I tried a few more focused experiments with hapazome printing (hammering leaves onto fabric to create a print). As the frosts polished off both the nasturtiums and acer leaves, I caught them just in time. The ochre fabric used for some of the acer prints was dyed with acer leaves from the same tree this time last year. I’m amazed at the detail of the leaf veins from the nasturtium leaves, and also surprised at the intensity of colour. It will be interesting to see how long it lasts.

As the colour rapidly disappears from the garden at this time of year, the appeal of making ink returns. Something very satisfying about bottling colour. There’s been a good colour range with my recent batches of ink… the black dahlia is particularly intense (and works better as an ink than as a dye). The French marigold is my favourite as it’s unusual to get a colour that is so definitively yellow (and not a shade of brown!)

Finally this week, I’ve been cutting up sheets of paper used for cleaning my rollers after recent monoprinting sessions. It’s my usual approach of rescuing paper before it gets to the recycling bin – always a joy to see random patterns and mark making emerging without thinking too hard about the end result.