Create your own
monoprint
(^) Glass plate, or a flat surface to roll ink onto
(^) Printing ink
(^) Ink roller
(^) Leaves, seeds or flowers
(^) Smooth paper
(^) Baren (a handheld printing tool available from art shops),
or a spoon or rolling pin
YOU WILL NEED
creativity
78 CalmMoment.com
1
Place the leaves between layers of newspaper and
cardboard under a heavy weight, such as books, until
they’re quite dry and very flat. You may have to change
the paper a couple of times as it soaks up the moisture,
and the process may take up to three weeks. Although,
you may be able to print straight away with some types
of leaf, depending how much moisture is in it.
2
Squeeze a blob of ink onto a glass tray or flat
surface. Roll it out into a thin layer.
3
Carefully place the leaves and any other materials
over the ink, arranging them with no overlap.
4
Place two layers of newspaper over the leaves,
and press with a baren, or rolling pin or spoon.
METHOD
ready-made templates and stencils. Gathering your
wild stencils is also an exercise in mindfulness,
allowing you time and space to pause and simply be
in the moment, which in turn inspires creativity.
I find botanical monoprinting particularly
rewarding. It encourages me to interact closely with
nature, rather than just walk through in that mindless
way that we can often do. When I take a walk
outdoors, I notice tiny details as I look for interesting
forms and textures in leaves and seed heads. I collect
these, cherishing them like treasures when I bring
them back to my studio. You don’t have to pick
anything off the plants or trees if you don’t wish to as
there are lots of treasures to be found on the forest
floor. No matter what I find – leaves, flowers, feathers
- it feels like I’ve brought part of the woodland home
with me. It’s a glorious way to observe the changing
seasons and our ever-evolving natural landscape.
Back in the studio, I have another opportunity to
look closely at my finds and contemplate the varied
compositions I could create. Thinking of what forms
complement, or contrast with, each other and
arranging different formations is such a mindful
exercise. Time slows as I focus on this, carefully
touching my trove of collected botanicals.
Sometimes, I refer to a plant identification book, or
do a quick Google, to identify leaves that I haven’t
seen before, so it can be a learning experience too.
(And then I can point these out to everyone when we
next take a family walk, looking very clever and
feeling quite pleased with myself!).
Working slowly and deliberately creates a feeling of
‘flow’ akin to a meditative state where the complete
focus is on the process rather than the end result, and
any worries and anxieties can be forgotten for that
space of time. The simplicity of the image and the
process is its strongest quality.
You’ll need a few tools to get started, but nothing
too complex or expensive. Besides a roller and
printmaking ink, you can mostly improvise with what
you find around the house. Follow the simple step-by-
step instructions, right, to get creating a beautiful
botanical monoprint...