“In Lieu of Flowers” is dedicated to the memory of my son Jackson Turner, who drowned in Tulum, Mexico in 2020. Because of covid there was no funeral, only his shipped cremains. It’s also for my mother, teachers and friends whose funerals I couldn’t attend, and for all who’ve experienced a similar loss, particularly in this age of covid. In my son’s case, as many do, I asked well-wishers to donate to a cause in lieu of sending flowers. These are the flowers that were not sent.

My process combines a melange of materials and techniques that includes cyanotypes, pressed flowers, plants from my garden, a light pad, water and shadows. I fuse the resulting separate elements into a multi-layered image which I print on semi-transparent vellum. I then gild the back of the vellum with gold or silver-toned metallic leaf and finally varnish the gilded photographs.

Each image has a distinct character in keeping with the people I knew. The gilding’s metallic sheen is suggestive of illuminated manuscripts and sacred objects. Subtle variations in the hand-painted brushwork make each print unique. Creating the work has been exhilarating and cathartic.