Tanya Prather, Ecoprint Artist on Fiber & Clay

 

For me, ecoprinting is a constant voyage of discovery between myself and the process, which is using organic materials (leaves, flowers, bark, and berries) laid directly onto the surface of a fiber (silk, wool, linen, cotton, or paper). The plants and fiber are somehow tightly compressed, and then the fiber is submerged in water. Over a period of time, the dyes transfer out of the plants and become permanently bonded with the fiber. 

 

Trace minerals in the water (iron, copper, aluminum) may influence color and transfer in subtle ways.  The method of compression impacts whether the resulting image is a direct print or more nuanced and abstract. The season of foraging, the soil in which the plants grew, the freshness of the botanical material, and a myriad of other infinitesimal factors make it impossible to ever reproduce results.

Each ecoprint is guided by my hand and vision, mindful toward color, contrast, form and balance, but the image takes on a life of its own.  It is a process requiring both  intention and surrender.

While it is beautiful in itself to make a very direct print, immediately recognizable as the plant from which it was created, I often find joy in choosing to work less literally. I challenge myself to use the plants as my “palette” of color and texture, to create visually vibrant images that are compelling in themselves. The finished ecoprints often appear as landscapes to me, evoking a sense of time and place, each image embodying a moment.

 

 

 

 

Studio visits made by appointment.  Contact me via email at <ahref=”mailto:tanya.prather@gmail.com”>tanya.prather@gmail.com or phone: 603-557-2806.</ahref=”mailto:tanya.prather@gmail.com”>