My work combines natural dyeing techniques with botanical contact printing, also known as ecoprinting. This process involves directly laying leaves on fabric and using steam to release inner tannins, acids and dyestuff from inside the plant. The effect is a reflection forever preserved in the cloth. The varying chemicals in each leaf will yield different results. Some plants will leave a dark inky stamp while others will bleach the present color out, the result being a brilliant white impression within the fiber. I strive to understand the biological chemistry of plants in relation to how they will print on fabric based on dye, mordant, species, and environmental circumstance.
I collect leaves locally, be it a busy street, my childhood home, or a mountain path. Each leaf has a story to share, an inner essence of the people, the animals, and the world it has encountered. The cloth acts as a medium for conveyance. The culminated print serves as a portrait of landscape, defining time and space in conjunction with nature. Plants will print differently depending on their direction to the sun, new growth versus old, altitude, and season. I seek to methodically test these environments in relation to various fabric processes. I am fascinated by the dichotomy of plants and how they physically define place as it is spiritually connected to our own human experience of life. My work is a conscious attempt to attune to the natural world and bring us closer to the reality of existence.