Today I spent a little time in the dark room experimenting with cyanotypes and adding in a spearmint infusion to see how it impacted the color. I should have been more scientific, and created a test strip before going all in, but I was a little too excited and just decided to go for it. I suspect by Monday I will be ready to be more methodical so that I can have reproducible results. I created two small images, still using contact methods.
For my method, I prepped the paper first with a classic style cynaotype mixture. After it dried, I painted over it with a spearmint infusion. I should have just made it in the lab using the scale, but it was roughly 1 tablespoon of dried spearmint leaves to 1/4 cup boiling water. I then steeped it for approximately 1 hour, and strained it out. In the contact prints below, you will see the paper prepped with both before exposing it to light with the objects over it. The yellow-green color is the base for the cyanotype, and the grey/green/pinkish wash is where I painted/brushed the spearmint infusion on the top. I did one at a diagonal line to illustrate a stark difference, and the second, I played with the spearmint infusion in a similar way to how I use paint, by creating simple lines with larger starting points, and then dry brushing over that. In the image on the right, with the diagonal, you’ll notice two stark white patches. That is from sloppy taping and then accidentally peeling up the top layer of the paper when removing tape. Since this is just an experiment, I let it stay that way.
Then, I set it up with the objects for the contact print, and exposed it for 15 minutes in the UV light bed.
After exposure and developing, this is the result after sitting for a bit. It’s so blue already because I added a splash of hydrogen peroxide to one of the rinse cycles. It will be interesting to see how this looks tomorrow after it has the full time to sit.
I don’t know enough about the process yet to know if I stained it and altered it, or if this just bleached it. Either way, it’s still pretty exciting that it did something. I look forward to seeing what other combinations I can get together over the next few days!
And, more video and sound to come.
