Lisa Shepherd
Lisa is a visual artist specialising in the historic Cyanotype process. Her distinctive style expresses the atmosphere of Australian flora perfectly. She likes to capture this beauty in a simple, delicate way; her work has a very ethereal quality to it. She is constantly inspired by nature and feels the artistic exchange between our surroundings and our personal response allow opportunities for creating beautiful art.
Core values
"My core values are to make thoughtful, aesthetically pleasing artwork, inspired by nature, which allows creativeness to shine and products to be made with integrity."
"Flowers are my passion, be it their intoxicating scent, the delicacy of a petal or an unforgettable colour. I am in awe of their beauty and the wonders of nature never cease to surprise and delight me. I try to capture the real essence of flowers in my artwork and hope it will create a positive emotional response in your home."
Cyanotypes
Cyanotypes are one of the oldest photographic printing processes, discovered by scientist, botanist and astronomer Sir John Herschel in 1842. A combination of two chemicals, potassium ferricyanide and ferric ammonium citrate, coated onto paper and exposed to ultraviolet light results in a beautiful Prussian blue negative image. Architects and engineers used this process for reproducing architectural drawings 'blueprints' until advancements in digital technology led to its decline. Over recent years Cyanotypes have increased in popularity and are now enjoying a welcome revival.
Blue is...
The colour blue is calming, relaxing and promotes a soothing feeling of peace. Blue has a relaxing effect on our psyche and makes us feel confident and secure. It is seen as trustworthy, dependable and committed. It is the colour of the ocean and the sky, blue has a constant calming influence in our world. Blue is the colour of trust and loyalty and is the most universally appealing colour of the spectrum due to it’s non-polarizing traits.
Blue is my favourite colour and I guess this is one of the main attractions I have with cyanotypes. There is something very satisfying about blue and white; think of white clouds on a summer day in a beautiful blue sky, Wedgwood ceramics, indigo dyed textiles.
Cyanotype Workshops
Are you interest in discovering how to create your own cyanotypes?
Join me in this beginners workshop where we cover the basics: history, equipment and printing.
Go home with four artworks to frame and keep or gift someone special.
Now you've mastered the basics, join me in this 4 hour intermediate workshop where you will be shown how to tone cyanotypes which is to change the colour from the usual blue to a multitude of colour ways.
You will also discover 'wet cyanotype' which allow for endless exploration and creativity.