In 1842, British inventor and scientist Sir John Herschel experimented with photo-chemistry, discovering a process that created "a strong blue impression". The chemical formula he developed to create images in Prussian Blue and the term he coined, cyanotype, remains in use today. The following year botanist Anna Atkins produced and published her book, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions. The impact of Atkins and Herschel's work endures today, and the cyanotype continues to be a source of artistic innovation and inspiration. 

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Mapping a Winters Garden is an ongoing project aiming to document the ephemeral nature of growth and the ever-present nature of decay in our natural environment. The small-scale cyanotypes use organic forms collected from familiar surroundings, my backyard. The bare branches of dormant trees and disintegrating autumn leaves scattered across the garden are the last reminders of growth.

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During the exposure time, leaves float across the paper, creating soft transient imagery which captures subtle movement and tonal variations. In response to these initial cyanotypes, intuitive watercolour washes are drawn onto acetate sheets, cut into organic forms, and then exposed similarly to the floating leaves.

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Out of the Blue: Celebrating 175 years of the cyanotype celebrates the process's discovery, endurance, beauty and diverse application with the e-catalogue highlighting countless possibilities and each artist's varied approaches to cyanotype.