Cyanotypes and Tetra Pak printmaking

On Wednesday 14th May, we enjoyed our first Quantock Nature Calling session at National Trust Coleridge Cottage with artist Luan MacDonald. We spent a wonderfully sunny day making cyanotypes and printing our favourite birds using Tetra Paks.

Have a listen to Susan, one of the AfriQuan group members, talking about her favourite bird – the eagle which can be found on Zimbabwe’s flag.

Cyanotypes

For the first creative activity, Luan took the group through the process of making cyanotypes using foraged foliage, a variety of spices, and fabric reclaimed from a local charity shop.

The fabric had been coated in a cyanotype mixture and sheltered from the light until the session. Working in a dimly-lit room to prevent the fabric exposing too quickly, the group freely placed plants and sprinkled spices across the material before covering it with a sheet of clear perspex and placing it outside to develop.

Thankful for a bright spring day, it wasn’t long before we could see our creations come to life. The now-blue-fabrics were washed in water and then left in the sun to dry whilst the group enjoyed some lunch in the garden and had the chance to explore the National Trust property.

Tetra Pak printing

The group shared stories about their favourite birds. Inspired by this, Luan led a workshop to draw, ink and print bird images using repurposed plant-milk cartons (Tetra Paks). We drew out our birds, and then used a variety of tools to scratch, scrape and rub different sections of our drawings to replicate the birds’ markings and provide texture to our images. We also carefully peeled away some of the Tetra Pak’s silver lining in the sections that we wanted to be black.

To inspire our creations, Jon read to us about Nightjars from Under the Stars: A Journey into Light by Matt Gaw. Nightjars are fascinating birds that migrate to the Quantock Hills from Africa during the summer months – listen here:

We inked-up our designs using pieces of card and printing ink before using screwed-up newspaper, cotton buds and pieces of scrim to wipe away the excess. A vital step to make sure our marks would be clear on the print!