MIXED MEDIA

December 3, 2022. Although I am creating watercolor pieces, I still return to cyanotype. Lately I have been creating cyanotype images on paper, then adding paper, colored pencils/and or pastels, etc., to create more of a mixed media piece or collage. One of my images, “Wonder Around,” invites the viewer into a natural world, with a twist of fantasy. I recently had the piece on exhibit, and it was fun to listen to what the visitors saw in the image. Of course, when I created the image, I was just playing with texture, color, line, and shapes, and didn’t necessarily see anything specific.

Sarah S Curley

Working with Watercolor

September 24, 2022. I have been experimenting the last few weeks with creating watercolor paintings. The inspiration for my paintings has been the natural world. Of course, I then let my imagination run wild, and the actual finished piece is more of a fantasy of what a beach or a home in the mountainous region of an Asian country…..perhaps, Japan, should look like. Friends and family frequently ask where do I come up with such ideas. Honestly, I am not really sure. I start sketching, and then the image takes shape in my mind. It usually impressionistic. I don’t want to paint an exact picture. If I want reality, I take a photograph.

Sarah S Curley

The Exploration Begins

September 2, 2022. For the last decade, I have pursued cyanotype, an alternative photographic process that starts in the dark room. Chemicals are mixed, none of which are light sensitive and one of which is potassium ferricyanide (from which the name of the process was derived), to create a mixture which is light sensitive. I usually coat silk fabric in the darkroom, which gets a bit messy depending on the size of the fabric and the thickness of the silk. However, I also use fairly large sheets of paper, suitable for the coating of chemicals, as an another canvas. Whatever my canvas is that day, when I am done coating, I dry the fabric or paper. I then decide on how to create the image. I can create it in or near the darkroom, using a light box or other techniques, or I can take the canvas outdoors and use the sun. Creating the image is like baking. I can start with an idea, but as the images are beginning to appear, I can add layers, move objects, and use other techniques to create a multilayered image. Depending on the ultraviolet light source that I am using, it can take between 10 to 40 minutes to develop the image. I then do the final processing of the image, and let it dry. However, this website will not be devoted to just cyanotype images. I will add studies in mixed media, collage, water color, and, perhaps, ceramics……and who knows what else.

Stay tuned. Sarah S Curley