Gypsophila paniculata (Baby's Breath) - Original hand-processed Cyanotype Ed. 1 of 1

Gypsophila paniculata (Baby's Breath)

This original cyanotype features Gypsophila paniculata, commonly known as baby's breath, a flowering plant native to Central and Eastern Europe. Delicate clusters of blooms create intricate silhouettes against the rich Prussian blue of the cyanotype process, revealing details often overlooked by the naked eye.

Cyanotype, also known as sun printing, is one of the earliest photographic processes, developed in 1842. This cameraless technique uses ultraviolet (UV) light to create images on paper coated with a light-sensitive iron-salt solution.

To create this work, carefully dried plant specimens were arranged between sheets of glass in my studio at Montsalvat, and placed directly onto hand-coated paper. The print was then exposed to UV light and washed in water, revealing the characteristic deep blue image unique to cyanotype.

This artwork is an original cyanotype print, not a reproduction.

Artwork details:

- Original cyanotype print
- Paper size: A4
- Ready to frame in a standard A4 or A3 frame with white matte board
- Frame not included

Cyanotypes are highly archival when displayed and cared for like any fine artwork, away from direct sunlight. Should the print lose intensity over time, the blue tones can naturally regenerate by resting the work in darkness for a short period.

Each cyanotype is handmade, making every print a unique record of both the plant specimen and the photographic process.

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Aldona Kmieć (b. Poland) is a professional Australian artist based at Montsalvat, Melbourne. Her arts practice spans over 20 years and encompasses digital and analogue photography, printmaking techniques such as cyanotype, installation, and archival approaches. Aldona creates works that explore themes of belonging and memory, merging conceptual and documentary methods to examine the complexities of human connection.

Aldona earned an Advanced Diploma in Photography from London Metropolitan University in 2008. After migrating to Australia, she established her photography practice and studio in Ballarat and later in Melbourne.

Her creative practice has been supported through grants and residencies, including the City of Melbourne Arts Grant (2025), as well as opportunities with Montsalvat Arts Centre (where she currently has her studio), Gasworks Arts Park and Trocadero Projects, where she received mentorship and engaged in focused studio residencies. Recent solo exhibitions include Hills Hoist (2025), Veil (2024), Neighbourhood Watch (2024), and Winterbloom (2021), alongside documentary commissions for the State Library Victoria (2021–2022),.

Aldona’s work is represented in collections both nationally and internationally. She has been a finalist in awards including the Omnia Art Prize (2025), Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize (2024), and the Bowness Photography Prize (2014), among others, and was long-listed for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize (UK, 2024).

Visit her studio and gallery at Montsalvat Arts Centre in Eltham, where she regularly holds Studio Open Days and runs Cyanotype Workshops. Subscribe to the newsletter on her website to receive updates. Instagram: @aldonakmiec

***The artist acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which she lives and works, and pays her respects to their Elders, past, present, and emerging.***