jasondorfman.net

It’s been quite some time since I’ve added a blog entry.   Now that I think about it, not since my trip to Asia have I updated it.  I think it’s because I generally don’t enjoy writing and would rather be taking pictures!

Last weekend I spent at Journey’s End Farm Camp where Beth-Ann was once a camper, counselor, and since last year one of their summer nurses.  JEFC is a working farm and summer camp where you instantly feel welcomed, at home, and safe.  The Curtis’s , who have been running JEFC since 1960, have and share a deep respect for the earth and humankind which is evident throughout the farm.  They also make the best maple syrup ever!

I decided for my visit this year I would participate and lead an activity period.  Recently, in an Alternative Printing class I am taking at MIT, we made a cyanotype mural on cotton which I knew would be a hit at JEFC.  For those not sure cyanotype is a photo process developed in 1842.  Without going into detail, it consists of two non-toxic chemicals which, when mixed together, produce a photosensitive emulsion.  After applying the emulsion to a surface (paper for example) an image can be produced when exposure to UV light and developed in plain water.  A perfect project for kids!

A 9 foot square piece of fabric is not easy to get an emulsion onto, so I bought one already sensitized through blueprintsonfabric.com. After explaining the process and project to the kids, the collected props and practiced the setup.   After a rainout Saturday, we got lucky Sunday and managed to get it in before the next storm.   We did the print on the playfield, developed it in the stream, and hung it to dry on the clothesline.  The kids creativity and patience paid out with a beautiful print which they will be hanging at this years Camp Fair!

 Here are some pictures from JEFC includuding the mural design.