Back in Volume 15 of the magazine, we featured a studio tour with artist Rosanna Morris. Rosanna’s work is beautiful, distinctive and sensitive, focussing on our connection to the natural world, highlighting its importance and its beauty.
I always love following the work and journey of those we’ve featured previously, so I was thrilled to hear that Rosanna has penned her first book – Botanical Block Printing – sharing her experience and knowledge of her craft, allowing readers the chance to have a go at creating art inspired by nature. 
The book is described as a ‘handbook’, a practical guide for anyone keen to explore a new craft or develop existing skills in printmaking. While some might feel overwhelmed by the tools and processes involved in printmaking, Rosanna believes it doesn’t have to be complicated, so her approach begins with simplicity, then builds up to more advanced techniques as your skills improve. 
Rosanna begins by explaining the tools and materials that can be used to create your own prints, before describing how to get started creating basic blocks and printing, as well as how to take care of your tools. There are a number of step-by-step projects throughout the book that you can follow, plus guidance for gathering botanical inspiration and how to design your prints, from simple pencil drawings to collage.
I like how Rosanna has featured a number of other printmakers throughout the book, demonstrating a sense of community amongst her and her fellow artists, lifting others up, and showing how other artists create in the same medium.
There is a section on printing on fabric, which feels really appealing, with guides to making your own table runner and napkins. She then moves on to more advanced techniques such as multiblock colour printing and she covers how to make your own inks from the earth, truly cementing that connection to nature that she applies through her work.
With beautiful imagery by Eva Németh throughout, this book is a visual joy, and Rosanna’s clear knowledge and passion for her craft shines out of the pages. You are sure to feel inspired to give printmaking a try, and the book allows ample opportunity to learn and develop over time.
Botanical Block Printing A creative step-by-step handbook to make art inspired by nature by Rosanna Morris, published by Pavilion Books publishes on 25th April 2024. Order your copy. Photography by Eva Németh.Â
