This Week in the Studio: Testing Washi Paper and Starting a 21-Day Self-Portrait Challenge

A 21-Day Self-Portrait Challenge

A 21-day self-portrait challenge is a way of using a short, fixed timeframe to test new creative ideas without the pressure of a finished outcome.

I've loosely started one. I chose 21 days to keep the goal manageable and meaningful, and to test out ideas I've had for working in the studio. I like the use of constraints to push creative boundaries. The self-portraits are emotive and moody and expressive. I've been playing with paint and text in the images, though I'm not quite ready to show these works in progress.

Testing Washi Paper for Cyanotype Printing

I've also been testing a new paper for cyanotype printing, a Japanese washi that's slightly too thin and soaks up a lot of the chemistry. But it's still very lovely, and it's giving me ideas for a new direction with the botanical pieces.

This print was made with leaves I gathered on a walk. I like how the gestural lines expose on this paper.

Why This Piece Feels Quiet and Poetic

I like how quiet and poetic this piece is. Here is the blue version and the inverted version.

We don't always know why we're drawn to a piece of art immediately. It's often an emotional response to what we're seeing and feeling when we find something that just feels like us.

Nikki Gardner is a photographer and cyanotype artist based in Northampton, Massachusetts, working across portraiture, alternative photographic processes, and fine art.