Nature Printing from David Parr’s Garden with Caroline Wendling
Spent a Saturday creating your own nature prints in a small hands-on workshop, with a slow and immersive walk around the garden observing and picking some of its flora and a glimpse inside David Parr House for inspiration on pattern design.
Led by artist Caroline Wendling, this eco-friendly session introduces you to an ancient form of printing used by botanists in the past. The technique is considered to be the precursor of photography. Influenced by the house's floral patterns, you will produce nature prints using a sense of design, plant material and monoprinting techniques.
What you’ll do
Be introduced to nature print processes, the earliest form of photography known for its fine details and accuracy
Discover, choose and collect plant materials
Create botanical compositions using pressed plants, and newly picked material
Learn monoprinting techniques such as inking, printing and overprinting, using a nipping press as well as hand burnishing.
Experiment with layering and colour mixing
Take inspiration from the house and its collection
Create a series of one-off nature prints
What to expect
Small group, limited to 8 people
No experience needed
Time to experiment with a range of materials and techniques
A walk in the garden
A glimpse inside the house during the lunch break for inspiration
Lunch included from Norfolk Street Bakery
What to bring
Any pressed or fresh plant materials you’d like to use, some pressed flowers will be prepared by the volunteers at the house
A folder or portfolio to transport your prints home safely
A pair of tweezers & a small sketchbook to jot ideas down
If you have printmaking materials you particularly like such as rollers, paper and hand burnishers, do bring those with you
All other materials provided, including plates, inks, rollers, printing paper, burnishers and press
About Nature Prints
Nature Prints were for centuries used to reproduce plants and build up collections of flora and fauna. During the 19th century, they became the precursor to photography.
To prepare plant material at home: press flowers and leaves between sheets of absorbent paper (such as sugar paper or cartridge paper, ideally you would use blotting paper) by placing them on a flat surface and pressing using books.
About Caroline Wendling
Nature Caroline Wendling is an artist and educator whose practice is rooted to her immediate surroundings, listening to and working in dialogue with the land. Her artworks unfold through walks, performances, and site-specific gatherings, examining themes of belonging and speculative green futures. Combining drawing, print, embroidery, sound and performance, she creates sensory works rooted in myth, memory, and storytelling which are all shaped through collaborations and acts of making friendships.
Caroline studied Printmaking at ESAD, Strasbourg, France. Selected projects include White Wood, Deveron Project, Huntly (2015-2915); Habit{Ing, Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge and Rural: Spaces of Connection Whitechapel Gallery, London (both 2019); Hypoteinousa, Wysing Arts Centre (2021); and Archipelago, solo exhibition, The Higgins, Bedford (2022). Awarded residencies include Bioart Society, Helsinki, Finland (2024), Studio 459 Tomar, Portugal (2023 & 2024), Metal Southend (2024).
She taught at the University of Reading, Anglia Ruskin University, the University of Cambridge. She is a tutor at West Dean college and Higham Hall and an artist facilitator for CCI (Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination).
