Ecoprint artist Sue Walsh is to celebrate her year-long residency at The Yorkshire Arboretum with a special exhibition of work The Language of Leaves opening at the arboretum’s Visitor Centre on Saturday 17 September. The arboretum is holding a Meet the Artist launch event from 6pm, Friday 16 September.
Sue, who lives and works in North Yorkshire, draws her inspiration directly from nature. She is known for her slow art of botanical mark-making on textiles and paper. Her work reveals the hidden properties of plants through colour and texture.
Ecoprinted textiles are made using leaves and flowers to create a contact print on beautiful natural fabrics. A huge variety of pigments and tannins are present in foliage and flowers, which can be coaxed from them during the process. No paints or digital prints are used, and all the colours come from real leaves in contact with the fabric, enhanced by natural dyes, through the application of heat and pressure.
Sue’s recent body of work uses leaves gathered during her year-long residency from plants and trees growing in the 120 acre arboretum. From small framed works and large wall hangings to wearable items, the collection is a beautiful depiction of the diversity of leaves.
"The residency at the arboretum, has been brilliant for me to expand my knowledge and practice. It's really the tip of the iceberg for me as the collection is so large and the growing season so short! This entirely new body of work has been created throughout the residency and it's a great joy to be able to share the journey of discovery that has unfolded this year" comments Sue.
The exhibition will be freely available to view in the Visitor Centre from 17 September until 16 October 2022. Find out more at: www.yorkshirearboretum.org/events . To reserve your free place at the Meet the Artist event please book here.
Photo (c) Rachel Rimell Photography
