Heat-sensitive Valentine

I wasn't sure if I should post this. I mean what if RJH reads my blog? But you see, after I invented the thermochromic Valentine ...just for you sweetheart! Surprise!.... I thought other people might want one for their sweethearts. That's the beauty of printmaking after all! It naturally produces multiples. So, if I was going to share the thermochromic Valentine with the world, I would need to do so long before Valentine's Day... so RJH, if you're reading this, this is really for you. Just act surprised on Valentine's Day. I invented you an interactive Valentine, with love. :D

This hand-printed thermochromic Valentine will respond to your loved one's warmth! If you place your hand as directed, over the pink hand, printed in thermochromic ink, your body heat will cause the ink to change colour! It turns colourless to reveal the message printed below, "you warm my heart". The image shows two prints side by side: a cold and a hot one.

Thermochromic ink changes colour with temperature. If you heat the print above about 30°C ( 86 °F) the ink is colourless; below 30°C ( 86 °F) the ink is pink. Body temperature is 37°C (98.6 °F) so body heat alone should be enough to reveal the hidden message. If it's particularly cold day, or your loved one is has poor circulation, you can always heat the print gently with a hair dryer; that always works!

The print is made on beautiful Japanese cream-coloured paper with silky inclusions. Each print is 27 cm by 15.2 cm (10.75" by 6"). Each print is made in red, pink and rose thermochromic ink, and printed in an open edition.