Kousa Dogwood – New Work in Progress

I am always looking closely at my yard and garden for inspiration and subject material.  I have a pair of Kousa dogwood trees I planted decades ago that have grown into lovely specimens.  They are sited so that I can look down on them from above on the deck when they are in bloom, a clever arrangement that lets me fully appreciate their graceful form. 

I spent some time recently making some Kousa prints, starting with my old standby and perennial favorite, the cyanotype print. In the image above you see treated cotton sateen fabric, with the leaves and flowers arranged and lightly pinned in place on a piece of foam insulation board.
I covered the arrangement with a sheet of plate glass and took it outside in the bright sunlight for a timed exposure.  I like this process shot showing my shadow.

Above is the fabric after exposure.  The exposed areas have turned grayish, while the areas that were masked by the leaves are unchanged.  The areas covered by the flowers have been partially exposed, as the petals are semi-transparent.
Here is the rinsed and finished print.  I am very happy with the way the cyanotype process captured the delicacy of the blossoms.

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Up next: I experiment with Solar Fast printing.

As always, thanks for reading and commenting!