Inspiration:
This artwork was inspired by pioneering pilot and adventurer extraordinaire Amelia Earhart. Defyinggender roles, she built an unorthodox career in a man’s world; she was a compelling force in aviationand women’s rights; diversified her career with lectures, writing, and business ventures.Earhart dared to be different, an inspiring role model for women and one of the most famous flyersof her day.
Technique:
Amelia The Aviatress (Over Starry Skies XL)was createdby constructing a hand-cut collage usingfemale photographic portraiture and hand-drawn illustrations of birds.After coating the handmade paper with light-sensitive chemistry, it is left to dry in a dark room. Thelarge-scale negative is contact printed onto the paper by exposure to daylight (UV rays). The print isthen processed by thoroughly washing in water to remove any unexposed solution. It can then behung to dry, developing to full density Prussian blue after 24 hours. Once the image is fixed it is handfinished with chemically washed, heat treated zinc leaf.