From sea to shore and up into the dunes

Posted on September 2, 2021September 7, 2021 by carlotta

From sea to shore and up into the dunes

I realised that the only cyanotypes from my new book that I have blogged about so far have been of the sea. As the book is called sea shore I thought I should post one of the shore. In fact, this is the last image in the book.

I think of sea shore as the visual story of a journey. It begins in stormy seas, travels to calm, shallow water, and eventually ends up in the dunes. The trip is punctuated by two beautiful poems written by poet Sara London.

One aspect of this project that I have particularly enjoyed is the bringing together of imagery collected over the years from many times and places. The locations are not the important factor for me, though. It is about the universality of sea and coast, not the specifics of place. I photographed these sand dunes on the coast of Belgium seven years ago, but it could be any sandy coastline swept by wind and water.

Sea shore is a collection of 29 cyanotypes and two poems in a signed and numbered first edition. If you are interested in buying a copy, you can now pre-order directly from here. I am currently hand binding the books and delivery will start after 14.09.2021.

If you are in Lewes in September, I hope you can come see my Artwave show. It is venue 91, St Anne’s House, 111 High Street, Lewes, BN7 1XY (across the street from Shelley’s).

I will be showing again this year with artist Kelly Hall. We will be open the 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26 September, 11am-5pm. We will have original artwork, signed prints, artist books and greeting cards available to buy.

Don’t forget that all my hand-printed cyanotypes are available to buy. Information about purchasing my prints and books can be found here.

New book of cyanotype landscapes coming soon

Posted on August 19, 2021September 9, 2021 by carlotta

New book of cyanotype landscapes coming soon

I am very pleased to announce that my new book sea shore will be ready in time for my Artwave show in September. The first edition of 100 copies will be printed over the next week and then I will begin the process of hand binding them all. The book is a collection of 29 cyanotypes of sea and shoreline landscapes, with two poems written specifically for this project by American poet Sara London.

My photo this week is the image on the cover of the book. This curved wave was photographed in Newhaven during a winter storm. The unusual shape came, I think, from the force of the wave rebounding against the arm of the breakwater and circling back into the harbour.

I headed to the coast early in the morning the day after the worst of the storm. The wind was still fierce but the sky was clear. Low sunlight skimmed across the water, highlighting every ridge and wrinkle on the wind-whipped surface and catching in the white spray of the waves.

In my Artwave exhibit I will be showing the original hand-printed cyanotypes used for sea shore, several of them printed as large, multi-panelled prints, as well as having the book itself available to buy. I have also been working with architectural imagery, creating cyanotypes from some of my recent projects, including Brighton’s Madeira Terrace and the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange.

I will be exhibiting with the painter Kelly Hall again this year. Our show will be open over the last three weekends in September at St Anne’s House, 111 High Street, Lewes, BN7 1XY.

Information about pre-ordering sea shore is here. All my hand-printed cyanotypes are available to buy. Information about purchasing my prints and books can be found here. Please contact me if you have a workplace, an event, a celebration, a portrait or a building project you would like to have photographed.

Seashore life in minute detail

Posted on September 9, 2020September 9, 2020 by carlotta

Seashore life in minute detail

My cyanotype journey continues with what became a surprisingly beloved subject matter over the past months. While I was photographing the wide expanse of the Seven Sisters white cliffs, I ended up turning my lens down to the tiny world of the seaweed that covers the rocks at Hope Gap.

I became interested in the minute detail of shore life – glossy, rubbery, bumpy seaweed, shiny wet rocks and the hard circular forms of snails. There is something about the cyanotype process that sharpens and enhances details in a photograph, making the seaweed even glossier and bumpier, the rocks shinier. It was exciting to take this tiny spot on the beach and enlarge it so that all of that life was visible.

In my Artwave show, I am exhibiting a Hope Gap seaweed print that is over 750mm (30″) wide, making this little corner of the seashore much much larger than life. Of all the varied subjects that I have hand-printed as cyanotypes over the past months, it is my seaweed ones that I love the most, that I feel a visceral, almost physical connection with. You can find a selection of my cyanotypes here and learn how I create them here.

I am self-publishing a book of my cyanotype Bonfire portraits. It will be available for sale during my Artwave exhibit and also by mail order. You can find more information here. A large selection of this new work is being shown as part of the Lewes District Artwave Festival in a joint exhibit with artist Kelly Hall. You can find us at St Anne’s House, 111 High St, Lewes, BN7 1XY, opposite Shelley’s Hotel. We will be open the 12/13 and 19/20 September, 11am-5pm. Please do come by and say hello!

Category: landscpape