Customer Yvonne Appleby has very kindly sent us some photographs of her Eco Prints on watercolour paper.
Ash Leaves
“My first attempt at eco printing was, to my great satisfaction and no small surprise, a success. The leaves used were Sweet Chestnut, Ash, Wych Elm, Ivy, Cotoneaster, Yarrow, Bracken and Tansy.”
Yvonne used the following method for her Eco Prints.
Materials & Equipment:
- 300gsm watercolour paper – cut to size
- 2g Iron Mordant (Ferrous Sulphate) dissolved in 250ml water
- Large Paintbrush
- A selection of foliage
- Roasting tin suitable for stove top & larger than the paper size
- Weights such as large pebbles, earthenware pots or ceramic tiles
Creating the Eco Prints
- Brush 2 pieces of watercolour paper with the Ferrous Sulphate on both sides
- Place the first sheet in a roasting tin and arrange your leaves
- Place the 2nd sheet of paper over the top of the leaves to make a sandwich
- Position weights on top of the paper sandwich
- Add 2 litres of water to the remainder of the ferrous sulphate solution and pour into the roasting tin. Add some rusty bits of metal or nails to help with the process
- Bring the bath to a boil, simmer it very gently for an hour then leave to rest for 12 hours
- Remove the sheets of paper and gently wash off plant matter with cold water
Yvonne’s plans for her sheets of Eco prints are “The pages are pretty as they are but I will probably superimpose some collagraph or drypoint elements in autumnal reds, oranges and dark greens.”
Sweet Chestnut Leaves
Fern Leaves
Yarrow Leaves
Ivy Leaves
Thank you Yvonne for sending this information to us. Your recipe will be popular with many of our customers! If you would like to know more about Yvonne, you can visit her website at www.pingofacio.co.uk