Daylily, Christmas is (Hemerocallis) anthotype by Melanie Vasa

“Glastonbury Tor” by Melanie Vasa, Boonton, New Jersey, USA
Parts used: Petals
Amount: A handful
Extracted by: Soaking in a glass jar in the sun
Thinner: Water from my rain barrel
Application: Brushing

Layers: 4
Substrate: Strathmore printmaking paper
Created with: Laser printed OHP positive of a scanned 35mm black and white negative
Exposure: 4 days in July, summer 2024
UV strength: 7-10
Temperature: 90° Fahrenheit
Humidity: 80-85%
Contrast: ✿ (Low)
Challenges or observations: I used petals from a flower that was a bright red that darkened to maroon when dried. As I soaked them in the sun, the liquid looked a deep red. When I painted the emulsion on the paper it dried to a muted blue-purple, and I was pleasantly surprised. I used this emulsion with a couple of different transparencies and this is the sharpest one. I definitely need to increase the contrast in the transparencies for next year and possibly layer two identical ones for more bleaching.
Additional information: Last year, I tried one type of emulsion, this year many. I teach photography and had my students make anthotypes. I brought plants from home so they had different emulsions to choose from. I used this process for my work over the summer. I experimented with yarrow, rhododendron, lemon balm, onion skin, red gladiola, and dried wild chestnut shells. Some were failures as anthotypes but made beautiful dyes. Some worked amazingly well. I made sure I did not use anything store-bought – just what I had on hand. That is why I did not use vodka or any other liquid but water. I will try adding vodka next year.
Website: www.melanievasa.com