Printing with natural materials

I was asked why I wanted to print with flowers and it was suggested that I try using other natural materials. I got a Romanesco broccoli which is one of the best examples of fractals and symmetry in nature, and a pineapple which also shows symmetry in its outer patterns.

Both materials were difficult to print with. With the Romanesco broccoli, it was difficult to print its patterns because there are so many dips that you can’t print. Although the object itself is interesting enough to be a piece of art, I would have loved to have been able to print its fractals. I rolled the broccoli across the page to see what marks that would make and it was not successful because they are just dots front the highest points. I also tried just printing a small floret which worked better because you can see that natural pattern more. 

I next tried printing with a pineapple. The prints I got from the pineapple were less successful than the broccoli. I was hoping you would at least be able to see the almost honey-comb pattern around the outer skin but it would not print so it was visible. I tried rolling the pineapple through paint to try and get the pattern but it resisted and would not print well. I rolled the pineapple across the page, like I did the broccoli, but because if its shape not being flat I couldn’t get the pattern to print. I also tried printing the bottom of the pineapple which I think it the most successful print as it looks interesting but it does not look like a pineapple and you cannot see the patterns that I was trying to demonstrate.

Both prints in my opinion were failures. They didn’t create the desired image of interesting prints, the prints don’t look like they have come from a Romanesco broccoli or a pineapple. I will contue to research prints and the how to gain the best results however, I will be developing into lino printing instead of printing with the natural material in hope of getting a clean precise image/print.