Helen Lunn

I am a cyanotype artist using the Victorian cameraless photographic process to create my art. The cyanotype (sun-print) process was invented in 1842 by Sir John Herschel who coined the phrase, "photography", "drawing with light”. UV sensitive solution is painted on to paper. Botanicals laid on top and exposed to the light. A silhouette image is created. Rinsed in plain water the image is fixed. My inspiration comes from local plants and weeds exploiting their unexpected beauty. Using the cyanotype process I lift these undesirables to something of beauty. I also add elements such as rust, vinegar, soap to the chemistry to create more  abstract and painterly results. My framed work is mounted on wooden panels and finished with encaustic wax. The encaustic wax is painted in many layers, over my cyanotypes fusing each layer with heat. Encaustic paintings do not have to be varnished or protected by glass. My work will happily sit on your walls as any other piece of art for many years to come.