Experiments in wet cyanotype - part 88

I did one last round of wet cyan prints, using fresh leaves before the first frost hit. Up first is a print on cotton fabric using sensitive fern, Onoclea sensibilis, and eastern redbud leaves, Cercis canadensis. The redbud is a sport variety, Rising Sun, I had my eye on all summer at my favorite nursery, and when it went on sale in the fall I brought it home. The leaves emerge orangey-red, then turn chartreuse, which sounds sort of gimmicky but looks really lovely. 

The sensitive fern was the focus of a large quilt I did back in 2007, which I titled Mystery Fern. This was pre-google image search, when I had to rely on what was in my head or in my field guides, and at first I couldn't do a positive ID, hence the "mystery". It remains one of my all-time favorites, for its imagery and it's cool, woodsy vibe.

Mystery Fern

Along with the big fabric print, I did four variations of redbud leaves on mineral paper.

All of these prints are primarily cyanotype chemicals, with just a smidge of Solarfast solar dye in yellow.

Here they all are after exposure, but before rinsing.

There's lots of good swirly stuff happening on the mineral paper.

And here are the rinsed and finished prints.

That's probably the last printmaking session for the year, although I do have bunch of pressed leaves, so I might get inspired on a cold and snowy day. 

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