Cyanotype on Envelopes

2023 was the year I started exploring Cyanotype.

This technique is old and there are so many methods of creating impressions using light.
I find the whole process (coating a paper with the solution, letting it dry, then placing elements on top to cast a permanent shadow ) a form of meditation.

One experiment I did was using envelopes from spam mail I got at home. Quickly I realized that I would never run out of materials to print on. The sheer amount of junk mail being sent around the U.S. is appalling. Once you start collecting these return envelopes, you start to notice that they are EVERYWHERE.

I still have many more envelopes to prepare and print on. Here is a collection of the first batch of envelope cyanotypes I did. At this point, they have all been repurposed to cover some boxes I made to hold my work at Mother Murphy’s (Normal, IL) where you can find some of my work.

I hope you enjoy it!