Printed Garden, Naturefact Artifact

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Front window of the Goat Gallery
the garden wall complete!
opening night of Nati Frinj, photo Theresa Harrison
community nature prints
Wimmera Resonance
some of Jenny's small prints in the exhibition
Zig Zag print from road sign, hand coloured
Words installation photo Theresa Harrison

The Printed Garden, Naturefact Artifact was the project name of Jenny Peterson’s three week artist residency in the Wimmera during October, 2019.

The Garden Wall of The Printed Garden project was an exhibition of nature prints made by local people with the guidance of Gippsland artist Jenny Peterson. The prints were installed onto bird netting along one wall as the workshops progressed and more prints were made. ‘Naturefact’ refers to the botanical specimens brought to the studio to be used for printing. They were plants gathered in the Wimmera region including crop samples from Marnoo and Horsham, grasses and weeds gathered from Mt Arapiles and Natimuk, plants from people’s gardens – things that grow locally.  The ‘Artifact’ was the material we saw in the gallery. An artifact is something made for a purpose and has the history – a memory – of being made with someone’s hands.

Other works in the Printed Garden exhibition were made by Jenny in her Gippsland studio, some works on paper included nature prints of Wimmera plants. Over a period of eighteen months and occasional visits the project was developed by Jenny making local connections with people and places. "This is a project which could work anywhere! Plants are something that people respond to as viewers and participants "

A recommended book on this technique is 'Impressions of Nature: a history of nature printing' by Roderick Cave, published in 2010.

The Printed Garden project builds on her current practice of working with found objects (road signage) and travelling country roads. Driving and looking, exploring the landscape, the verges and looking down to ground level.                                      

Download the workshop flyer that was used ....

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News

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I will be one the Creatives on site during the Creative Harvest Festival of edible gardens. With my little etching press I will be demonstrating 'nature printing' onto paper. I directly use botanical samples to create impressions of the plant, great detail can be achieved with ink and paper. Some of the plants I will be working with are from my host Adele's garden. Called 'Darna' this wonderful two and half acre garden is located at Darnum, in West Gippsland. I will have many prints, greeting cards and other gift items on display and for sale.