Capturing Nature’s Shadows

On a golden summer afternoon at Rushton Farm, a small group of art lovers wandered through the meadows, baskets in hand, eyes scanning the fields for inspiration. They came for a cyanotype workshop — an event that combined a 19th-century photographic process with local flora, handmade art and the slow joy of a creative afternoon under the sun.

The workshop, hosted by Willistown Conservation Trust in partnership with local artist Sarah Bourne Rafferty of Atwater Designs, invited participants to slow down and immerse their senses in the natural world. The smell of cut stems and soil lingered in the air as participants brushed fingers against echinacea, monarda and other familiar summer flora, gathering the very pieces of nature they would later press onto paper.

Where Art Meets Nature

Cyanotypes are an early photographic printing process known for their deep indigo hues and delicate silhouettes. A photographic process founded in 1842 by Sir John Herschel, cyanotype was mainly used as a way of reproducing architectural and engineering documents known as blueprints.

About a year later, English botanist Anna Atkins used this method to document algal specimens, becoming the first person to illustrate a book using photographic images. Long before the digital age, this process was a way to preserve the natural world — one petal, leaf or stem at a time.

“It’s like painting with sunlight,” said one workshop participant as their print took shape in the rinse tray, the white shapes of their chosen plants emerging slowly from the deepening blue.

But the magic of the day was about more than the final print. The process itself demanded attention. To create a cyanotype, participants first gathered plant specimens that spoke to them — some chosen for their aesthetic shape, others for personal meaning. Then they arranged the flora on paper prepared with a specific ratio of light-sensitive developer, let the sun do its work and, finally, rinsed the prints to reveal dreamy, watercolor-like impressions.

Slowing Down to See More

By gathering their own materials and working through the methodical steps of cyanotype creation, participants were invited into a rare experience, one that asked them to look closely, feel deeply and consider the beauty of the ordinary. The slow pace offered a kind of meditation on detail and texture, on the fleeting nature of summer blooms.

“You start to notice things you never would in a rush,” one participant shared. “Like how the veins of a leaf are all connected.”

Beyond the artistic technique, the day offered a deeper takeaway — a renewed sense of connection to the landscape and the stories it holds.

A Leaf, A Legacy

For participant Cheryl Tomlinson, the workshop offered more than artistic play — it was a chance to create something meaningful. Inspired by the history of the cyanotype process itself, Tomlinson chose to feature a leaf from an American chestnut tree in her final print.

Once one of the most abundant and ecologically important trees in the eastern United States, the American chestnut was nearly wiped out by blight in the early 20th century. Today, efforts are underway to restore this keystone species.

“The process reminded me that art can be a way to honor history and carry hope,” Tomlinson said. “It’s amazing how a single leaf and a splash of sunlight can tell a much bigger story.”

Her print became more than a keepsake — it was a tribute to resilience and the enduring relationship between humans and the natural world.

Lasting Impressions

As the final prints dried and the afternoon light softened, there was a sense that something special had taken root — not just on paper, but in the hearts of everyone who came to create. In a world of fast-paced everything, the cyanotype offered a pause and a gentle invitation to reflect, reconnect and let the outdoors imprint itself on the imagination.

So next time you pass a patch of wildflowers or notice the silhouette of an autumn leaf fallen on the sidewalk, imagine it cast in cyanotype blue. Perhaps you’ll be reminded, as the workshop members were on that warm day at the farm, of the quiet joy in slowing down, looking closer and letting nature leave its impression.

What’s a Cyanotype?

A cyanotype is an early camera-less photographic printing method that uses sunlight to create blue-toned images. Originally developed in 1842 by English scientist Sir John Herschel, this technique gained popularity for scientific illustration, particularly in botany and engineering, and is now beloved by artists and DIY crafters for its dreamy, organic aesthetic and nontoxic, low-waste, sustainable process.

Cyanotypes are created using a 1:1 ratio of ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide. Once combined, these chemicals form a light-sensitive solution. This is brushed onto paper — typically watercolor paper or cotton rag — which is then dried in the dark.

When plants or other objects are placed on the prepared surface and exposed to sunlight, the UV rays trigger a chemical reaction. After exposure, the paper is rinsed in water to stop the process and wash away unexposed chemicals, revealing soft, indigo-blue silhouettes.

Willistown Conservation Trust is an accredited nonprofit land trust that focuses on 28,000 acres in Chester and Delaware Counties. It has permanently conserved 7,500 acres since 1996 and offers six renowned programs for public engagement and research: Bird Conservation, Community Farm, Education and Outreach, Land Protection, Stewardship and Watershed Protection. For more resources and inspiration, visit WCTrust.org and follow @WCTrust.