The serene blue color palette of the cyanotype conjures the inner peace Ivana experiences through connecting with the life giving capacities of the earth, through cultivation and care of her organic garden. To learn more, click here to read the full artist statement about the Sustain Series.
Tomato Starts in May
Tomato Starts in May
Imagine leaning over the garden bed and gently removing a tomato seedling from its smooth plastic pot, careful not to disturb the delicate stems and fuzzy leaves you've nurtured since January. Can you imagine the distinctive tomato-leaf scent lingering on your hands as you nestle each plant into cool, damp soil? Picture the warmth of spring sun on your shoulders and the earthy smell of prepared beds as you work alongside your garden bed in quiet dedication. In this peaceful moment of planting what you've grown from seed, the outside world fades and only the serene connection to earth's life-giving capacity remains. The sharply focused leafy shapes of tomato seedlings in the foreground contrasts against the soft focus figure planting in the background, all rendered in serene Prussian blue tones in this handmade cyanotype print. This artwork expresses the meditative quality of planting, the partnership found in shared garden work, and the profound calm that comes from nurturing life with soil and seedlings.
Envision this tranquil artwork in your kitchen, dining room, or bedroom, where its serene blue palette brings the peace of the garden indoors. Guests recognize the quiet intimacy of working the soil together and share their own stories of finding calm through gardening or the satisfaction of growing plants from seed. The piece connects to that universal need for activities that quiet the mind and ground us in something larger than ourselves. This artwork celebrates the serenity of connecting with earth's generosity and the peaceful partnership of tending the garden together.
“Planting in the garden transports me into a calm and happy state of mind. This photograph highlights the tomato starts that my husband and I grew from seed, while he can be seen in soft focus in the background, gently planting other vegetables.”
This signed and numbered handmade cyanotype contact print is created using the Prussian blue cyanotype process on 65% recycled cotton archival watercolor paper, ensuring both longevity and connection to photographic artistic traditions dating back to the 1840s. Each cyanotype is hand coated with a hand-crafted light-sensitive iron based emulsion in the darkroom, exposed in UV light, and developed in vinegar water. This process introduces subtle variations in brush marks along the edges and tone that are integral to this historic process. Due to the handmade nature of cyanotype printing, no two prints are exactly identical. The watermark is only for internet display and will not be on your artwork. The artwork comes unframed. This artwork is available in a limited edition of 15 at 8"x 10", 3 at 20" x 24", 2 at 24" x 30" +1 AP at each size. Each piece is signed and numbered. If you need help to envision how it will look a free digital mockup is available so you can see exactly how it will look in your space before adding it to your collection. Contact Ivana for this service.
