Two Nature Prints

Have you ever tried making nature prints? If you’ve got a gelatin plate, they’re easier than you think!

Why Nature?

There’s something about the shift in seasons that makes me want to slow down and really see what’s around me — the curve of a stem, the lace of veins in a leaf, the way seed pods create the most incredible silhouettes. Nature is endlessly generous with pattern and design if you’re willing to pay attention.

What I enjoy most about working with nature as inspiration is that it gives me structure without rigidity. The shapes are already designed. The patterns already exist. My job is simply to respond — to translate what I see into color, contrast, and composition. In a time when so much feels uncertain, there’s something deeply grounding about working from what’s real and tangible. A leaf. A branch. A moment outside.

Positive and Negative Prints

Here are two nature prints I did as demos during my live online, “Gelatin Printing from Your Backyard,” class.  Both were made using my gelatin plate, layering organic shapes and playing with positive and negative space. One of the things I love about gelatin printing is that it holds onto texture so beautifully. Every little ridge and edge becomes part of the story. I’ve included my finger in a few places so that you can see the scale of the detail.  Printing with leaves is amazing!

Class was tons of fun with so many gorgeous prints created.  If you’re interested in learning about this process, I teach it as part of my self-paced online class, “A Year of Gelatin Printing.” You can see all my learning offerings HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!