Simonson is a multi-disciplinary artist from New Orleans, currently working on a series of cyanotype-based pieces.  This series builds on photographs of natural settings, mostly taken on camping trips throughout the United States, and adds notes of excitement and curiosity using highly-contrasting paint and pastel. 

The cyanotype process uses shadows and sunlight to activate a solution of iron salts, which emerge in a strong Prussian blue after rinsing and drying, producing images that are evocative of the timeless classics of nature photography.  While each piece is carefully planned and designed, there are always subtle variations in the final result due to the vibrancy of the sun during the light-exposure step, the passing of clouds, or texture of the cyanotype solution on the paper.  These organic components compliment the natural subjects of the pieces, with flashes of orange and red staged to amplify the images.