What makes you happy?
Happy Anorak has spent many a spring/summer day walking or cycling along the river bank from Ponte Aleardi towards Porto San Pancrazio collecting interesting leaves and flowers for printing. I never went out with a particular leaf in mind, I looked at the veins in the leaves, the strength of the plant, and the regular or irregular shapes as I passed, only collecting ones that I knew I’d want to use and thanking the trees and the plants that I took them from. (come on, you talk to the trees too, admit it).
This part of the preparation is as important as choosing the right paper and paints. I love using natural things for printing – it’s a way of preserving the beauty and reflecting on something other than work, politics, society, media. The trees and plants have a timeless, pure quality to them that helps put life back into perspective. Even writing about it makes me relax.