Taking a Hammer to Petals


Today marks the start of experiments and design development. I have begun gathering and foraging natural flowers and leaves that are plentiful in my garden to start. Focusing on colours of this season and non-imported nature keeps me on theme with sustainability and eco-ethics.

The picture above shows an initial mood board with my first print results on cotton and some colour swatches. I tested the hammer technique, taped and smashed some leaves, berries, grass, and petals on pure cotton fabric. Instead of buying new fabric, I delved into my scrap bin and found some old discoloured white pillowcases made from pure cotton. Out of pure curiosity, I also tested some silk. I found that the silk was quite greedy and bled a lot, taking in too much of the fresh plants’ water content making quite a blurry watered-down print. The cotton, however, soaked up some water but mostly the colour. The tiny woven detail in the fabric’s grain stopped colour bleeding and made for a more crisp print.


I then created a 3 by 3 colour board here:

I have also just invested in an eco-friendly, recycled sketchbook to record these, and future samples. Made by Artway, an eco-conscious art supplies distributor making supplies using recycled coffee cup waste, and they also do student discounts! And so the journey develops...

Artway’s website: 


https://artway.co.uk/sketchbooks/

Also, here is a link to my YouTube Channel where you will find a short 30-second video of the Hammer technique!


https://youtu.be/u85Xeb0Rbk8

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