Introduction to Eco Printing

Are you one of those people who notices the plants around them throughout the day? Do you want to be? Ecoprinting is a natural dye technique that will completely open your eyes to the flora around.

Ecoprinting (also known as botanical printing) is a contemporary technique, which adapts the fundamentals of natural dyeing to extract the pigment directly from plant straight to the fabric - in this way, we're able to capture the shape and subtle nuances of the colors hidden within the leaves. The goal with ecoprinting isn't necessarily to create a bright rainbow of colors, but instead to use the plant material to directly give patterns, shapes, and textures. 

The workshop structure will be as follows:

- Introductions

- Fabric + paper choices and preparation

- Mordant options and application (mordanting is the essential pre-treatment that makes your colors bright and permanent)

- Introduction to the plants we'll be working with and responsible foraging principles

- Creating your composition and ecoprint bundle  

*lunch*

- Unbundling 

- Best practices for a sustainable practice and final remarks 

Botanical printing is my favorite technique within natural dyeing because it captures the essence of the plants most directly. There is also a big element of letting go and surrenduring to the materials - a bit like a ceramic piece going into the kiln, bundles in the steaming pot are beyond the point of intervention. Then the magical unbundling, which reveals the plant's prints - a direct representation of a plant in a specific place and point in time. 

From foraging or growing the plants to the moment when the prints are revealed, it is a practice that allows you to deeply connect with the plants you're working with and opens your eyes to a world of potential. Through the window of ecoprinting, you'll become more intune with the life cycles, seasons, and availability of plants.

Each participant will take an herbarium record of the plants we worked with, an ecoprinted final project of a totebag or t-shirt (you choose in the checkout), extra plants from the workshop to use at home, and an in-depth digital booklet to continue ecoprinting on your own! 

All materials are included - even a light vegetarian lunch (please inform me of any dietary restrictions)!

FAQ:

How do I get there? 

The workshop will be held at Tinctorium Studio in Abóboda, São Domingos de Rana (close to Carcavelos!). By public transport you can take the train from Lisbon to Carcavelos (line to Cascais from Cais do Sodré), I'll coordinate a pickup from the station to the studio or you can do the last bit by bus or uber. 

What language will the workshop be taught in? 

The workshop will be primarily taught in English, but anything can be repeated or clarified in Portuguese. 

What's for lunch? 

Lunch will be vegetarian build-your-own hippie bowls - all the ingredients laid out, you just need to pick what you like! If you have allergies or dietary restrictions, please let me know ahead of time so I can plan accordingly. 

Do I need to bring anything?

All materials are included in the enrollment price, but it's recommended to bring a pen and something to write on, appropriate clothing that can get dirty, and a hat or sunscreen since we will be outside. 

What if I have to cancel? 

Ticket purchases are fully refundable up to a week before the start of the workshop, 50% reimbursement within the week, and no reimbursement within 48 hours. 

There is an enormous amount of preparation and planning that goes into each workshop, so unfortunately I'm unable to fulfil refunds in the days leading up. If you can't make it last minute, I recommend finding someone who would love to spend the day creating color from plants to take your place. Thank you for your understanding.