These are cyanotypes printed on animal-skin parchment. I buy scraps from Pergamena, a tannery in New York, and coat the hide with regular cyanotype chemistry. Because of the various textures, thicknesses and flaws in the parchment, the results are unique for each piece. The skins hold the chemistry very differently from paper or fabric and react differently with toners and bleaches.

I enjoy the heavily textured appearance of the material, which lends itself perfectly to my subject matter: plants. The tactile sensation and visual appearance of the final art objects are unique and engaging. I especially enjoy the warm golden color created by bleaching parchment prints, so different from the ugly yellows produced on paper. On the rare occasions that blue highlights survive the bleaching process (I have not yet isolated why or how this occurs), the resulting contrast is amazing.