Hello, my name is Evelyn. 

I live in San Francisco and swim in the bay everyday. 

Swimming in the San Francisco bay means dealing with water temperature ranging from 51 to 65 degrees fahrenheit throughout the year, and if you are lucky enough, encounter majestic sea creatures. 

Now I swim in the Atlantic waters at Brighton Beach in New York City through the winter, without a wetsuit. The brisk and chilly winter swimming brings me the blue mind during difficult times as I care for my aging mother. 

My passion for open water swimming led me to Cyanotype and art creation.  

Cyanotype is referred to as Blueprint, and to me it is like the blue ocean. 

Before each swim, I always take a deep breath, embracing the cold plunge and the unknown journey. 

By the end of each swim, the ocean recharges me in a way like nothing else.

Cyanotype enables me to express the magical experience of the open sea to paper, together with nature.  

This journey started slowly. 

I worked as a software engineer for 20 years, but creating art has always been my true passion. 

During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, I craved a greater connection to nature and to express myself through art, to help me stay mindful during this transformation of our lives. 

I became enchanted by cyanotype, an alternative 19th century photographic process using sunlight and nature. 

Each print is handmade and one of a kind due to the uncertainty of the environment, just like our lives as we are experiencing now. 

Finding beauty in imperfection, and using my hands, mind, time, and simple material to create something that connects me with nature and life gave me peace. 

I enjoy quiet walks in the woods and collect leaves, flowers, plants that fall on the ground and give them life on my paper with their unique shapes. 

Cyanotypes use light-sensitive chemicals to create an image on paper without a camera.

It’s like printmaking without a printing press or a plate. 

I am grateful for the chance to share the magic of cyanotype and the sea with you. 

​

Life is also full of colors and beautiful things, and my work is my connection to life.

I want my simple art to evoke a sense of beauty and joy in others.

To be the first to see my new work, follow me on instagram at @lulu_bluemind.