On Botanical Print Making:

Affirming right relations with plants.

During the last two years, many people saw my Botanical Prints at diverse venues. They are inspired to learn how to print themselves. And that is good. Classes have been sold out, and while interest grows, I lead small classes of 3.5 hrs length in Leverett, MA.   Here is part of my “hand-out” for class participants of all ages:

Attunement with plants. It is written in the first person because it describes how I regard plants, and teach others to right relations with plants when they learn from me. The 3-point affirmation was inspired by Joseph Bharat Cornell, who is one of my spiritual teachers. When internalized, the affirmation guides the print maker’s intentions and actions, yielding good results.

1.        “When a plant comes to my attention, I perceive its essence and relate to it from my center to its center. I observe how the plant or part of it holds my attention. Through my senses and intuition I seek to perceive how it expresses life force (prana). I commune with its (spiritual) essence and feel it quickening within me.”

2.        “For example, the stature of a tree; the color, venation or shape of foliage; the movement and texture of grass, they may awaken associations (pleasant or not), soul aspirations, or simply curiosity. I mentally say: “____ touches me; or ____expresses (part of) itself to me.”

3.        “I observe interactions between the plant and myself while I harvest and prepare it. I practice awareness that sensory stimulation and intuition inform my choices during the printing process. With gratitude I can internalize aspects of the plant kingdom that are revealed to me through inquiry.”