180 x 140cm
Cyanotype, Copper Verdigris, Bluebell, Buttercup, Wild Sage, Soda, Citric Acid on Canvas.

This work is alive. They capture the alchemic interactions of botanical inks, UV sensitive paint and copper oxide.

Firstly, a pallet of neutral tones was created from bluebell, nettle, wild sage and buttercup foraged from the farm in Cork. The pallet was brightened with the introduction of copper oxide, which brewed over months from copper scraps from the workshops on the farm. The deeper blue tones were achieved using a UV sensitive mixture that reacted with sunlight to create a cobalt blue. Finally, the different elements coalesced on the canvas to produce stunning, energetic reactions.

In Winter Ablaze I wanted to create stronger contrasts between areas. I layered colour atop colour, allowing chemical reactions between copper oxides and cyanotype minerals to occur on the surface of the work. There is intense contrast between shapes and textures which draws the eyes across the canvas settling on each distinct area. I tweaked ph levels using basic and acidic materials, which stretched the colours across the spectrum, and in some cases resulted in new colours emerging.

The expressive artwork, seen as a whole, are gentle and balanced. Dappled textures are contrasted against precious details. Viewed up close, the alchemic reactions echo that of an aerial shot of a geological landscape, or a close up of the energy of a wave, ultimately creating a keen sense of the natural landscape.