Bunchberry, Canadian (Cornus canadensis) anthotype by Lisa Locke

“Bunchberry: Two Responses to Light” by Lisa Locke, Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Parts used: Bunchberries (fruit)
Amount: ½ cup of bunchberries for the primary experiment; ¼ cup for the comparative alcohol extraction.
Extracted by: I made two emulsions. Cooking in a slow cooker for approximately 2 hours with vinegar and salt. A separate extraction using 99% alcohol was carried out over 24 hours
Solvent: Primary extraction: ½ cup water, 1 teaspoon 10% cleaning vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt. Comparative extraction: ¼ cup 99% alcohol with ¼ cup bunchberries
Application: Brushed onto paper

Layers: 4 coats
Substrate: Arches watercolour paper, 300 gsm
Created with: Botanical photogram using pressed bunchberry leaves placed directly onto the pigment-coated paper
Exposure: Primary experiment: 4 days of natural daylight, brought each evening indoors. Comparative alcohol experiment: 6 days of daylight exposure in October, autumn 2026
UV strength: Primary experiment: Low, approximately UV index 2. Comparative experiment: Low to moderate
Temperature: 5-15° Celsius or 41-59° Fahrenheit
Humidity: Not recorded
Contrast: ✿✿ (Medium)
Challenges or observations: I investigated how different extraction methods affected the light sensitivity of Newfoundland bunchberry pigment. The vinegar-and-salt preparation darkened rather than bleached after 3 days of low-UV exposure, but the image gradually disappeared within about 2 weeks, even in darkness. The 99% alcohol extraction behaved differently, gradually bleaching after 6 days. These contrasting results suggest that extraction conditions may influence the pigment’s response to light, although the cause is not established.
Additional information: Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) is a native woodland plant found throughout Newfoundland and Labrador and is also called Dogwood. The alcohol-extracted anthotype completed its exposure on October 30, 2026, and will be stored in darkness and monitored for long-term stability.
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