Langdyke Colours - Eco-Printing on Paper - Experimental Workshop
A relaxing, fun day exploring eco-printing on paper - extracting colour and pattern from wild flowers! Near Helpston, Peterborough, Cambs.
Date and time
Location
Swaddywell Pit Nature Reserve
Stamford Road Peterborough PE6 7EL United KingdomRefund Policy
About this event
This is an experimental Eco-printing On Paper workshop, led by Sarah Lambert and Kathryn Parsons, who are Artists in Residence with Langdyke Countryside Trust.
For more than three years, Sarah and Kathryn have been using natural dyeing and eco-printing to record seasonal changes on Langdyke's nature reserves. Join them for a gentle, fun and explorative day learning simple eco-printing techniques to transfer colour from plants on to paper!
Using foraged leaves and wildflowers you'll make your own eco-printed mini zig-zag books, and a collection of single sheets too.
The workshop will start at Swaddywell Nature Reserve, near Helpston, Cambridgeshire. We’ll go for a gentle walk to forage for leaves and flowers, led by Sarah who is a botanist and ecologist. If mobility is an issue you can choose to miss out this part of the workshop. We’ll then meet up again at the cabin on Torpel Manor Field Nature Reserve, about 3 miles away, for the rest of the workshop.
The results are guaranteed to be unpredictable!… and that can be very beautiful. Not every colour created will last a long time, and not even every type of plant will give colour. So it will be a treasure-hunt for colours and a great way to explore nature, with a small group of like-minded others. If you're looking for a technical workshop with guaranteed results, this one is not for you!
This workshop is aimed at adults. If you are considering bringing a child please get in touch so we can discuss whether it would be suitable for them.
We’ll also show you how to add subtle layers of extra colour to eco-prints using water-colour pencils.
And there will be a break for lunch and in the afternoon.
Please bring:
- waterproof gloves (the thin type are good)
- tweezers
- a bag or box to take your damp eco-prints home
- clothing and shoes suitable for walking round the nature reserve where there is uneven, possibly muddy ground. Long trousers are best.
- a camera to record your experiments
- your packed lunch, drinks and snacks (tea and coffee available)
- optional: papers (avoid ones that leach colour or fall apart when wet!)
- optional: water-colour pencils, watercolours or other pencils
About the artists...
Kathryn Parsons is an artist, and has been Artist in Residence with Langdyke Countryside Trust since 2019. Through her work she uncovers and shares little know stories of place and nature. She is also a qualified teacher and loves leading creative gatherings that help others connect more deeply with their own creativity and with nature. www.kathrynparsons.co.uk
Sarah Lambert is a botanist, ecologist and photographer, and joined Kathryn as a Langdyke Artist in Residence in 2021. Sarah regularly leads wildlife holidays, events and workshops. She delights in sharing her knowledge with others and helping them get to know plants and wildlife.
Please note: the ticket fee will go to the artists to contribute towards running this workshop.
Frequently asked questions
Swaddywell is near the historic village of Helpston, in Cambridgeshire, UK. It's between Stamford and Peterborough. The nearest postcode is PE6 7EL. We will start at Swaddywell then travel to Torpel Nature Reserve where there is a cabin we can work in. You'll be sent a map nearer the time.
The Delaine Buses route between Bourne / Stamford / Peterborough go through Helpston. It's about 3 miles from Helpston to Swaddywell Nature Reserve. If you can get to Swaddywell we can arrange a lift to Torpel. Please check the bus timetable carefully, and let us know you'll need a lift.
It'll be a very slow, gentle walk for about an hour. The ground is uneven, grassy and sometimes muddy. There are slopes and gravel / stony areas. If that is not possible for you, you may miss out the walk and meet us at Torpel Nature Reserve where the eco-printing will happen (near Helpston).
There is a composting toilet, and a small kitchen area where we can boil a kettle and wash our hands.
It depends on the sheep! Yes, really! Hopefully we'll be able to park onsite, close to the cabin. Otherwise we'll park on West Street in Helpston and there will be a 5-10 minute walk along the pavement and across the reserve to get to the cabin (I'll send a map nearer the time).
If you have any questions please contact Kathryn on kparsonsart@btinternet.com
Shoes suitable for walking in a possibly muddy nature reserve where there are sheep. Clothes suitable for the weather. Long trousers are advised for walking on the reserve. There isn't any heating in the cabin.