Laura Donnelly Bethmann - Making Prints from Nature

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by
publishing practical information that encourages
personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Kristen Campainha and Aimee Poirier
Cover image by Kevin Kennefick
Cover design by Carol J. Jessop, Black Trout Design
Text illustrations by Alison Kolesar
Text production by Jennifer Jepson Smith

1997 by Storey Publishing, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this bulletin may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this bulletin be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other without written permission from the publisher.

The information in this bulletin is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For additional information please contact Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247.

Storey books and bulletins are available for special premium and promotional uses and for customized editions. For further information, please call 1-800-793-9396.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bethmann, Laura Donnelly, 1953

Making prints from nature / Laura Donnelly Bethmann.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-58017-013-0 (pbk.: alk. paper)

1. Plant prints. 2. Leaf prints. 3. PrintsTechnique

I. Title.

NE953.B47 1997

Laura Donnelly Bethmann

Nature printing is the process of recreating images from the natural world. It is a direct, inexpensive process that requires some practice, but no particular artistic talent. Little-changed from former times, this unsung, centuries-old technique has been practiced as an art, a craft, and an aid to scientific study. It yields unlimited possibilities, restricted only by the imagination and the subjects available to the individual practice.

Simple nature prints can be used to ornament correspondence, form herbariums, and illustrate nature journals and herbals. Nature printing is an art form that can be framed and displayed, but it is also a craft that can be used to decorate linens, wearables, walls, and furnishings. Moreover, nature printing is a science, as exhibited by the beautiful volumes created by herbalists, physicians, and botanists for identification or research from the 13th through the 19th centuries.

This bulletin focuses on methods and applications for plant printing, but keep in mind that there are nature printers producing prints of anything they can find: spider webs, rocks, shells, vegetables, feathers, woodgrain, fish, and other animals including human beings!

There are limitless sources for nature printing, from spots as convenient as a tree-lined street with chickweed and peppergrass thriving in the sidewalk cracks to the geranium pots in your kitchen window. You can purchase plants from a florist or garden center, and fruits, vegetables, and herbs from the produce market. If you have your own garden, so much the better, but a nearby field or patch of woods will provide a large variety of plants as well.

Selecting specimens from your own surroundings is an easy place to start. Choose healthy plants on a dry day after the dew has evaporated. For a beginner, leaves are preferable to flowers because they are sturdier and easier to print. In general, prominently veined or textured leaves reveal more detail when printed than smooth ones. Clip individual leaves or three- to six-inch sprigs of small leaves, and put them immediately into plastic bags. Most leaves dont require pressing if you are going to use them on the same day.

While gathering materials on your home ground may keep you quite busy, roaming in the great outdoors will expand your possibilities. Wear proper clothing and footgear, and be aware of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Obtain a field guide of the wild-flowers and plants in your region so you will recognize poisonous plants if encountered and be able to identify your newfound specimens. Attempt to contact property owners before removing plants from even seemingly remote locations. If you see lovely wildflowers growing along a roadside or in a meadow, go to the nearest house or business to find the landowner and get permission to collect plants. If in doubt, check town, county, or city records for property ownership. State and national parks dont allow removal of anything, but it doesnt hurt to ask the park superintendent.

Rare and endangered species should never be disturbed. Local gardens, conservation groups, or your state department of natural resources can provide a list of threatened plants.

Ancient Roots

Possibly inspired by leaf fossils, nature printing is believed to be an ancient practice both as a decorative art form and as a way to learn about plants. Present-day nature printers practice the art of printing from nature in very personal ways, developed by adapting traditional methods to suit their individual purposes.

The following items are useful to keep close at hand in your car or in your backpack for collecting specimens.

Notebook, self-stick note pads, self-stick labels for bags, and waterproof marker.

Scissors and/or hand pruners for cutting stems, twigs, and woody plants. If you have an interest in collecting leaves and flowers from trees, you may also need to purchase long-handled pruners.

A trowel for digging up plant specimens.

Zip-seal plastic bags to store specimens.

Spray bottle of water to keep specimens from wilting.

Lightweight plant press, or, if youre traveling by car, newspapers and some weights. Delicate plants, especially, should be pressed quickly.

Container of water for transporting cut flowers or whole plants that you want to print fresh, not pressed.

A field guide or two describing the wild plants found in your region of the country.

Place your collected materials in plastic bags. Inflate the bags before closing (zip the seal, leaving one or two inches open, blow air into the opening to inflate, and seal completely) to provide a protective air cushion.

If you cant press specimens immediately upon returning home, store them in the refrigerator. Do not leave them in plastic bags unrefrigerated. Plants that have wilted during transport may revive in the refrigerator. Herbs, tree leaves, and other plants can be stored successfully under refrigeration for one to three weeks. When collecting wildflowers, cut and transport them in a container of water or press them on site.

To collect an entire plant, dig it up with as much root as possible and gently shake off excess soil. Using a spray bottle of water, spray once or twice inside a plastic bag large enough to accommodate the plant, insert the plant, close the bag, and label it.