Sarasota Nature Printers Exhibit Showcases an Ancient Art Form

Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast welcomes the Sarasota Nature Printers and their exhibit, sales, and demonstrations, Art of Our Natural Environment. The opening reception and art sale will be held on Tuesday, March 19 at 5:30 pm at the foundation’s headquarters in the Burrows-Matson House at Bay Preserve, 400 Palmetto Avenue in Osprey. Live demonstrations and sales at Bay Preserve will continue March 20 and 21 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Learn more or register for the reception and demonstrations at www.conservationfoundation.com/events or call (941) 918-2100.

A division of the Nature Printing Society, the Sarasota Nature Printers employs an ancient art form, taking objects in nature and through a variety of techniques, transferring the beauty of those objects into art. They print on diverse materials such as paper, fabric, clothing, linens, silk, tile, and wood. Featuring the work of nine different artists, Art of our Natural Environment promises to be a unique art experience for the nature lover. Mother Nature’s vast variety of shapes and forms provides the inspiration for the Nature Printer’s philosophy of respect for, and preservation of, the natural environment through the art of the print.

History provides examples and context of nature printing. Plant printing flourished in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries when it was used by physicians and pharmacists to pass on knowledge about medicinal plants. Leaf prints were used to prevent counterfeiters from duplicating Colonial currency issued by Benjamin Franklin in 1700s early America, and in Japan, fish rubbings appeared in the 1800s as a way of preserving record fish catches. The basic “wet rubbing” techniques used by fishermen were eventually refined into the sophisticated art form of “gyotaku” (print of the fish).