jann edmondson

Using an old, camera-less photographic printing process, Virginia artist Jann Edmondson produces modern, blue-tinted botanical prints.

The artist: She was born in Dallas into a family of artists. Her grandparents on both sides were artists. Her mother is an artist. So is her uncle and his wife. Her family lived a short time in Germany, before moving to New Hampshire, where she grew up painting and creating.

Edmondson earned a BFA from Notre Dame College in New Hampshire, and worked as a graphic designer for a number of years before moving to Baltimore, MD, for graduate school. At Towson University, she earned a master’s degree in marketing communication and eventually settled just outside of Richmond, VA.

In the beginning: Following grad school, she took a break from painting and drawing to focus on building a career in marketing.

In 2009, just before her son was born, Edmondson was given a Nikon camera as a baby gift. The camera helped kick start her art.

She focused on photography and painting, first for herself, before deciding that she wanted to pursue art professionally.

The company & studio: Jann Edmondson/Photography & Fine Art is based in Mechanicsville, near Richmond. The artist works out of her home studio.

The goods & materials: Photography and painting, with a focus on nature-inspired and abstract work.

Combining photography and painting led her to create original botanical cyanotypes and photograph cyanotypes.

What is cyanotype: It is a 19th century (cameraless) photographic printing process that produces prints in a blue tint, often associated with blueprints. In Greek, the word “cyan” means dark blue substance.

Edmondson creates her cyanotypes by applying a light-sensitive mix of chemicals to a watercolor paper, letting it dry and laying an image, such as a film negative or botanical, on the dry or rewetted paper. She then exposes it to the sun to make a print. Each original print is unique and one-of-a-kind.

Edmondson gets creative with her botanical prints by adding fun textures and bright colors.

What’s popular: Cyanotypes of florals or Japanese maples in various sizes, from small, six-inch-by-eight-inch images ($40 to $60) to large, images up to four feet ($400 to $1,700).

Other favorites: Colorful botanical prints ($25 to $65).

Inspiration: Nature, but also through learning and experimentation with a process or medium. Even with cyanotypes, she will take flowers and plants apart to create something new and different.

Favorite artists: Henrik Simonsen and Hannah Klaus Hunter. Their work is based on nature, but both are masters of dynamic color combinations.

Fun or challenging requests: The first time she was asked to do a large-scale (three feet) cyanotype. It seemed so big. But now, she is doing them even larger.

What’s next: A new release of cyanotypes that celebrates hand-made paper, called “Paper and Patterns.” Also some new stationery products.

Where to buy:

Get social at: