A great form of art is within the Earth itself. When life gets in the way sometimes it’s hard to take a moment to step back and appreciate how beautiful nature is around you. During these past few weeks I have tried to immerse myself within the outdoors. Whilst doing so, I recognized the beautiful shapes and patterns within the leaves. On a nice day, I went on a hunt around my yard for some leaves, and plants I felt suited what I was looking to recreate from nature. 

I found some ferns, maple leaves, pine branches, and even some wild flowers to print on paper and see what the outcome would be. I began by inking one side of my plant of choice in black water soluble ink. I then laid the inked side of my plant on top of my paper of choice, and put a scrap sheet over top to firmly press the plant down where it’s patterns will leave an impression on the paper. 

The finalized results were absolutely stunning. Printing these leaves highlighted so much more detail and elements within the plant then what the naked eye would see. The overall process allowed me to engage with nature and my surroundings, as well as take more time to spend with our beautiful mother earth. The printing process itself was very simple and allowed room for error if necessary. I will most definitely be doing more leaf, and nature prints in the future!