Visual Journal: Scan & Play

Inspired by the cyanotype process and beautiful results using exposure and plant placement to record a specimin, I have had a little play with a process which I consider to be quicte similar.

Flatbed scanners use light to record information fed back to a computer where it can be copied, edited and manupluated. A cyanotype was of sorts an early natural light scanner, recording the exact details of the specimin placed on the light sensitive paper.

The process of recording using light has advanced somewhat since anna atkins and the early days of cyanotype photography, with scanners able to record minute detail, often microscopic, as well as colour.
Botanists today make use of flatbed scanners when documenting and making additional records of dried plant specimins which feature in the herbariums worldwide. Botanical illustrators are known to scan in specimins from herbariums to then work from away from the museums archives. Especially in use today as many of the natural history museums are eager to digitise their collections, each dried specimin which has been arranged and labelled is scanned then added to a digital archive. This has obvious benefits. The more a dried specimin is viewed and handled, the more likely it is to diminish and time is also a key factor to how well a specimin is preserved. Unlike soecimins pickled in vinegar which can last hundreds of years, dried specimins in herbariums will last a long time - but in order to popularise a collection - the specimins need to be seen and what better way than having an onine archive.

The scanning process is a great way to accurately record size, shape, colour (when the specimen is fresh not dried) and intricate details of a plant and its makeup such as the veining in a leaf. It is ofcourse still a flat record, meaning the specimin being scanned and recorded is not in its natural positioning and is ofcourse taken out of its habitat and often without the remainder of the plant as a whole. This is still down to the illustrators to bring to life through their scientific artwork - however scanning is still pretty cool.

examples of digitial herbariums being assembled today are:
- KEW
- Natural history museum 

With this in mind I have had a little play with my own scanned in specimens. This may be moving away from the focus of botanical illustration however after my last post on Anna Atkins - I just couldn't resist.

Practical Contextual Research

http://www.katielochhead.com/#our-story-1

Beautiful pieces focusing on botanical illustration and trauma through the drugs they people are addicted to.

This could be a cool focus for a botanical publication!

Collection 1: "A Brief History of Complex and Delicate Situations"

Collection 2: Two Faced Men
(Drugs as botanical plants and how they have affected important men/philosophers in history)

COP3 Sketchbook Development

Botanical Illustration Sketchbook Development

Since changing my topic focus from colour to botanical illustration, I have been using my sketchbook as a way to experiment and gain a better understanding of various mediums and natural 'botanical' subject matter for my new project. It has been a lot of fun and through experimentation I am able to see what styles, processes, approaches to media are best for me to work in; have the best results (in terms of depicting subject matter) and what I enjoy using most (process).

Sketchbook

Key Notes & Reflections from this process and media exploration so far:

• Copic Marker
- Surprising how working in Copic marker turned out. (pg x) 
- Really realistic effect outcome
- However is this the aesthetic i want? 
- Time consuming and maybe looks too traditional in aesthetic?
- what would this kind of work be? - botanical illustration // botanical art?  - Both?
- Traditional vs non traditional botanical illustration? what style do I want to make for this project?

• Pen & Ink
- Too simple? (pg x)
- I like the minimal aesthetic - is this enough information for a botanist? is this still scientific?
- what would this kind of work be seen / used for? - botanical illustration // botanical art - Both? 

• Paper cut
- can see value in the interactive / tactile depictions of the plants
- fun media to create plant details with
- gives another dimension to the artwork
- can still be scientifically accurate - just made from paper
- relates to Delaney's papercut collage flower work
- what would this kind of work be seen as? - botanical illustration // botanical art - Both?

Brief ideas for practical outcome (at this stage):

• Series of botanical art prints / pieces (paint, digital, screenprint, lino?)
• Illustrated paper cut botanical specimins (my own papercut herbarium)
• illustrated / educational book (series of artworks)
• proposal for further stationary pieces - based on designs for wither the prints or the book
• proposal for pins of the botanical pieces, scarves

Aims of practical outcomes

• Educate and inform
• Promote interest in the sciences
• Promote botanical institutions and current research into plant kingdom
• A celebration of the natural world

Content: 

Artwork could be...

• based on a group of plants housed at the Sheffield botanical gardens (Primary research: location is close, can work closely with the gardens, have a florilegium society, smaller collection of specimens to work with at this time of year).
• based on a group of plants housed at Tropical world, Leeds (Primary research: largest collection of tropic plants outside of KEW Gardens, close location, could work closely with them, inexpensive entry.)
• based on a group of plants housed at KEW botanical gardens ( Primary research: best collection of plants in country, both living and taxonomic, has a herbarium. Problem is location and cost if i wanted to make a visit)
• based on a group of plants housed at the Cambridge Botanical Gardens ( Primary research: links with home, memories growing up, large and diverse collection, close to home - inexpensive to visit, lead in areas of botany...)
• based on endangered plant species (kew does research into this)
• based on new species of plants (discovered 96 new species of flora this year)
• based on plants in and around Leeds
• plant group specific to a botanical garden, i.e: Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam - Cycads

Notes to self:
Have noticed that as long as my work remains an accurate depiction of the subject and follows the aesthetic and scientific rules of botanical illustration (accuracy, colour theory, dissected view, correct to life aspects of the plant depicted, life like size, etc) - the artwork can be used for a wider variety of purposes across science and art. Also, even if the illustrations aren't exactly accurate (like a lot of mine) and they would not be appropriate for botany...they could however still be used to gain interest in the sciences and natural world via educational routes and publications. As well as scientific and educational purpose, this work also has the potential for decorative purposes, formats, distribution (screen print collection, stationary, apparel, textiles etc).  Scientific purpose, educational and decorative. 


Practical Tasks / To Do:

• Research / decide on subject content (plants species)
• Research KEW herbariums specimens
• Contact Kew for a visit?
• Create a dummy book - papercut herbarium
• Experiment creating herbarium specimens out of paper (Ref. Kew Gardens )
• Try tissue paper?
• Continue to play with media - start making decisions / narrowing down approach
• try lino cut piece?