Plant Planet: Two Views of Nature Printing
by Laura Bethmann and Lisa Madson
On View: October 10 – November 7, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 10, 3-5pm
Laura Bettman in the Siegal Gallery & Lisa Madson in the Lower Level Gallery
Artist statement:
Nature Printing: Natural objects, printed by hand, are direct impressions of life.
The forms, patterns and textures of leaves, flowers, roots, fruits, tree bark, seeds, vegetables, and a host of natural objects produce phenomenally expressive, life-sized artwork. The spontaneity, immediacy, and organic qualities of even the simplest nature print depict true visual characteristics of the natural world.
An Ancient Practice
Leonardo da Vinci described this process on folio 72 verso of his ‘Codice Atlantico’ including a nature printed sage leaf. Benjamin Franklin devised a secret nature printing process when printing colonial currency in Philadelphia. Nature printing is a little-known technique today, but it holds a fascinating and worldwide history. This practice served as art and craft, and as a science for the study and identification of plants. Although it has been traced back thousands of years, its origins have never been discovered.
Two Views: Lisa Madson and Laura Bethmann
Lisa lives and works in northern New Jersey. Laura lives and works in southern New Jersey. The highlands and mountainous regions versus the Pine Barrens and flat, rich farmlands. Both of these regions are catalysts for creative innovation, as these artists make vivid associations with their surroundings and explore a kinship with the natural world.
Two Views: Nature Printing
Lisa presents artworks that portray a moment in time with insight into our connections to the environment. She translates the beauty of nature through a steam dyeing process where the natural pigments and patterns of plants project their images onto paper or canvas. Lisa invites nature’s outdoor elements to play a role in determining the final result, such as floating a printed canvas on the river for pattern, or aging it through the winter in ice and snow. Other media include inks, embroidery, cyanotype, silkscreen and encaustic.
Laura is influenced by the fantastic structures, delicacy, and mystery of botanical life. She has continued to be excited by adventures in the experimental process of nature printing for over 40 years. Her process is direct printing. Botanicals, carefully inked or painted, are printed by hand onto papers, fabrics, and a variety of other surfaces. Her nature printing media include relief ink, watercolor, and acrylic. Laura’s botanically-inspired watercolor paintings include ink nature printing, color pencil and collage.
