"My inspiration is my garden...I wander around soaking up the beauty and waiting for leaves to sprout and flowers to bloom in just the right formation." Jacqui Penrose

Life in Colour

Nov 5

Written By GoLive

Canberra-based artist Jacqui Penrose is part of our upcoming group show, *Life in Colour*.

We are delighted to welcome Canberra-based artist Jacqui Penrose for our upcoming group show, Life in Colour.

The show brings together more than 30 incredible artists from all over the country for a joyous celebration of vibrant colour.

Register now to join us on Saturday 16 November from 1pm as we celebrate this superb show in the company of the amazing artists involved. Put your name down for this FREE event, and pop your contact details on the mailing list at the same time to get early pre-sales access to the works in the show.

Jacqui works with cyanotype printing, or sun printing, using the same method that was used in the 1800s to capture images on paper with sunlight.

Her work in Life in Colour is In The Garden - Serenity In Blue. It's a beauty.

Ahead of the show opening, Jacqui told us about the process of cyanotype printing, being constantly inspired by her garden, and capturing the blue stillness of early evening.

Where do you create your work?

"All of my artwork is created at home in my studio and garden. Most of my prints involve plants of some kind from my garden or acquired on neighbourhood walks."

How do you create your work?

"The initial stages of the process need to be done inside away from sunlight. I usually coat my paper at night so it is dry and ready for printing in the morning. In the morning I set out to find the perfect branches or flowers. This can take a while because I usually have some sort of shape in mind and it can take a while to find just the right ones."

"Arranging the plants on the paper, in layers between sheets of glass, is definitely the hardest and most time-consuming part. Most cyanotype artists use dried plants so they are flat and sit nicely on the paper. I am a sucker for punishment and pretty much always use fresh plant material. I like the extra depth that I can get in my prints that way."

"Once arranged I move to the garden. There are many variables in the process including the amount of UV light that makes it to the paper. This is impacted by the weather, the time of day, the time of year (longer shadows are cast in winter) and the translucency of the plant material. Exposure time can vary from 20 seconds to hours. Once 'cooked' it is straight to the wash. I prefer making bigger prints as there is more room to play with the composition. That means I have to hose the prints off in the garden. Then it's drying time. The characteristic blue deepens over the first 24 to 48 hours."

Tell us about the work in the show - what is its story?

"Life is made up of many colours but some moments are just one colour. Serenity in blue captures the feeling of standing among the trees in the quiet of the early evening."

"It was made by arranging layers of Prunus leaves from the garden between sheets of glass, on top of paper coated with a photosensitive emulsion. This was then exposed to sunlight to capture the image, before being washed in water. A watercolour wash was added to produce the final picture."

"In the garden is a collection of original cyanotype and mixed media artworks inspired by my garden. It is comprised of artworks that evoke the tranquility of being alone amongst your favourite trees and flowers."

What inspires you?

"My inspiration comes from nature, and in particular my garden. Credit for the garden goes entirely to my husband, Jamie. I just wander around soaking up the beauty and waiting for leaves to sprout and flowers to bloom in just the right formation to make the perfect print."

What do you hope people feel when they see your work?

"I really hope people feel a sense of peace and tranquility, as if they are walking quietly through a beautiful garden in the blue stillness of the early evening."