Art & Making

To arrive at the making and framing of the leaf botanicals it is necessary to trace a small bit of the background to my unending passion for studying and preserving natural elements. David Attenborough (Amazing Rare Things: The Art of Natural History in the Age of Discovery) writes about the Egyptians who included paintings of plants on the walls of tombs and Leonardo da Vinci, a Renaissance artist who studied and drew plants to learn about how they grew and reproduced.

Many of us may have an interest or passion we return to throughout our lives. For me, one of these is printmaking. My first experience with printmaking occurred right after high school at the Glassell School of Art in Houston. During the printmaking class we lived the learning as we explored a range of the intaglio printmaking methods; drypoint etching, chemical etching, and aquatint. Later during the sessions on lithography, we were assigned a block of Belgian stone and tasked with cleaning off the old image, creating one of our own and running it through a printing press.

When you live in the Texas Hill Country where the outside comes inside through dramatic views of gently rolling hills, rocky canyons, and tree lined arroyos, it is appropriate for us to consider interior design which recognizes and incorporates aspects of these elements. Drying and pressing native plants is one way; an alternative to this is to the botanical silhouette.

Renewing and repurposing furniture you already own is one of the most satisfying experiences! Yes, it does take some amount of courage though less bravery is needed when the piece has outlived its current purpose. Here is a glimpse of my large vintage table in its new form. Read on for the full story!