Experience the Magic of Eco Printing with Kathy Johnson

Sunday, July 21st, 2019.  10 AM- 5 PM.  $115.00, includes all supplies.  $50.00 deposit holds your space.  Madison Wool,  56A Wall St., Madison, CT.   06443  203-245-5921.  www.madisonwool.com

Come experience the magic of eco‐printing on paper, a process of making direct contact botanical prints from the natural pigment found in plants. Combining contemporary print techniques with historic methods of natural dying can result in stunning one of a kind plant portraits captured on paper. 

●       Experiment with a variety of papers including – printmaking & watercolor paper, deli paper, and book pages  

●       Try two techniques for making paper bundles: layering cut and folded sheets and rolling long strips.  

●       Explore the use of iron water and copper water as mordants and incorporate natural dyes. 

●       Work with two methods of heating: steaming and simmering in water. This is where the magic of pigment to paper transfer happens!  

●       Discuss safety procedures and the sustainable practice of foraging and gathering plant material.  

The unpredictable and often surprising result is what makes the process of eco printing so exciting. Prepare to be wowed by Mother Nature’s magic! 

Your finished eco prints can be used for making books, journals, cards, tags, scrolls, collages, as a foundation for stitching and drawing, and can be embellished with items such as small twigs, shells, stones, or small pieces of metal.

No experience necessary. All tools, supplies and most plant material will be provided. If you can, please bring a few shrub or tree leaves, and flowers you might like to try using.

Nothing too fleshy (succulents) and nothing toxic.

Teaching artist Kathy Johnson loves all things paper and plants. She works in the mediums of collage and eco printing and likes to find and repurpose natural and manmade items in her art, everything from coffee filters and junk mail to candy wrappers and leaf skeletons. Her passion for plants and gardening blends well with the eco printing process by supplying her with an abundant source of fresh plant material. She became interested in and started eco printing on paper in 2013 and has been teaching the process for the past 2 years. 

KathyJohnsonArt.com                                                                                                KJohnsonCollage@gmail.com