Flower Printing
The Set Up
Printmaking has always been one of my favourite things to offer at Smudge because it is full of surprises! You never know if a stamp will be bold and clear or soft and blurred, and that unpredictability is the best part. For flower printing, gather blooms with a bit of structure that can hold their shape when pressed. Daisies are brilliant, and so are chrysanthemums or zinnias. Even geraniums can work well. Pop a few into jars on the table so children can choose their “stamp.” Mix poster paint with a little white so the colours stay bright, then tip it into shallow trays. Paper or fabric squares work equally well for printing.
The Making
Dip a flower into paint and stamp it down. Maybe it leaves a perfect daisy, maybe just a splash of colour, and maybe the petals fall away and make their own marks. Try layering colours before one dries, or stamping in clusters until the page feels alive. Some artists go for neat patterns, others build a wild tangle of overlapping blooms. Both are beautiful, aren't they?
Variations
Print repeat patterns to make wrapping paper, or keep adding to one giant shared mural. Once dry, add details with oil pastels, pens, or more paint.
Materials
Sturdy flowers such as daisies, chrysanthemums, zinnias, or geraniums
Poster paint mixed with white for vibrancy
Shallow trays or plates for paint
Thick paper or fabric squares
Oil pastels or markers for detail (optional)