Carve December 2017: Some of my Favorites! (part 3: nature)

Carving daily for Carve December is one of my favorite studio rituals. There’s something magical about settling in with a block of carving material, a simple idea, and the intention to make—whether that idea turns out exactly as planned or not.

In this third installment of favorite Carve December prints, I thought we would focus on nature-inspired designs. Flowers, leaves, clouds, waves, and other elements from the natural world seemed to emerge organically from the collective imagination of everyone participating.

Below are some of my favorite nature-themed stamp prints from this year’s Carve December. Unleash the flowers and leaves and clouds and all that good stuff:

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Why Nature Keeps Showing Up

I think that nature will always be a popular motif.  After all, it’s all around us! And according to the Biophilia Hypothesis, humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life.  Many people believe that being in nature improves health, mood, and even happiness.

I believe it! When you bring the motifs of the natural world into your carving and printing, you’re accessing a visual language that feels familiar, yet endlessly flexible.

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What I’m Taking Away from These Prints

Here are a few lessons that stood out as I looked through this set of carvings and prints:

• Leaves and flowers can be interpretative rather than realistic.
• Leaves and flowers aren’t the only natural elements; waves, clouds, trees, nuts, acorns, and more!
• Print on top of a messy painted background!
• Printing doesn’t always have to be in black ink, even on a dark surface.
• Coloring just part of an image is very visually effective.
• A stamp doesn’t have to be perfect and smooth to have enormous impact and be beautiful!

What are you taking away? Let me know in the comments!

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Ready to Try Nature-Inspired Carving?

If you’re new to stamp carving or itching to try a nature motif, start by studying simple organic shapes around you—twigs, petals, pebbles, and cloud silhouettes all make fabulous templates. You don’t need a plan, just curiosity.

Here are two nature-inspired stamps I carved this year:

Whether you’re creating simple tree branches or intricate repeating designs, the key is consistency and play.

Thanks for stopping by and being part of this creative journey!

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Related Posts:

• Carve December 2017: Some of my Favorites! (part 1: miscellaneous)
• Carve December 2017: Some of my Favorites! (part 2: animals)
• Carve December 2017: Some of my Favorites! (part 4: patterns)
• Carve December 2017: Some of my Favorites! (part 5: people and people parts)