cyanotype self portrait

Made with Light, Water, and Time

Cyanotypes are created through collaboration with sunlight, water, chance, and patience. Each piece begins with a simple alchemy: objects or photographic transparencies layered onto hand-coated paper or fabric, exposed to the sun, then rinsed in water, where deep blue slowly emerges through the quiet chemistry of iron salts.

In my own practice, each piece is made outdoors, and many are rinsed in nearby waters—rivers, oceans, ponds, or park fountains—allowing place itself to shape the image. At times, I extend the process through mixed media, introducing powdered pigments during exposure or layering materials such as encaustic or watercolor afterward. The result is not only a photograph, but a record of conditions, shaped by light at a particular moment and by the quiet meeting between artist and world.

Each print is both intentional and unpredictable—a reminder that beauty often appears when we work with life instead of against it.

Double-exposure cyanotype with large oak leaves and fern leaves, blue background with yellow and green pigments.
Double-exposure cyanotype with colorful background of yellow, green, and orange flowers and a bird, textured and vibrant.
Abstract cyanotype artwork featuring white plant silhouettes over a vibrant background of yellow, pink, and green splashes on a deep blue backdrop.
Cyanotype of white flowers with light green leaves against a dark blue background.
Cyanotype of white and pastel-colored flowers and leaves against a dark blue background.
Cyanotype art showing delicate flowers and tall grasses against a deep blue background, with a soft, watercolor-like texture.
Cyanotype art image of three white ibis birds flying against a dark blue background with splashes and streaks of white and blue.
Cyanotype of a woman with shoulder-length hair and dark lipstick has butterflies on her face and around her eyes, with some on her shoulders. The image is in blue and white tones.
Blue and white cyanotype of a leafless tree partially submerged in water, with its reflection visible in water at a beach on Jekyll Island, Georgia.
Cyanotype of a silhouetted pier structures extending into the ocean under a partly cloudy sky, with water and waves in the foreground.
Cyanotypes of three white feathers on a blue background with visible brushstrokes.
Silhouette of a seagull reflection in water, in blue and white cyanotype colors.
A stylized blue and white cyanotype of a koi fish swimming in water.
Decorative floral cyanotype wall art featuring white silhouettes of various flowers and leaves on a blue background.
Blue-toned cyanotype photo of a tall striped lighthouse on Sapelo Island surrounded by clouds and water.
Abstract painting with yellow bird silhouettes, blue and black background, and white lightning-like lines.
Close-up of a handmade bowl with a gold interior and a blue marbled cyanotype fabric exterior, placed on a white fabric with colorful embroidered polka dots, against a light-colored stone wall background.
Abstract watercolor-style painting of various leaves in shades of yellow, orange, and white against a textured blue background.
Cyanotype, watercolor, and ink image of a bird perched on a branch with a dark, textured background. The painting features blues, greens, and neutral tones, with abstract and expressive brushstrokes.
Abstract wet cyanotype of leaf with with blue and purple hues and circular patterns.
Cyanotype photos of silhouettes of birds sitting on power lines against a partly cloudy sky.

About

  • Close-up of a person's head and shoulder with dark hair and earring in a blue-tinted cyanotype photo

    Meet the Artist

    Jillisa Hope Milner is a photographer, multimedia artist, and mindfulness facilitator whose work explores impermanence, memory, and the poetry of place. Working across photography and alternative processes such as cyanotype, she creates images shaped by light, time, and collaboration with the natural world. She approaches art as a contemplative practice—an invitation to slow down, pay attention, and notice beauty as it unfolds. With a background in communications and mindfulness, her work blends observation, curiosity, and a deep respect for the unpredictable nature of both art and life.

  • Cyanotype with blue fabric background and a white leaf silhouette that has a distressed pattern in shades of blue.

    Exhibitions and Recognition

    Selected Exhibitions
    All Water Has a Perfect Memory: The Poetics of Resilience and Return, Ryan Resilience Lab, Elizabeth River Project (2024)
    Solo exhibition Blue Note, The Stewdio, Brunswick, GA (2019)
    Solo exhibition, Horton Gallery, Brunswick, GA (2018)
    Joint exhibition Shape, Line, and Form, SoGlo Gallery, Brunswick, GA (2018)
    Juried exhibitions at Glynn Visual Arts, Horton Gallery, Old Jail Art Center, Saint Simons Island Visitor Center, Goodyear Cottage (2016–2021)
    The Big Photo Show, annual juried group exhibition (2016–2021)

    Awards & Honors
    First Place, All Water Has a Perfect Memory: The Poetics of Resilience and Return, Ryan Resilience Lab (2024)
    Best in Show, The Big Photo Show (2020)
    Multiple category awards, The Big Photo Show (2016–2018)
    Finalist, National Geographic Expeditions Photography Contest (2012)

    Publications
    Work published in National Geographic Daily Dozen, San Pedro River Review, Golden Isles Magazine, Coastal Illustrated, Analogue Magazine, Houston Chronicle, Dance Dish, and other print and online outlets.