MORRISVILLE – Courses on botanical blockprinting with Sara Reigler will be offered at River Arts beginning Wednesday, May 17, at 6 p.m. Classes will continue every Wednesday through June 21.
Participants will explore two distinct crafts: bioregional botanical dyeing and block printing, and learn the basics of natural dyeing, including mordanting (preparing fibers), foraging for color, and extracting color. The course will work with plant-based fibers (cotton, linen) and seasonally-abundant plants. Together the class will work with one to three collectively-chosen plants to produce dye. Then, the class will explore the basics of block printing, including image preparation and transfer, carving techniques, and hand-printing techniques. Students may choose to create singular images for printing on both fabric and paper or explore surface design, using simple block prints to create patterns on dyed fabric. Each student will produce a set of napkins or tea towels, with room to bring in additional fabrics for printing during the last class.
Sara Reigler is an artist and plant lover dedicated to individual and collective healing, currently based in Abenaki homelands in northern Vermont. Her work with the land and her creative process is based in reciprocal relationship, mutual aid, and loving attention to both wounds and their salves. As an artist, she works primarily in illustration and printmaking.
River Arts is located at 74 Pleasant St. For more information, see riverartsvt.org
