Australian Souvenir – Echidna

Blue Bower Art

I used to spend my days wading through wetlands, catching large waterbirds and conducting flora surveys as a conservation ecologist. Now, I am a botanical and wildlife artist specialising in a very unique and little known process called cyanotype printing.

Hi, I am Jess, a self-confessed bird nerd, plant geek, and lover of nature. I am a Conservation Ecologist by training and I have spent ten-plus years studying the intricate and delicate interdependence and adaptations between native Australian wildlife and flora.

I am fortunate enough to be the custodian of a nature-rich 20-acre parcel of land located near the beautiful Tarago NSW. This is my happy place and allows me the creative space to pursue my love of the cyanotype – artworks that are considered the original photography technique. Pretty special right?

I am asked so often how one stumbles across something as unusual and uncommon as cyanotype. I mean it’s not your run-of-the-mill art form, is it? Whilst the cyanotype process is said to have been invented by Sir John Herschel, an astronomer who was trying to find a way to copy his notes in 1842, it was my admiration of the work of botanist Anna Atkins that connected me to this blueprint style of photography.

A botanist and trailblazer, it is thought that Anna was the first woman to take photographs. She published her first book to catalogue her algae and fern specimens in 1843 and used the cyanotype photographic process, showcasing a beautiful collection of blueprint photography creating a mix of art and science.

I have been able to use my background in conservation, my love of nature, and my fascination for the cyanotype process to create pieces that are truly unique. No two pieces are the same and depending on the time of day, month, year, and exposure, each piece is as individual as the specimen being captured.

I am fascinated by the relationships of nature, and spent several years studying the Bowerbirds specifically for a PhD. Blue Bower Art is the culmination of my two loves uniting and allows me to use my educational background combined with my creative expression to create something really magical.

So if you are looking for me, you will find me in my happy place, collecting specimens, enjoying my surroundings, and creating lasting impressions using an age-old process that creates timeless pieces that I love and hope you will too.

Love Dr. Jess, bird nerd, plant geek, and artist xx

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