365 Nature – Day 249
In 2016 I’m doing a 365 Nature project. Learn more about the project and see all the 365 Nature posts.
It’s been awhile since I did any arts and crafts and today I decided would be a good day to do something. Last autumn I dabbled in making plant imprints in clay. Then I made small ones that could be made into pendants or other wearables. My method was to use oven baked clay, roll it out, place a leaf or flower on it, roll the foliage in and peel it off. After it was baked hard, I painted it and then wiped off the excess paint, leaving the veins and details behind. I had limited success, some of the leaves were too dainty to leave good imprints and the paint all wiped off.
Today I made a few more, trying the wipe-off method along with a new idea, sandpaper. Unfortunately I ran out of time to finish working on them today, but I think the combination of methods can work well in the future. I like making plant pressings and this is another way to preserve the details of plants. The three I made today were Sword Fern, Vine Maple and goldenrod.
In the past I did quite a few arts and crafts and some of them are on my Pinterest page: Things I Made.
Kelly Brenner
Kelly has a certificate from the University of Washington in non-fiction writing. She continually takes classes and attends talks on various natural history topics. In 2009 she earned a bachelors degree in landscape architecture from the University of Oregon.
She's also an avid photographer focusing on the natural world.
Latest posts by Kelly Brenner (see all)
- Low Tide at Alki Beach - June 20, 2018
- Field Journal: Churchill – Twin Lakes to Bird Cove - January 23, 2018
- 2017 Review of Books - December 20, 2017
