BOTANICAL PRINT ON PAPER

TUTORIAL 2020
Created by: Verónica Cares Gallardo,
Alquimia de Color.
Translated to English by: Katy Light,
(www.editsbykaty.com)

and members of Botanical Printing FB Group

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Contents

I. INTRODUCTION. - MY PERSONAL JOURNEY ....................................................................... 2

The tumor ... ................................................................................................................................ 2
II. WHAT IS BOTANICAL PRINTING ............................................................................................. 5
III. BEFORE STARTING, WHAT WILL YOU NEED? .................................................................... 6
Necessary equipment. ............................................................................................................. 6
Materials ...................................................................................................................................... 8
What can we print? .................................................................................................................. 9
C) Other plant products ..................................................................................................... 11
IV Start of the process ................................................................................................................ 13
Disposal of chemical solutions and water used to boil our pile. ..................................... 17
III. LICENSE ............................................................................................................................... 18
For any questions about licensing issues please contact ................................................ 18
VII. Final thoughts ........................................................................................................................ 19
Thanks............................................................................................................................................ 19
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My return to
I. INTRODUCTION. - MY PERSONAL JOURNEY printing on
paper. November
14, 2020
I am 53 years old, and I live in Talcahuano, a port city
in the south of Chile.

I learned about botanical printing a bit by chance, in

September 2018, almost as if by coincidence. But the truth
is, that now I am sure there was a predestination of life and
passion marked. From the moment I came across a
YouTube tutorial called ‘Boiled Books’, which led to an
early first attempt on paper, with successful results, I was
motivated to continue experimenting more and more.

The first tutorial I bought, in English, was that of the

North American Cassandra Tondro, who
not only gave me the first concepts, but
also gave me the keys to the kingdom, by
citing the Facebook ‘Printing With
Botanicals’ group in her bibliographic
references. In this group I found not only information and learning, but also a lot of
friendship and companionship. For the first time in my life I felt part of a wonderful
community of knowledge and caring.

During the following year and a half, I dedicated myself to studying,

experimenting and learning in a self-taught way, puzzled by the little information on
the subject in Spanish. Almost from the beginning, my dream was to make a book, a
clear and beautiful tutorial, but I knew that I had to study and experiment a lot to
achieve that. During the process, I was living with great joy, and enjoying my
achievements and learning, from the deepest part of my being.

Hydrangea leaves Black walnut leaves

modified with copper. modified with iron sulfate
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The tumor ...

In April 2020, after a beautiful summer dyeing and echoing non-stop printing fabrics
and clothes, and selling my products at very good prices, my body began to give
alerts: loss of short-term memory, and problems with coordination and balance. This
led me to receive a diagnosis at the end of May of a brain tumor, a Glioblastoma
Multiforme grade IV, classified as one of the most deadly and aggressive brain
cancers.

On June 1, I was admitted to undergo surgery. From the first moment, I began to work
in my mind on the tumor, based on my little knowledge of biodecoding and
transgenerational therapy, and above all, I entrusted my process to two wonderful
spirits:

1) My guide and sweet company Panduranga, deity of India, who accompanied

my evenings of botanical printing through the beautiful praise music of Kirtan
Sessions1 and, who on more than one occasion, before my invocation, guided
my steps to find some species vegetables that I was looking for my prints;

2) The beloved Mother Earth, Gaia, who contained me through the warm memory
of my experiences in nature, and through the love received from many parts of
the world from my botanical sisters from the FB groups, with whom I have built
sweet friendships. When I was hospitalized, I wore the
patchwork that can be seen in the photograph, and I
feel that it functioned as a receiving antenna for love
and light, because I felt so protected, so loved, so safe,
and that everything would turn out fine. (Picture of
06/09/2020)

The operation took not only a large part of the tumor,

but also part of my brain, specifically the right temporal
lobe, and against all dire prognoses, I came back to life
Patchwork of fabrics from
with all my motor and cognitive functions. This has my self-learning processes
allowed me today, on November 14, 2020, to re-print
and confirm that when you work in an alliance of love and respect with Mother
Earth, she will protect you with infinite love.

1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiSku_4_5rA
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Retribution

Today, I am offering this tutorial in honor of Mother Nature and her example of
generosity. I only ask you in return, to never stop caring for and protecting Pacha
Mama2, Ñuke Mapu, Mother Earth, or whatever you want to call her. Official science
says that my life expectancy is likely to be short and does not go beyond 14 months.
Well, I am not alone in this journey, Mother Earth is with me, and so as long as there is
life and energy, you will see me among my fabrics, leaves and natural dyes, playing
and creating with the offerings of Mother Earth.

I know that these times have been difficult for everyone, and in many
households the economy has been a problem due to the pandemic. That is the main
reason why I decided to offer it for free; I don't want someone who really wants to
learn to be unable to do so due to lack of money.

But, if you feel that this material has helped you, and if you value my work, but
only if you want and can, I will infinitely appreciate any monetary contribution you
can make me through https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/alquimiadecolor

I hope you enjoy this science-art as I do, and it helps you to give your life color and joy.

(1) Maqui leaves treated with copper sulfate (2) black walnut leaf on walnut leaf, both modified with
iron sulfate. (3) Maple leaves, the upper one unmodified, the lower one with iron sulfate.

2
They are the names given to mother earth by the original peoples of the north and south of my country
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II. WHAT IS BOTANICAL PRINTING

Botanical printing, also called in some circles ecoprint or botanical print, was
developed, researched and promoted in our era by the Australian India Flint, in the
mid-90s. India Flint had investigated and applied some staining techniques with
natural dyes and tells on her website that she discovered, a little by chance, this
technique when she observed how in the nest of a broody hen, when eucalyptus
leaves came into contact with humidity and heat, the
Results of my return to botanical
leaves transferred their colorful shapes to the eggs. printing after a 7 month break
due to the tumor.
This piqued her curiosity, and she decided to try
fabric. Rolling up a piece of silk with leaves and boiling it,
she discovered in wonder how the leaves marked their
shapes on the fabric. Later, she developed a complete
series of experiments, focused on eucalyptus pigments,
which she documented and was reflected in her master's
thesis. She was the first to share this knowledge.

Since then, various trends have emerged in different

parts of the world, whose base is botanical printing. It has
been be done on paper, leather and fabrics of natural
origin such as silk, wool, cotton, among others.

Worldwide, this art-science has developed more in some places than in others. It
is something relatively new and, unfortunately for Spanish-speaking countries, there is
very little information in Spanish.

I invite you to learn, experiment and marvel at this wonderful technique, but not
before warning you that you could be about to change your life forever, and fall prey
to an unexpected addiction.

Differents results on paper

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III. BEFORE STARTING, WHAT WILL YOU NEED?

Botanical printing consists of the transfer of pigments from plant material, mainly
leaves, but eventually flowers, fruits or barks, to a surface of natural origin such as
fabric, leather or paper. This transfer is carried out through a process of moist heat and
the support of some chemical substances that allow the binding of the pigments to
the fiber.
Botanical printing is much more than a handicraft, or even art; for me it is the
artistic consequence of biochemical processes and their multiple variables. Since it is a
relatively new practice, not all has been learned yet and through experimentation,
you can discover combinations that give unexpected results.

That is why I recommend you keep a work log, recording the type of paper
used, the process of the sheets, boiling time, etc.; in summary, record all the variables
that influence the process, so that you can repeat it when you like the result.

There are two ways to carry out botanical printing on paper: steam and
immersion. Personally, I have only worked on the immersion method, which we will
address in this tutorial.

There are also two ways to prepare the paper: one is to roll it into a
tube or other cylindrical surface, the other is to press it between
two hard supports (wood, tiles or others).

From my experience I prefer the second method, my attempts

with winding have caused a lot of damage to the paper, but this
does not mean that you could not be successful if you tried.

Necessary equipment.
This is the basic equipment and materials you will need to develop the botanical print:

a) A large pot, or any container that can be filled with water and brought to a boil.
Ideally it should be made of stainless steel, glazed or aluminum. Copper or iron can
also be used, but these can affect the result. How?

Copper : gives more intensity to the greens and brightens the colors.

Iron: ‘saddens’ the colors, darkens them, and transforms yellow and orange tones to
greenish tones.
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It is important that the pot you have to work with is for exclusive use, and is not used
again for the preparation of food, as there is still not much research that tells us
whether the residues that will remain in the pot are harmful to health.

b) Tongs that allow you to move the items in the water.

c) Heat resistant gloves to handle the bundles when they are removed from the pot.

d) Latex or well-fitting waterproof gloves for the entire process. It is important to

protect your hands from chemicals and also from plant material, because sometimes
there are resins or small thorns that can cause allergic reactions on the skin or dry it
out.

Outdoor kitchen, electric hot plate or safe fire for the cooking
process. This is important, because we do not know for sure if the
vapors produced could be harmful to our health. We have
health data sheets on individual materials, but combinations of
vapors could do irreparable damage to lung tissues.
a) Some rigid support to press the papers. Basically we will
make a ‘sandwich’ with papers and plant material. The
‘bread’ will be the rigid support. This should be the same size as the papers, or
slightly larger. You should keep in mind that it must also
fit inside your pot. For this you can use tiles or ceramic,
pieces of wood, or hard cardboard. The downside to
cardboard is that you can't reuse it, but sometimes you
can get good prints on it, and then put it to fun use.

When you immerse yourself in this world, you start to go

through life with your eyes wide open, observing what
can serve you. For example, in the photograph I show you the metal base that I
use for my processes, and this I found (un)fortunately on the hill of my
neighborhood. Unfortunate, because it is a pity that garbage is thrown in the
middle of nature, and fortunate because it is one of my little printing treasures.

b) Rope or elastic: To tie the bundles firmly, a firm rope or cord is required. It can be
hemp, cotton or synthetic thread. If you use sisal, you should consider that if it
has color, it is likely to fade and stain your papers, or give them an unexpected
color. I personally like to use elastics better. I use them over and over and feel
like they apply more pressure.
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Materials

a) Papers:

Different types of papers. One of my favorites is watercolor paper, which is used

to paint with watercolor, but for your initial tests you can use cheaper papers.
Normal printer paper has the disadvantage of being very thin and it is very
common that it breaks when removing the vegetable material. However there are
thicker versions of bond paper, of greater weight, cardboard, opaline, or craft
paper. Cartons, such as cereal boxes, and packaging in general can also be used
for testing, even sheets of discarded books.
Ideally, you should be encouraged to explore the materials that you have
available and that your imagination.

b) Modifiers

Here I want to stop a bit. First of all, I think it is necessary to mention that some
people use absolutely nothing on the sheets or paper, only water. In my
experience, although it is possible to obtain impressions in some plant species,
these do not have the same intensity as when using modifiers. However, I
encourage you to test and document your results.
Another factor is the hardness of the water; we can repeat the same process
here in one city, in another or in the country with well water, and it is very likely that
we will obtain different results.
The pigment that a leaf offers not only varies from one species to another, but
also depends on the time of year, time of day, and soil. Maybe I just had bad luck
trying without modifiers, so my choice is to go to the safe route, and use modifiers.

These are some things that you can easily obtain and that contribute to the
process, later we will see their impact on the results:

- White vinegar
- Potassium aluminum sulfate, better known as alum or alum stone.
- Iron sulfate
- Iron acetate, which is obtained by soaking rusty objects, such as nails, in a
jar for at least two weeks in a mixture of 50% water and 50% white vinegar.
In botanical print circles this solution is also called ‘iron liquor’.
- Copper sulphate
 9

- Copper acetate, obtained by soaking pieces of copper (remains of wires

or pipes) in the same 50/50 water / vinegar solution.

c) Leaves of different plants and other plant materials, but to go into detail we
will go to the next point

Ashen eucalyptus leaves on 90 g. bond paper.

What can we print?

a) First of all, leaves of all kinds of plants and trees. Not all leaves work, some give
very intense colors, others are very faint, and there are also those that leave
almost no trace.

Eucalyptus and maqui3 are good leaves to start with, and also have the
advantage of both being perennial species, which are easy to get in some
regions throughout the year. If you have access to them you can collect and
save them. We will go over the ways to do this, but I need to say that large
amounts of leaves are not required, so we must be moderate when collecting.
Here is a list of the plants that have given me good results on paper.

3
Artistotelia Chilensis, endemic species of southern Chile.
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LEAVES WITH GOOD PROVEN RESULTS

 Roses  Maple  Platanus Orientalis

 Blackberry  Japan maple  Retamillo6
 Raspberry  Roble  Walnut
 Cardinal4  Plum blossom  Black walnut
 Hydrangea  Catalpa  Aromo7
 Tulip tree5  Birch  Liquid amber
Surely there are many more, so test, test and test. That is the magic of this science-art;
the possibilities are almost endless.

Below are just a few examples:

Black walnut on a hydrangea leaf, modified Eucalyptus without modifier

with iron sulfate
1

Walnut leaf on copper soaked onion skins 1. Maple, 2. Tulipero, 3. Oak,

Soaked in iron sulfate
4
Pelargonium hortorum1
5
Liriodendron tulipifera
6
Genista Tictorea
7
Acacia Melanoxylon.
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b) Flowers: Most of the flowers leave traces, especially those with orange tones,
such as marigolds. The colors of the flower prints are not necessarily similar to the
flower, for example, getting a red color is very
difficult.

Some herb flowers, misnamed weeds, that appear in

spring also make beautiful impressions.

It is not necessary to use fresh flowers, the wilted flowers

that we have already been enjoyed in a vase for a while
can be good material. Even better is if you have a friendly
local flower shop and you offer to recycle the ones they
discard, as they are a wonderful source.

Especially when you are in the process of getting to know and discovering new plants, flowers, herbs
and different leaves, it helps a lot to photograph before and after boiling.
In this photograph you can see a sprig of rosemary (above), a rose petal, and an herb from my
garden (I don't like to use the word weed) that I have not yet discovered the name of. If you look it
gave beautiful orange trees, unlike the calendula below.

C) Other plant products

We can get wonderful orange tones from onion peels, and intense yellows from
turmeric, either by putting thin slices of its root in our piles, or by sprinkling turmeric
powder.

The beet, in thin slices or by adding just the skin, can also provide color.

In general, any vegetable that leaves traces of color on your hands when cooked
can be a potential source of color for your papers.
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III. COLLECTION AND CONSERVATION OF THE

LEAVES.
We already mentioned earlier, with regard to
flowers, that they can be used fresh or wilted.

Regarding the leaves, these can be fresh or dry.

When I talk about dry, I mean leaves that you have collected and put to dry between
papers. Freshly fallen autumn leaves do the trick, but those that are already
completely yellow or brown are unlikely to give any color. However, I think it is
necessary to mention that it is not good to be enchanted by the wonderful autumn
colors of the fallen leaves. Fallen leaf reds and oranges are highly unlikely to provide
those colors, but still I encourage you to try. That's what botanical printing is all about:
test, test and test.

If you are going to cut them directly from the plant, shrub or tree, try to cause as
little damage as possible to it and always ask permission and thank the plant from
which you are taking a bit of itself. If you work in love, I assure you that your results will
be very special.

Be attentive to when they are pruning in the parks or in your neighborhood.

Sometimes we are faced with the opportunity to collect many leaves, simply during a
trip to the countryside, or a visit to a park. I insist that we must not lose perspective that
the process does not use large amounts of leaves, but if you collected a lot and need
to store them, there are two ways that I have tried and which have given me good
results.

 The first is to submerge the leaves in a bucket or pot with enough water to cover
them. As they tend to float, you must put some weight on them and cover the
bucket. It should not be sealed, because it must be able to circulate air. I have
used maqui and eucalyptus leaves that have been submerged for a couple of
months, with excellent results. I learned this method from the Australian Louise
Upshall, from whom I bought the first botanical printing tutorial on fabric and for
whom, a year later, I had the honor of making the final revision of the Spanish
version. If you want to start printing on fabric from the simplest method, I
recommend this tutorial.
 13

 Plum leaves in blossom (Prunus cerasifera var.

Pissardi,) being kept soaked.

• The second way of preservation is to stack them by putting newspapers or

other porous paper between them, and loading them with a book or other
weight. You can also use this system with flowers, to minimize the risk of the
paper tearing. The difference is that the flowers last less time, only a few days,
and the leaves can be kept for months.

IV Start of the process

a) If you are going to work with leaves that you have dried,
you should immerse them for about 15 minutes in slightly
warm water.

b) Then prepare the paper, cutting it to the size to be worked. This can be done
with scissors, guillotine or by tearing, to give it a more rustic edge.

c) Dissolve a teaspoon of alum in hot water, and then pour it into the container
that holds the papers, with enough water to soak them. (The water may be
slightly warm)

d) Put the sheets of paper, one by one, into this

solution, and make sure that all of them are fully
wetted and immersed. Let them soak for at least 5
minutes.
 14

d) Alternatively, prepare the leaves, flowers or other plant material, and soak
briefly, for just a few moments, in one of the following solutions. You can
combine the sheets with the different solutions in the same pile, but at the
beginning I recommend not doing it, so that you can clearly observe the results
and their differences.

Solution Results
Colors will react
 200cc of white vinegar with 200cc of water according to each
plant.

 Iron water (Iron Acetate) a ‘trickle’ diluted in

about 400cc of water.
 Iron sulfate a pinch of iron sulfate diluted in
400cc of water and ½ cup of white vinegar.
Colors will tend to be
You can also omit the vinegar, and compare
darker.
the differences in results when using iron sulfate
alone, or with vinegar. If you want more intense
and darker results, you can try a little more iron
sulfate.

Copper water (copper acetate) or a pinch of Colors will tend to

copper sulfate diluted in 400cc of water and more green and bluish
100cc of white vinegar. tones.

Now you must take the first solid base, be it a

tile, thick cardboard, wood or whatever you
have chosen. Take your first sheet of paper that
you soaked in alum, and shake it off, or remove
excess water with a cloth that you keep for this
purpose, then put it onto your base.
 15

a) Remove excess liquid from flowers and leaves with a cloth, then arrange them
on the first layer of paper. The leaves and flowers should go with the back to the
paper. Some species print on both sides, but the vast majority print only or much
better only on the underside.
b) Some botanical species give so much color that it
carries over to the next layer, creating an effect
called ‘ghost’. Whether you isolate the layers or let
the color pass through is your personal choice. For
example, if you work with watercolor paper, you can
cover this sheet with another paper and then start
the next layer, or you can use some more insulating
material. Alternatively, you can let yourself be
surprised and let the color through. Through
experimentation, and discovery of your personal taste, you will find which is the
best system for you.
c) Repeat the process layer by layer. You can stack up to about 20 or 25 papers.
To finish, cover with the other solid layer, and securely tie the pile with thick string
or elastic cord.

b) If you want to give a special touch of color, you can add color to the water
in which you will boil your pile, such as a couple of handfuls of onion peel,
turmeric or some natural dye that you have prepared in advance.
This color penetrates the papers through the edges and, depending on how tight the
stack is, it moves towards the center.

In this image you can see how the onion dye that was in
the water penetrated in different ways. At the top the
paper was torn by hand, which made it more porous, and
marked a more defined edge.
 16

b) Boil this pile for between an hour and an hour and a half.
If you haven't used tiles or other heavy support, you
should put a weight on the pile to keep it underwater.
Also make sure it has enough water so it won't dry out
during the process and be well covered.

c) After this time, remove your stacks from the water with
the help of heat gloves or tongs and let them cool
enough so that you can handle them without risk of
burning yourself. If you really want to see the results now,
you can cool the pile a little under running cold water.
You can also wait for it to cool down.

d) Remove the plant material. If some petals or leaves have adhered a little you
can run a gentle stream of water on the paper to help remove them.

e) Now you just have to wait for them to dry - and that's it!

You can frame

them, make
collages, craft
binding covers,
cards, or whatever
your imagination
guides you to do.
 17

IV. Important considerations when finishing the process

Check if you made enough annotations in your notebook, and if not, write down
what you remember. It will help you to have your notes to improve your results.

We should always try to cause the least possible impact on nature, so please read
the following points carefully before starting.

Disposal of chemical solutions and water used to boil our pile.

The most mindful and frugal way to handle this is to reuse your solutions several
times. If you keep your mordant and modifier water as clean as possible, you
can add 50% more of your original solutions and keep reusing it. You will see
when it's exhausted and has had enough. It will have a dirty tinge or even a bit
of mold from the bacteria on our hands/gloves.

 Never, but never ever, pour residual chemical solutions into the sewer. Iron
sulfate, for example, encourages the excessive proliferation of algae in the
sea, causing alterations to the balance of marine ecosystems. On the other
hand, poured diluted into the garden, it is a good fertilizer for plants. In fact, a
good place to buy iron sulfate is in stores that sell garden supplies.
 The leaves that you have already taken to stamp, you can add to the
compost pile.
 Avoid the use of plastic as much as possible. If you need to use it, please use
recycled plastic, or repurpose. When you dispose of it, use it for eco-bricks for
example, or another way that causes the least possible impact to the
environment.
 You can dilute the water that you have used to boil your papers a little and
pour it little by little in the garden.
Let's meet again

I invite you to meet and follow my work on social media.

FB https://www.facebook.com/alquimiadecolor
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alquimiadecolor/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.de/cares0524/_created/
 18

V. LICENSE

If you want to share this tutorial, you are free to do so, but please read the following carefully.

This tutorial has been developed by Verónica Cares Gallardo, its distribution is under a
Creative Commons license.

You are free to:

o Share, copy and redistribute the entire material, in any medium or format.

o Adapt, remix, transform and build from the material.

This can be done under the following terms:

Attibution — You must give proper credit, provide a link to the license, clearly and
prominently indicate next to your name the name of Verónica Cares or Alquimia de
Color as the creator of the original material, and indicate if any changes have been
made. You may do so in any reasonable way, but not in a way that suggests that you
or your use is endorsed by the licensor.

Non Commercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.

Share Alike - If you remix, transform, or create from the material, you must distribute your
contribution under the same license as the original. (that is, you cannot charge for the
material generated from this tutorial)

For any questions about licensing issues please contact

[email protected]
 19

VII. Final thoughts

I hope this material is only the beginning of this path of creation.

Some places where you can find information and inspiration on the web are:

 Search in Google with the keywords ecoprint, ecoprint on paper, or botanical

print, in addition to their homonyms in other languages.

On Facebook you can request to join the Botanical Print Group, Printing with
Botanicals, Eco print learn and share, or other similar groups.

And of course, do not hesitate to contact me through Facebook or Instagram

‘Alquimia de Color’ or email [email protected]. I would love to see your
results.

I remind you that if you want to make a monetary return, all contributions are
welcome at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/alquimiadecolor but if you can't
or don't want to, don't feel obligated. There are many ways to give back to life the
gifts we receive. Try to give your own gift of light, love and color, which is what
botanical printing and nature all teach us.

Thanks
Learning botanical printing has been a journey full of challenges and great gifts. I
invested in tutorials and a few books, but I never had the opportunity to attend a
workshop, mainly because the teachers I admire are all from far away places.
However, I want to thank some special people who filled me with light along the way.

 To Barb di Pietri, who does not know me, but her website
https://www.madebybarb.com/ provides valuable information free of charge that
was an inspiration to start eco-printing on fabrics.
 To Marti Gebert, (USA), who I met in the group Printing with Botanicals. We started
emailing each other, and he always gave me wise advice, and sent me a couple
of wonderful gifts that I treasure in my heart. Thanks Marti.
 To Soo Town, Creator sun from Greece that illuminates the networks with his
creations and photographs of nature in which he shares his wonderful gaze. An
endearing sister who comforted my heart in moments of great sadness.
 20

 To Linda Illumanardi (USA), talented artist and generous human being, who has
lovingly shared invaluable botanical printing knowledge. Sweet friend, whom I also
met in the botanical print FB groups.
 To Maria Clarke-Wilson (UK), who invited me to participate in his wonderful project
‘How Far does the Hand Reach’ global botanical collaboration, in which Maria
created a patchwork with pieces of silk botanically printed by women from
different parts of the world. For me it is an incredible dream to see a piece eco-
printed by me together with the works of so many wonderful creators around the
world, less than a year after having begun to learn this wonderful science-art in a
self-taught way.
 To Mariana Gordillo (Argentina), who I had the joy of meeting through Maria's
project. It was wonderful for me to find someone who spoke Spanish with whom to
start talking about botanical printing in my own language. We still haven't
managed to give each other the mountain-knocking hug we want, but it will be
soon. We are already more than friends, we are sisters too.
 To Blanca García (México). We also met in a FB group and then I accepted an
invitation to start projecting a community somewhere in America, where you could
live in harmony with other human beings and nature. The pandemic came, then
my tumor, and I was left with a pending promise to show her some things about
botanical printing on fabric. In this time of illness, Blanca has been there, physically
distant and unknown, but very close to me in a community of spirit, science and
soul, supporting my return to life.
 To Verónica Moraga, Chilean resident in Europe, also generous in advice and
support to advance botanical printing. Always close in my heart.
 To each and every one of the people who crossed my botanical path through their
tutorials, books or other paid and free teaching aids. Thanks to them I was able to
build my learning step by step.
 To each and every one of the people who share their botanical print creations on
social networks or other virtual spaces every day, who fill my life with so much
beauty and inspiration.

• To Mother Nature for not stopping teaching me every day by her example.
Reminding me that life has cycles, and that inevitably after each winter, spring returns.
She reminds me that she does not discriminate to whom her tree provides shade, that
she does not deny water, nor does she deny any of her creations to absolutely any
creature.
 21

That is why today I am giving you this tutorial, because Mother Earth has given me so
much throughout my life, and through botanical printing she has given me infinite gifts.
How could I not share that infinite wealth. Thank you for reading these words.

Verónica Alquimista
Alquimia de Color
For future references, translations, contributions and to differentiate this
document from the next improved versions, we will individualize it as:

Botanical print tutorial on paper. Version 1.0. English. Translated from Tutorial de impresión botánica en
papel. Versión 1.0. Español. Launched to life on 02-12-2020, from southern Chile.