Botanical Printing on Fabric with Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw
We are thrilled to have Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw return to lead another inspiring weekend focused on printing with natural elements, this time concentrating on fabric. Botanical Printing is an eco-friendly method that utilizes plants as a natural source of pigment. By applying heat and moisture, the colors are transferred onto fabric, resulting in one-of-a-kind patterns. Based in Glasgow, Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw is a renowned and innovative Botanical Printer. Her stunning creations can be viewed on her Instagram profile. She is also the originator of #thetruecolourofthecotinus, a technique that prints Cotinus leaves onto fabric to produce striking blue designs.
During this weekend workshop, Elisabeth will teach her unique Botanical Printing techniques and provide valuable insights, enabling participants to create prints on both cellulose and silk fabrics for art project samples. While we won’t be working on large-scale prints, Elisabeth will offer guidance on scaling up your projects and provide an opportunity to upcycle a small personal clothing item, such as a t-shirt or scarf, using an immersion pot. Over the two days, you’ll gather plants, learn how to choose and prepare fabrics and dyes, print, neutralize, and finalize your work. On Sunday afternoon, you’ll transform some of your completed prints using both immersion and steaming techniques.
Elisabeth will also impart foundational knowledge about dyes and mordants to help you advance this craft, along with a handy set of instructions to refer to later. As this workshop is scheduled during the ideal season, you’ll have the chance to use Cotinus leaves for stunning blue prints and discuss the science behind this color, provided the leaves are available. This workshop is ideal for print enthusiasts, textile aficionados, and beginners alike. Those who joined us for last June’s session will have the opportunity to build on their existing skills.
All materials for up to 6 samples are provided, but please bring a small clothing item for upcycling and some fabric scraps to experiment with. If you have specific leaves you’d like to test, feel free to bring those as well. Additionally, if you own a tree or flower identification guide or have a relevant app on your phone, bring it along. We can’t wait to print with you!
ABOUT THE ARTIST: Initially trained in stencil conservation in Glasgow through Christies and the University of Glasgow, Elisabeth contributed to the Mackintosh Heritage before returning to her true passion—natural hues. For more than a decade, she has dedicated herself to natural dyes, cultivating, utilizing, and
