I don't know how to take what I see and abstract it.
I don't know that to do.
I don't really know what I'm looking for/at.
I don't know what I'm trying to achieve/say.
What if I do it wrong?
I've tried it the way I see others doing it but I don't get it/it doesn't resonate with me.
"Natalie opened up a whole world of experimentation that none of us had previously considered... ever since we've been playing with spectacular effect!"
"Thank you so much for today's foray into cyanotype - I loved it!"
"To be guided through a process and not have any expectation of the outcome... that is true creativity... and quite magical."
"Natalie opened up a whole world of experimentation that none of us had previously considered... ever since we've been playing with spectacular effect!"
***
"Thank you so much for today's foray into cyanotype - I loved it!"
***
"To be guided through a process and not have any expectation of the outcome... that is true creativity... and quite magical."
Discover the world of cyanotype - but not as you know it! Pushing this medium in new ways, we explore it as an addition to your practice or as a standalone method to create exciting new work!
There is a lot online about 'conventional' use of cyanotype but this class takes it beyond the camera-less photography idea and pushes it as both a painting medium and a way to create spectacular 'micro-landscapes' that will really get your imagination going.
I encourage you to forget everything you've ever learnt about cyanotypes and enter a world where curiosity is key and you can create the most stunning textured images from the the most basic of materials!
gain an understanding of how cyanotype works
learn how to adapt the standard recipe to create exciting variations of colour
explore ways to create fascinating effects
be introduced to ways you might want to integrate this into your art practice
become curious and confident to test and push it beyond the conventional.
The best thing about this medium is that it's quick to set up and once you understand the basics you can spend hours exploring the possibilities and creating amazing and unique images.
Each class builds on the previous to gradually introduce you to the wonders of this medium, from learning the basic formulas and creating amazing effects to how I use it in my own practice. There's also an exciting collaboration with my good friend Kasia Clarke and her amazing collage papers!
With a discussion section on each lesson you can ask questions and share your findings if you wish, as you work though this at your own pace.
Welcome
Materials needed
What is Cyanotype?
The basic formula
Exploring the colour range
Creating fabulous effects
More awesome effects
Adding pigments
Scaling up
Fixing
Adding to old work
Finishing touches
Experimenting!
Kasia Clarke collaboration
Examples of how I've used this in practice - part 1
Examples of how I've used this in practice - part 2
Examples of how I've used this in practice - part 3
Thanks for joining me on this journey
This self-paced course is suitable for artists working in any medium who want to explore exciting ways to make unique images.
90 minutes of pre-recorded video content, each lesson building on the previous, offers the equivalent of a one-day in-person workshop. The course is designed for you to work along in real-time then continue your investigations in between sessions, so there is plenty to discover!
This self-paced course is suitable for artists working in any medium who want to explore exciting ways to make unique images.
90 minutes of pre-recorded video content, each lesson building on the previous, offers the equivalent of a one-day in-person workshop. The course is designed for you to work along in real-time then continue your investigations in between sessions, so there is plenty to discover!
As long as you want it! There is no set time to work through the content, you can do it at your own pace and if you need to take a break it will be there waiting for you when you get back!
The class is priced in GBP at £95. Please use an online currency converter to get the most up to date exchange rate.
Absolutely! You can log into the class and repeat the lessons as many times as you want.
You will get a full materials list on registration which includes a basic cyanotype solution kit. Here is the UK Amazon link so you know what to look for. The rest of the materials you are likely to already have or be able to source easily.
Most of the experiments I share work best on paper but the whole focus of the class is to encourage you to experiment and investigate, pushing and challenging the materials and seeing what results you get.
Cyanotype develops in ultraviolet (UV) light which is natural daylight. If you have a sunny spot you can use then you will see the experiments develop before your eyes - always very exciting and great if you're impatient like me! However it will still develop on gloomy days, it just takes longer. I was using it all through the UK winter with only a small overhead rooflight and still got great results.
The emphasis on this class is very much about experimenting, investigating and adopting a 'what if' approach. My art practice is based around this attitude and it can lead to exciting and unexpected results! In this class I encourage you try something new and see how it can be adapted and incorporated into your own practice. Enjoy the process, push the materials and have a great deal of fun with it, and you never know where it might lead :)
The last few years have been a period of huge transformation for Natalie. During this time she’s fully consolidated her art practice, reflecting deeply and developing exciting projects and collaborations.
She is now a full-time artist living and working in Cornwall, painting in her Bude studio and teaching at the St Ives School of Painting and Royal Cornwall Museum as well as running her own classes locally.
She recently completed 2 years of study with the Newlyn Art School which has strengthened her sense of self, her ideas and interests and given her tools to be rigorous in her critical thinking.
In spring 2023 Natalie held her first solo show This Land at the Royal Cornwall Museum which debuted her explorations into natural earth pigments and writing about her beloved Cornwall landscape.