated with red rose petal emulsion. I've stacked boxes on top of boxes on top of a cart directly below a ceiling light I can't shut off. The anthotype will get exposed to light around the clock, 24/7.

What is being exposed? Why the very postcards I promised at the beginning of my residency! What is the image of? Only the three people who responded to the Mixed CD request will find out. For a hint, see the picture below. Just in case this doesn't create much of an anthotype, I will also put an rose petal emulsion paper and light resist up in a south facing window in the science wing (or perhaps set up another outdoor frame). I'll know in 24 hours how practical the "stack o boxes" is going to be as an exposure method. Officially, I began the exposure at 6 pm on August 6th.

Grass Green and a Fugitive Pigment

They  cut the grass on the Emmanuel College campus yesterday so I went into manic mode. Wet grass clippings is chance favoring the prepared studio artist.

Mainly pictures this today. After an initial success, I have been struggling with using grass as a pigment for the Anthotypes. The first one, because of the quality of paper and five coats, worked out well. This was coated days ago before the lawn mower cuttings became available (yesterday). It is just waiting for the subject to arrive in the mail which is the fodder for a future blog entry. The second and third attempts are another story. I will let the captions do the talking. Besides the green, I have a discovery to report. The rose pigment is very sensitive to ambiant light i.e. fugitive! Please see the last picture.

The first attempt at grass which worked out well due to five coats of emulsion and the quality of the paper. Note the two other anthotypes in the upper background.

The Utrecht drawing paper soaks up emulsion and shows streaks. This is actually grass poultice pressed on top of the paper. In the photo above you can see this along with the second attempt.

 

 

Red rose pigment exhibiting signs of pattern fading after two weeks exposure to room lights.