Around my neighbourhood in 80 trees
I discovered cyanotype in 2025 and immediately connected with this experimental medium. My first instinct was to use cyanotype to combine my love for art and botany. This led to my first project, “Around my Neighbourhood in 80 Trees”, a cyanotype herbarium of the woody species around my home. I started this as a way to explore my own neighbourhood, and to learn about the plants in my immediate surroundings, since I had spent so much time studying species on distant sites but barely knew the ones near me. The project became an unexpected teacher. I learnt the ins and outs of cyanotype mixing, ratios, coating methods, which papers work best, types of brushes to use, exposure times, coating techniques, and rinsing. I also learnt how to skeletonise leaves and document my collected specimens, noting which ones worked best, how long they took, and how to catalogue and store the pressed leaves. This body of work is a love letter to Bangalore and to my neighbourhood, Kammanahalli. Each print carries hours of experimentation, collecting, brushing away leaf pulp, and waiting for the perfect sunny day.
Process photos and behind the scenes shots at the bottom of this page.
If you’re interested in purchasing or commissioning prints, please contact me here :)
Alstonia scholaris (Blackboard tree) // Leaves simple, whorled, oblong-lanceolate
Araucaria columnaris (Christmas tree) // Leaves point-tipped, spirally arranged, needle-like
Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jackfruit) // Leaves simple, alternate, obovate-elliptic to elliptic
Azadirachta indica (Neem) // Leaves compound, imparipinnate
Bauhinia purpurea (Orchid tree) // Leaves simple, alternate, lobed
Bauhinia tomentosa (Yellow bell orchid) // Leaves simple, alternate, bilobed, hairy
Bougainvillea glabra (Boungainvillea) // Leaves simple, alternate, ovate, elliptic or lanceolate
Broussonetia papyrifera (Paper mulberry) // Leaves simple, alternate, opposite or whorled, ovate heart-shaped to deeply lobed
Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Peacock flower) // Leaves compound, bipinnate, alternate
Calotropis gigantea (Milkweed) // Leaves simple, opposite, decussate, elliptic or oblong with cordate base
Cassia fistula (Golden shower tree) // Leaves pinnately compound, alternate, ovate-lanceolate
Citrus x limon (Lemon) // Leaves unifoliate with a winged petiole, compound, alternate, ovate to oblong, serrated
Clerodendrum chinense (Chinese glorybower) // Simple, opposite, dentate, ovate to triangular-ovate
Cocos nucifera (Coconut) // Leaves compound, pinnate, linear, spirally arranged
Codiaeum variegatum (Garden croton) // Leaves simple, alternate or spiral, lanceolate (or many other shapes)
Cordia dichotoma (Indian cherry) // Leaves simple, alternate, ovate to broadly ovate or elliptic
Couroupita guianensis (Cannonball) // Leaves simple, alternate, smooth or serrated, oblong, obovate, elliptic, or broadly lanceolate, arranged spirally
Delonix regia (Gulmohar) // Leaves compound, bipinnate, alternate
Dendrocalamus strictus (Bamboo) // Simple, alternate, distichous, lanceolate
Ficus amplissima (Indian Bat tree) // Leaves simple, alternate, broadly ovate to ovate-oblong
Ficus benghalensis (Banyan) // Leaves simple, alternate, ovate to elliptic
Ficus benjamina (Weeping fig) // Leaves simple, alternate, ovate to elliptic
Ficus drupacea (Mysore fig) // Leaves simple, alternate and spiral, broadly elliptic-oblong or ovate
Ficus elastica (Rubber fig) // Leaves simple, alternate, elliptic to oblong
Ficus lyrata (Fiddle fig) // Leaves simple, alternate, pandurate (fiddle-shaped)
Ficus racemosa (Cluster fig) // Leaves simple, alternate, ovate to elliptic or ovate-lanceolate
Ficus religiosa (Peepal) // Leaves simple, alternate, cordate base, ovate lamina, drip-tip apex
Gossypium barbadense (Sea island cotton) // Leaves simple, spiral or alternate, broadly ovate to cordate with 3-7 deep palmate lobes
Grevillea robusta (Silver oak) // Leaves compound, bipinnate or tripinnate, alternate, fern-like with linear to narrow triangular lobes
Guazuma ulmifolia (West Indian elm) // Leaves simple, alternate, ovate to lanceolate
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Hibiscus) // Leaves, simple, alternate, ovate or lanceolate, serrated
Ixora coccinea (Red ixora) // Leaves simple, opposite, oblong to ovate
Jasminum grandiflorum (Royal jasmine) // Leaves compound, imparipinnate, opposite
Jatropha integerrima (Peregrina) // Leaves simple, alternate, lobed
Lagerstroemia speciosa (Queen crape myrtle) // Leaves simple, opposite, subopposite or whorled, elliptic, oblong, or ovate-lanceolate
Lagerstroemia indica (Crape myrtle) // Leaves simple, opposite, sub-opposite or alternate, oval, elliptic or oblong
Leucaena leucocephala (River tamarind) // Leaves compound, bipinnate, alternate, linear-oblong or lanceolate
Magnolia champaca (Champaka) // Leaves simple, alternate, ovate to elliptic-lanceolate with an acuminate apex
Mangifera indica (Mango) // Leaves simple, alternate, oblong-lanceolate
Manilkara zapota (Chikoo) // Leaves simple, alternate, clustered, elliptic to ovate
Markhamia lutea (Nile tulip) // Leves compound, imparipinnate, elliptic to obovate, serrated
Millettia pinnata (Honge) // Leaves compound, imparipinnate, alternate, ovate or oblong, acuminate apex, cuneate base
Millingtonia hortensis (Akashamallige) // Leaves compound, bi or tripinnate, opposite, ovate to lanceolate, serrated, acuminate tip
Mimusops elengi (Maulsari) // Leaves simple, alternate or spiral, ovate, elliptic or obovate
Moringa oleifera (Drumstick) // Leaves compound, tripinnate, alternate, elliptical to obovate
Muntingia calabura (Singapore cherry) // Leaves simple, alternate, distichous, oblong or lanceolate, serrated, oblique or asymmetrical base
Murraya koenigii (Curry tree) // Leaves compound, imparipinnate, alternate, ovate to lanceolate
Neolamarckia cadamba (Kadam) // Leaves simple, opposite, obovate to oblong, obtuse base, acute to acuminate tip
Nyctanthes arbor-tristis (Parijata) // Leaves simple, opposite, decussate, ovate, acute to acuminate tip
Pachira aquatica (Guiana chestnut) // Leaves palmately compound, alternate, elliptic, oval or lanceolate
Peltophorum pterocarpum (Copperpod) // Leaves compound, bipinnate, alternate, oblong or elliptic-oblong, rounded or emarginate apex, oblique base
Persea americana (Avocado) // Leaves simple, alternate or spirally arranged, elliptic or oblong
Phoenix sylvestris (Wild date palm) // Leaves compound, pinnate, linear-lanceolate with spiny points
Phyllanthus acidus (Star gooseberry) // Leaves simple, alternate, distichous, ovate or lanceolate with rounded base and acute apex; displays phyllanthoid branching
Phyllanthus emblica (Amla) // Leaves simple, alternate, distichous (appears pinnately compound), oblong or linear-oblong
Phyllanthus reticulatus (Black-honey shrub) // Leaves simple, alternate, ovate-oblong to elliptic
Pimenta dioica (Allspice) // Leaves simple, opposite, oval / elliptic to oblong / lanceolate
Pithecellobium dulce (Madras thorn) // Leaves compound, bipinnate, alternate, elliptic to obovate-elliptic or ovate-oblong
Plumeria alba (Frangipani) // Leaves simple, alternate, oblong to elliptical and obovate, acute apex, acute base
Polyalthia longifolia (False ashoka) // Leaves simple, alternate, narrow-lanceolate, wavy margin, long acuminate apex
Pseuderanthemum maculatum (Yellow-vein eranthemum) // Leaves simple, opposite, narrowly ovate to elliptic
Psidium guajava (Guava) // Leaves simple, opposite, decussate, oval to oblong-elliptic
Pterospermum acerifolium (Kanak champa) // Leaves simple, alternate, polymorphous (oblong, broadly obovate, ovate, or orbicular), irregularly lobed, maple-like leaves
Punica granatum (Pomegranate) // Leaves simple, opposite or subopposite, clustered, narrow oblong to lanceolate or elliptic
Reutealis trisperma (Phillippine tung tree) // Leaves simple, alternate, ovate to cordate, long petiole
Ricinus communis (Castor) // Leaves simple, alternate, palmate with deep lobes, serrated, long petiole
Samanea saman (Raintree) // Leaves compound, bipinnate, alternate, rhomboid or obliquely ovate leaflets
Santalum album (Sandalwood) // Leaves simple, opposite, ovate to lanceolate
Senna siamea (Siamese cassia) // Leaves compound, paripinnate, alternate, oblong or elliptic-oblong leaflets
Spathodea campanulata (African tulip) // Leaves compound, imparipinnate, opposite, oval or ovate leaflets with acuminate apex
Swietenia macrophylla (Big-leaved mahogany) // Leaves compound, pinnate, alternate, ovate or lanceolate, falcate (sickle-shaped) leaflets with oblique base
Swietenia mahagoni (Small-leaved mahogany) // Leaves compound, pinnate, alternate, ovate to elliptic or lanceolate, falcate (sickle-shaped) leaflets with oblique base and acuminate tip
Syzygium cumini (Jamun) // Leaves simple, opposite, elliptic to oblong or oval, acuminate or acute apex, occasionally with an emarginate apex
Tabebuia aurea (Tree of gold) // Leaves compound, palmate, opposite, oblong to elliptic or narrowly oblong-lanceolate leaflets with acute apex
Tabebuia rosea (Pink poui) // Leaves compound, palmate, opposite, elliptic to oblong-ovate leaflets with acute or acuminate apex
Tabernaemontana divaricata (Pinwheel flower) // Leaves simple, opposite, lanceolate or elliptic with acuminate or acute apex and cuneate base
Tamarindus indica (Tamarind) // Leaves compound, paripinnate, alternate, narrowly oblong or elliptic-ovular leaflet with rounded to emarginate apex
Terminalia arjuna (Arjuna) // Leaves simple, sub-opposite or alternate, oblong or elliptic with rounded or subcordate base and acute or obtuse apex
Terminalia catappa (Indian almond) // Leaves simple, alternate, spiral clusters, broadly obovate and spatulate with rounded apex and subcordate or cuneate base
Terminalia mantaly (Madagascar almond) // Leaves simple, whorled, spathulate (spoon-shaped), oblong or elliptical, rounded or obtuse apex
Thespesia populnea (Portia) // Leaves simple, alternate, spiral, cordate or broadly ovate, acuminate apex and long petiole
Vachellia farnesiana (Sweet acacia) // Leaves compound, bipinnate, alternate, linear-oblong to asymmetrical-oblong leaflets
Ziziphus mauritiana (Indian jujube) // Leaves simple, alternate, zig-zag, sub-orbicular to ovate-oblong, serrulate leaves with three conspicuous main longitudinal veins originating from the base
Cyanotype mixing
Leaf skeletonisation
Pressed leaves on coated watercolour sheets
Prints - before exposure
Prints - after exposure
Prints - during exposure
Prints - during exposure
Pithecellobium dulce - after exposure, pre-rinsing
Jatropha integerrima - after exposure, pre-rinsing
Drying post-rinse
Drying post-rinse