Amita McNeil
Cosmic Clover
I use an old photographic process called cyanotype to produce beautiful silhouette pieces created by the interplay of light and shadows.In this piece I used individual cloverleaf as my subject and randomly arranged them over watercolour paper coated in cyanotype and then exposed to sunlight. During the exposure time, I rearranged them slightly in order to create a level of "depth" to the image. One never knows what the end results will be once the cyanotype emulsion is washed away and an image of your creation appears!
This is why I love cyanotype - the bated breath of anticipation in revealing the beauty that lies beneath the alchemy. (Please refer to my Bio for an in-depth explanation of the cyanotype process).
This art piece is my representation of community.
Each of us are unique human beings (cloverleaf) who emit light and vibrate energy in different waves and frequencies (identities, backgrounds, culture and diversity). Together we represent a beautiful and harmonious community blending effortlessly amongst the twinkling stars (cosmos).
Traditional cyanotype is dark blue in nature however, I enhanced my artwork with bright watercolours to emanate a sense of cohesiveness, joy and beauty to the eye of the beholder.
Image Description
Imagine the whole canvas is painted a dark inky blue representing the night sky. Small blueish grey specks are flecked all over the dark blue to represent near and distant stars. Intermingled against the stars is a random scattering of different sized tri-leaf clover silhouettes. These vary in size from .5 inch to 2 inches and give a perspective of nearness to the observer. Most of these silhouettes are partly shaded in subtle yet bright colours of shimmering pink, purple, blue, green and yellow. The paint is translucent in nature so that you can see through some of the tri-leaf clover and beyond into the deep cosmos. The contrast of the shimmering bright coloured cloverleaf against a dark blue background is my art representation of a colourful and vibrant community living together in peace and harmony.