Nature Printing is the technique of creating images of nature on paper, cloth, or other surfaces with ink, pigment, or chemicals. Early prints include the silhouettes of hands from prehistoric cave paintings. Plant printing evolved in Europe as a means for the identification of herbs and medicinal plants. Some of the oldest plant prints are those made by Renaissance herbalists.

Variations of nature printing include pure botanical prints, which reproduce in exacting detail the features of a plant, including the roots, seeds, and flowers. Insect printing is another variation; the features of an insect such as a butterfly or dragon fly are inked and transferred to paper. Nature mono-print merges the colors, shapes and designs of diverse plant parts into an overall creative image.

Heather‘s garden plants at the Orchid Street Studio provide her printing subjects; she will use anything from the garden that does not run away. A 24” etching press allows her to create highly detailed botanical and nature mono-prints.