Most art is made from the comfort of an indoor studio or covered enclave, away from the damaging heat and light produced by sunlight. If hit by its rays for too long, many mediums including oil, acrylic, clay and pastel will often show damaging effects through fading color and cracking textures.

However, there is one artistic method that uses these effects to its advantage. Sun printing, otherwise known as Cyanotype, is a 170-year-old camera-free printing process that utilizes UV rays and negative space to transfer photos onto fabrics and papers. 

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As spring and summer approach, the art style has gained newfound popularity due to its vibrant colors and seasonal dependency on sunny weather.

Paly junior Alice Brandenburg enjoys the more practical aspects of the medium, and how financially accessible the art style can be.

“If you see a cool design and you really like it, you can implement it into a piece of clothing that you make, and it’s a lot easier [than buying].” Brandenburg said. “It does take some time, but it’s a fun experience and you save money.¨

With materials totaling just under 20 dollars, Brandenburg and her friends were able to print on over ten articles of clothing, proving the economic benefits. 

As a process, Cyanotype can also be more liberating than other artistic methods. Paly junior Renny Argast had the opportunity to experiment with the process at a pre-college program she attended last summer at the Rhode Island School of Design.

“It was kind of freeing,” Argast said. “I feel like a lot of art forms are very constricting and you have to think too much about all the things that you have to do, but we used natural materials like flowers and leaves, so it felt more spontaneous.”

Using natural materials is a common practice in Cyanotype and other sun printing methods. Sierra Mohr is a fiber artist based in Nevada City, California who specializes in eco printing, also known as botanical dying, a process similar to Cyanotype in which the natural colors and silhouettes of plant materials such as flowers, leaves, seeds, or bark are transferred onto fabric or paper.

“The first time I saw an eco-dyed item I knew immediately that I had to learn the process,” Mohr said. “I learned the basics and from there I dyed and dyed, experimented, purchased tutorials and books, and dyed some more.”

Mohr’s passion has continued to develop over the years, becoming her full-time career.

“At first I dyed scarves, then home accessories and repurposed clothing,” Mohr said. “Then I took it up a notch, creating one-of-a-kind garments, handbags and accessories.”

Although a fairly resistant art, there are certain conditions and elements that are able to hurt its appearance.

“The colors can be affected by many things, such as using various mordants, the time of the year the leaves were collected, and the weather conditions when collected,” Mohr said.

For example, a leaf collected in spring may produce an entirely different consistency and color than its summer counterpart. 

“I love that the process cannot be completely controlled and that nature is providing the prints,” Mohr said. “The results are always exciting and to me feel like gifts from nature. Each piece is unique and one of a kind.”