JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JULY 6, 2023 – Bennett Spring State Park is set to host a nature printing event from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 8.
Nature printing is the art of using natural plant dyes, opaque inks and leaves to create a wearable work of art. Participants will need to bring an all-cotton shirt or handkerchief that has been well-washed or well-worn, as this fabric will transfer the ink better than that a new shirt.
This process has been practiced as an art, a craft and an aid to scientific study. This method of hand-printing a collection of leaves or plants for a herbarium was appealing to early scientists and botanists. Prior to the invention of photography in the mid-18th century, the first photos were nature prints called cyanotypes, which involved a process now known as sun printing or blue printing.
This program is free and open to the public and will take place in the nature center.
Bennett Spring State Park is located at 26250 Highway 64A outside of Lebanon. For more information, call 417-532-3925.
For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.