Nature Cyanotypes with Kitah Bet-2

This week during art, the Kitah Bet children entered a dark room. On the table was a basket of fall leaves, flowers, and ferns. Each child was given a rectangular piece of light sensitive blue fabric to create their own cyanotype. A cyanotype allows the artist to create a photographic print without a camera. This process produces high contrast blue and white images using sunlight.

The children each created their own composition on the fabric using the Fall foliage. A clear sheet of glass was laid on top of each sheet to hold the plants in place. Morah Jessica laid a sheet of fabric over the images as the class transferred them outside. The children found a sunny spot to expose their fabric. They uncovered the tray and Morah Jessica set a timer for 15 minutes. During this time the children periodically checked on their compositions, being careful not to block the sunlight with their shadows. They noticed that the fabric changed to a grey color. 

After fifteen minutes, we re-covered the tray and carried it back into the dark classroom. Morah Jessica called the children over a couple at a time to rinse their fabric in a tub of water. Morah Jessica set a timer for five minutes. The water began to turn a greenish hue and the fabric returned to a vibrant Prussian blue. After five minutes, the children hung their images to dry. This continued until each child had finished.