Sweet Nectar is an online exhibition of ten photo media and print works made with and of various species of grevillea. These works were made over several years living on Dja Dja Wurrung Country in the Chewton Bushlands, Victoria and Kunibidji Country at Manayingkarirra, the Northern Territory, Australia.

One of the things that I like about grevillea is its sweet nectar. When walking around the bush I can pick a flower and put it in my water bottle and shake it about to make a cordial. And also take some to make a handmade photograph.

The works made in Chewton use the proto-photo techniques of gum bichromate and anthotype processes. The image of the grevillea is made by laying the plant matter on sensitised paper and exposing the paper in the sun. The parts of the paper blocked by the plant matter have a different reaction and create a shadow, or photogram.

The anthotype grevillea image mounted on black velvet is a photogram of grevillea made using a photosensitive emulsion made by the plant itself mixed with alcohol; it is an image of the grevillea and made with the grevillea. Exposed under the sun, the plant continues to respond to solar rays.

The colourful gum-bichromate works were made using the grevillea placed directly onto paper over a chemical solution mixed with pigments.

The blue cyanotype works were created in a contact frame exposed in the sun and the pressed works were made by arranging the grevillea on paper, rolling ink over the top, pressing them through a printmaking press and peeling the plant matter away to leave an impression of the grevillea.

All works are unique single editions using the idea of photography in its broadest sense and from its earliest experiments with gum arabic, dichromate, chemicals for cyanotypes, alcohol and my favourite ingredients: flowers and the sun.