Nature’s Finishing Touch

Pressed leaves and flowers bring a beautiful touch of nature to pyrography. Each one is unique, adding colour, texture, and a story that only nature can create.

The best time to gather foliage is in spring, before insects and the summer weather begin to leave their mark. I press my leaves as soon as I come indoors, before they have a chance to curl or dry.

Many of the ferns and leaves I use come from our own property overlooking Blue Sea Lake, making each artwork a small reflection of the landscape that inspires me.

Pressing foliage

When I’m ready to press, I make sure my leaves, petals, and stems lie completely flat on the blotting paper. If I’m working with a thick stem, I simply slice it lengthwise so it sits flat. I leave about half an inch of space between each piece and then top it with another sheet of blotting paper. I sandwich each set between pieces of sturdy cardboard—most flower presses can easily handle several layers at once.

Now comes the test of patience! It usually takes about two to three weeks for everything to dry out completely. Once they’re ready, I carefully pick them up with tweezers and store them between sheets of wax or parchment paper. I keep them safely tucked away from moisture and direct sunlight so they don’t fade or get moldy.

One lesson I’ve learned is to complete all of the woodburning before adding my pressed flora.

Applying gesso

To start the mixed-media process, I brush a thin coat of clear gesso over the entire wood surface. I love using a professional clear gesso because it dries to a transparent, matte finish, which keeps my woodburning design fully visible underneath.

A small, soft synthetic brush works perfectly for applying the gesso. With tweezers, I gently position each piece of flora in the wet gesso, and add a tiny bit more gesso right on top of each piece to lock it down. I let everything dry completely for at least 24 hours before I move on to the final finish.

To seal the artwork, I use artist-grade epoxy resin over the gesso and flora. This crystal-clear layer protects both the pyrography marks and delicate plants from fading over time. Read my blog on resin to get the full step-by-step guide on how I apply ArtResin!

Material

• Flower press

• Blotting paper

• Cardboard pieces

• Tweezers

• Clear gesso

• Synthetic soft-hair brush

May your next walk in nature inspire your next piece of art.