Waiting for New Growth
What you’re looking at is my attempt to grow my own flowers this year.
I’m not really a gardener. This is my first year to try growing my own flowers in my garden.
Since I’ve gotten hooked on ecoprinting, I’ve gotten flowers from friends who are gardeners or I’ve purchased them at farmer’s markets. This has been fine, but the need for flowers has created a desire to have my own plants right outside my door.
I bought the seed packets at the home center. If I don’t grow many seedlings to replant, I’ll buy better seeds next year. But for now, I’m trying this.
I’ve saved rotisserie chicken containers for months planning on using them as little hot houses. (Thank you internet for this tip).
I chose seeds for my favorite eco-dying flowers to plant; Blanket flower, marigold, gazania, and coreopsis. I also bought a packet of wild flower seeds. I might get lucky with the seeds in the wild flower mix and find something that prints beautifully that I haven’t tried.
My favorite flower, coreopsis, isn’t in this photo. I got some seeds from a friend because they didn’t have them at the home center.
What I learned is that they are a perennial, they come back every year, but only if they are allowed to drop their seeds. So I cannot cut every single bloom to use in my art. Makes sense. Doesn’t it?
This time of year has presented its own challenges as far as ecoprinting goes. I bought some thin eucalyptus at Trader Joe’s that I really love. It looks different than the type that usually is included in florist arrangements.
This print has been embellished with watercolor on the leaves along with crackle medium and brown glaze on the background. I was a furniture painter for a long time and still have tools and materials from that job. I can add some cool techniques to the printmaking paper I use for eco-prints.
A friend that is a wonderful gardener has a “Winter Honeysuckle” bush. I’m not familiar with that particular kind of honeysuckle. I didn’t get to see the bush these leaves came from but they are roundish and printed really well.
Another “Winter Honeysuckle” branch.
All three of these pieces will be shown at the group show “Organic Atmosphere” in April at Paseo Art Space Gallery in Oklahoma City.
When I first started ecoprinting, I was a purist. I only worked with the plant, paper, and the steam. But the urge to take what came out of the skillet and make it MORE was too great! I’ve started adding watercolor, ink, and other techniques to the eco-prints.
If you’ve taken your ecoprints to another level, I would love to see what you’re creating!
