Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) anthotype by Lisa Gervassi

“Photosensibles” by Lisa Gervassi, Castanet, France
Parts used: Petals
Amount: 800 grams (yes, that much!), I don’t remember exactly how many sheets I was able to do with this quantity.
Extracted by: Centrifuge and mortar
Thinner: I added a few drops of Alcohol 90% each time I crushed the pre-ground petals in the mortar
Application: Foam brush

Layers: 5
Substrate: Hahnemühle Platinum Rag, 300 gsm
Created with: 2 inkjet positives on OHP sheets sandwiched together
Exposure: 5 days in June, summer 2024
UV strength: 6-8
Contrast: ✿✿ (Medium)
Challenges or observations: You need a lot of petals to get enough juice to coat one sheet of paper! Very little juice comes out when you put the petals in the extractor. First I ran all the petals through the juice extractor but did not get much juice. I then collected the crushed petals in the drip tray and crushed them well in the mortar, with a few drops of alcohol, I took a handful of crushed petals each time to obtain a moist paste which I then strained through a cloth. The anthotype was coated in the same way as for cyanotypes, trying to crisscross the passes. The reds obtained are beautiful, with a nice burgundy colour when dry. Between 4 and 5 coats were applied, and between each pass, the paper was dried using a hairdryer. You have to try to be quick enough, not to bring the hairdryer too close to the paper, and not to heat it too much, as the emulsion can crack and disintegrate the paper. It finished drying naturally, in the dark, for about 12-24 hours. The result is deep blacks and very delicate gradations, making it an excellent emulsion for fine prints.
Instagram: @lisagervassi
Website: www.lisagervassi.com