picturingpaisley

The Magic of Cyanotypes

Hi, I’m Carole Gledhill from the Picturing Paisley group.
I love being part of this group, as everyone has a different approach to their photography. We are always learning from each other, and we all like to explore new ideas. A couple of years ago, I attended a 1-day course on Cyanotype, and I was immediately hooked!. The traditional cyanotype is a camera-less photographic process, first discovered in 1842 by Sir John Herschel and made famous by his botanist friend Anna Atkinson. This is how it works:
Two chemicals are mixed to create a light-sensitive solution. Paper or fabric can be coated in this solution and left to dry in the dark. Prints are then made by placing objects on the coated surface and exposing them to UV light, either the sun or an ultraviolet lamp. The exposed surface is then processed by washing in water, after which the wonderful Prussian Blue colour will appear, while the image of the object will appear white or various shades of blue.
I enjoy exploring this process and find it works well with botanical specimens, lace, feathers—anything that will allow some light to pass through. By adding substances that interfere with the process, such as vinegar, soap bubbles, turmeric, salt, etc., a wider range of colours can be achieved. This is known as the wet Cyanotype method, and the results are much more unpredictable!
I’m now dipping my toe in the water in terms of submitting my work to various exhibitions, with some success. You can view 3 of my cyanotypes in the forthcoming exhibition, The Teardrop Explodes, throughout May & June in The Art Department, Causeyside St, Paisley, and a wider range of my cyanotypes can be seen on my Instagram account, @the_blue_herbarium. Thank you for reading!

Anchor Mill Building

Cotton thread manufacturing has made Paisley well-known. Anchor Mill is a finishing mill in Paisley on the White Cart River. It was designed in 1886 by architects Woodhouse & Morley. In 1980, a working mill featuring red brick exterior and arched windows was designated as a listed building. June 2003 saw the start of the conversion into 60 opulent apartments and commercial spaces. It was the perfect choice for our first set of photo cards because it is just one of the town’s many stunning architectural features. Each participant took a different angle of the building and selected their favourite view to create the card set, which we intend to release later this year. We have had a great time taking pictures of the building from various perspectives, and we will share a few of them with you right now for your enjoyment.

Spring has indeed arrived in Paisley, bringing a delightful renewal and warmth. The air is no longer frigid, and the last remnants of snow in the mountains have melted away. The birds have returned, serenading us with their morning chorus. I even had the pleasure of spotting a shy jay up close as it hopped onto the bird feeder—a rare sight! 🌸🐦

There’s even more to celebrate in the heart of Paisley town centre this season. The Spring Farmyard Trail is underway, featuring ten animals that have left their farmyards to graze in town. The farmer needs our help to find them all! 🐄🐑🐖

To participate, pick up a trail leaflet from the Piazza Shopping Centre or the Paisley Shopping Centre, or download your copy from the Paisley First website. As you explore, keep an eye out for these friendly farmyard creatures. When you reach the last participating business, Kettle Black, beside County Square, you’ll receive a free crème egg as a sweet reward. Don’t forget to drop your completed entry form into one of the special Farmyard post boxes in the shopping centres to win one of two bumper Spring Hampers! 🥚🌼

So let’s embrace the season, enjoy the fresh air, and make the most of this delightful Spring in Paisley! 🌱🌞

“What is Paisley to you?”

Did you know that we set ourselves a monthly theme and try to relate all our Instagram posts to it for the month? It gives us a challenge and helps us to focus our thoughts on producing photographs that positively reflect on Paisley. It provides fun for our regular followers to see what we come up with.

Our documentary-type photographs usually tell us a story, bring out some kind of emotional response or fix a time and place in history.

This month, we are asking, “What is Paisley to you?”. As humans, we all create fond memories of a time and a place that is as individual as we are.

Let us know what Paisley means to you. Here are some examples of the town’s heritage, people, and cultural scene.

Our Heritage

Barshaw Park – Annual Photo Fence.

‘Have you ever seen a Photo Fence? Here at Picturing Paisley, we have presented several of these for the enjoyment of our Paisley Community. Currently, we are exhibiting on the railings outside the entrance to Barshaw Park, one of our well-established and much-cherished green spaces in Paisley.

This is the second time that we have used this particular space for the exhibition of our work, and we are hoping to make this an annual event as it coincides with a festival hosted across the month by another community group in the town. The Festival is known as “Feel Good February” and is a very welcome month of activities designed to sweep away the winter blues and welcome spring back into our lives. A perfect fusion of partnership working!

Our fences have a very basic presentation of A4 laminated photographs and are secured with tie wraps. While this may appear to lack finesse, it is a very practical and inexpensive way for us, who are totally self-funded, to show photographs to the general public to stimulate conversation, enjoyment, memories and creativity in everyone.

We have themed this particular exhibition around the magnificent Anchor Thread Mill, which sits on the banks of the White Cart River and has been converted into luxury flats. It reminds us every day of the town’s past heritage and industry. The photographs present different views and angles of the exterior of the building.

We encourage you, if possible, to visit our exhibition, which runs from 1st – 29th February, and to have a walk in our beautiful park, or to travel from there into Paisley to view this magnificent building for yourself. Enjoy!

Anchor Mill Paisley reflected in the White Cart.

Happy Birthday, Picturing Paisley!

Today, we gather to celebrate a remarkable milestone—the 4th anniversary of ‘Picturing Paisley’. It’s hard to believe that four years have passed since our humble beginnings. What started as a small online community has blossomed into a vibrant hub, uniting paisley lovers from across the globe. In these four years, we’ve seen extraordinary talent and passion. Our site has become a canvas for artists, designers, and enthusiasts, each bringing their unique perspective to this timeless pattern.

From intricate digital designs to hand-drawn masterpieces, the diversity and creativity of our community have been nothing short of inspiring.’Picturing Paisley’ has not just been about sharing art; it’s been about sharing stories. Each paisley swirl carries a tale, a personal connection to history, culture, and art. We’ve seen Paisley’s journey from ancient Persia to the Scottish town of Paisley, which became a symbol of rebellion in the 60s, to its resurgence in modern fashion. Our community has kept this rich history alive and thriving.

As we look to the future, let’s continue to nurture this platform as a space for learning, sharing, and celebrating the beauty of paisley. Let’s keep the threads of tradition and innovation intertwined, just like the teardrop-shaped motif we all adore. To all who have contributed, from our dedicated team to every member who has shared a post, a comment, or a like: thank you. Your enthusiasm and support have shaped ‘Picturing Paisley’ into what it is today. So, here’s to ‘Picturing Paisley’, to the beauty of the paisley pattern, and to many more years of inspiration and community. Happy 4th Birthday!”

Happy Holidays

Thank you to all of our friends and supporters for your likes, loves and interactions over the past year. We wish everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.

We look forward to joining you all again in 2024 to keep Paisley on the map and raise the profile of our local businesses and communities.

In the meantime, here is a little recap of some of our best moments from 2023.

Picturing Scotland is about to launch

We are excited to bring you the news that we have launched a new Instagram account, @picturing_scotland, where we hope to bring you photographs that reflect life in our wonderful country of Scotland.
This account will differ from our themed @picturing_paisley account as we explore our photography talent and interests in the place we call home.
We look forward to connecting with you all through this platform.