Much of what appears on Nature Speaks begins with an encounter outdoors: a leaf found on a walk, a pattern in bark, the quiet architecture of a nest. Back in the studio, these observations sometimes become drawings, prints or pages in a handmade journal. Making gives me another way of paying attention.
This is a glimpse into that process, and some of the tools that help me translate what I notice into something I can hold. It is not a list of things you need to buy. The pleasure of making often begins with what is already to hand.
From observation to print
Lino printing
I enjoy the possibilities of lino printing: the considered lines, the areas left untouched, and the moment a carved image is lifted from the block. The process asks for patience and an acceptance that each impression may be slightly different.
Explore lino-cutting tools on Amazon UK (paid link)
Ink, rollers and printing by hand
A brayer helps spread printing ink evenly; a baren or the back of a spoon can transfer the image to paper without a printing press. I am particularly drawn to deep woodland greens, though the colour is only one part of a print’s character.
Explore printing rollers on Amazon UK (paid link)
Explore hand-printing barens on Amazon UK (paid link)
Explore green block-printing inks on Amazon UK (paid link)
Gelli printing: colour, texture and chance
Gelli printing offers a different kind of conversation with the natural world. Leaves, grasses and other found shapes can become part of a layered image, leaving traces of their forms in colour and texture. Unlike the deliberate cutting of lino, the process allows more room for accident and discovery. A print may reveal something I had not thought to look for, and that surprise is part of its appeal.
I am interested in the meeting of a real leaf and its printed impression: the way one can echo the other without becoming quite the same thing. It is another way of exploring the distance between what we see and how we represent it.
Explore gel printing plates on Amazon UK (paid link)
Explore rollers for gel printing on Amazon UK (paid link)
Paper and the marks it holds
Paper changes the character of an image. Some surfaces preserve a crisp carved line; others introduce softness and texture. I like the way the material itself becomes part of the work, rather than a neutral background.
Explore printmaking paper on Amazon UK (paid link)
Making nature journals
I am developing handmade nature journals as part of Nature Speaks. A journal can be both a practical place to record encounters and a beautiful object that invites us to return to them. My journal-making equipment includes a Sizzix Big Shot Plus and an Eileen Hull ScoreBoards XL Journal die.
Explore Sizzix Big Shot Plus on Amazon UK (paid link)
Explore the Eileen Hull journal die on Amazon UK (paid link)
These are specialist tools, not necessities for keeping a nature journal. If you simply want to begin observing and recording, see My Nature Journaling Kit for the notebooks and art materials I use.
The finished work
I hope that the objects made here carry something of the original encounter with them: the shape of a leaf, the feeling of a woodland walk, or the moment I noticed something I had passed many times before. You can see available artwork, guides and forthcoming journals in the Nature Speaks shop.
A note about links
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links marked “paid link” may earn Nature Speaks a commission at no additional cost to you. Amazon links on this page lead to search results so you can check the exact product and its suitability before buying.