Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) anthotype by Diane Jaquith

“Summer Diary” by Diane Jaquith
Country: Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
Parts used: Petals
Amount: About 12 flowers per print
Extracted by: Mini juicer
Thinner: Distilled water
Application: Brushing

Layers: 4 layers
Substrate: Watercolour paper
Created with: Photogram of dried plants: daylily blossom, nasturtium leaves, and peony leaves
Exposure: 8 days, late July–early August, summer 2023
Contrast: ✿✿ (Medium)
Challenges or observations: The blue-violet petals create a beautiful blue emulsion when mixed with a bit of distilled water.
Additional information: The roots and stems of this plant can be poisonous to animals but the blooms are not. After picking and crushing the flowers, I added a tiny amount of distilled water to create a liquid; the crushed flowers and liquid were squeezed into a bowl through a piece of cheesecloth. I created and painted the emulsion all on the same day, coating the paper four times until it was a light blue color. The dried plants were placed over the emulsion, with a thin piece of plexiglass on top and foam core on the bottom, then clamped tightly and left outdoors. When the background appeared near-white, I decided that the print was complete.
Instagram: @dianejaquith