Natural UV cyanotypes:

I wanted to have another go at using the acetate images to make cyanotypes after my failed attempt last time. This time I made sure to place them in a very sunny spot in my back garden and weigh down the corners of the acetates with some small rocks to make sure that they don't blow away. I then left them out for about half an hour, took them inside, washed them with cold water and left them to dry in the attic. 

I believe that this attempt was very successful, the images came out so clearly and the detail is visible. Another thing I did that I think improved these cyanotypes was not scrunching them up to get the extra water out of them after washing them. When I used to scrunch them it would cause the calico have creases and wrinkles that were very hard to get out, even with and iron and this then caused the images to be obscured and ruined the details of the work. By laying them flat to dry I have managed to get past this issue and I am left with a smoother image and material. 

I think that this works even better for the pieces and heightens the surreal aspect of the images by making them clear. The work can be properly seen and appreciated. Again I think that the contrast between the darker and lighter colours is successful and effective at creating this space that feels slightly wrong and off. The blue tones seem to emphasise the shadows and reflections that might have gone unnoticed in the original photograph. I particularly like the details that can be seen in the reflection of the mirror in the first image. In the original photograph the mirror is noticeable but not particularly attention grabbing, but now there seems to be an added eerie feeling to the work as the dark shadows are brought to life. 

Overall I think that this was a successful development, I was able to see that the acetates worked correctly and I now have some pieces that I can use to practice my sewing and figure out where I wan the placement of the stitching to be.