During a three week trip to Ethiopia this summer where I was teaching and decorating at Andinet School in Azezo I got the chance to make Cyanotypes with a group of 26 children from grades 1-3. With ages ranging from 6-25 and very basic english from most of them it was a challenge to get going but once they were able to see the process happening everything seemed to click. The paper I had pre-prepared at home in sheets of 6x4 and once there I got them to take it in turns of groups of two. I first got the children to explore the local fauna and flora of the school to find a suitable leaf or flower to use. A very basic set up perched on the edge of our classroom outside we were lucky to have such a bright sunshine on this particular day during their monsoon season. These are two test cyanotypes I made myself before starting with the children.
By the end of the session I feel as though the children; particularly those older were really starting to grasp the process and the importance of the sun within it, the whole morning was a complete success with compliments from the school director and an audience watching when we finished. Lots of smiley faces, dropped jaws and beautiful Prussian blue prints!
-Lucy J.
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