Mono prints:

As a way to use the leaves and flowers that I collected from the I decided to make mono prints with them. I created a series of prints using black and brown ink to create a nice contrast within the images and allows the shapes of the of the leaves to be clear and defined. 

This print is my favourite out of all of them, I love the way each leaf holds a different level of black ink, some being really dark and bold and some being lighter and more patchy allowing the white tones of the paper to come through. And I believe that this creates a feeling of authenticity within the image, as if someone has created this to document their own study of plants. I think that the selection of the leaves on this print really compliment each other, the provide a contrast of sharp and smooth lines, and I think that the overall composition of the print is appealing. The leaves are not in a uniform line, they touch and overlap and I believe that this invokes a relaxed and easy going feeling within the piece. I think that this feeling allows the viewer to be able to connect with the piece as it doesn't present itself as a pretentious or overly serious work, it's fun and in some ways silly with leaves bending in the wrong angles and stalks twisting round on themselves creating an aspect of humour for the viewer to enjoy. 

This is my another image that I really enjoy, the background is more of a muted and patchy black which then allows the dark brown to really stand out as a clear subject of the piece. I think that the most interesting aspect of this print is the imprints of another set of leaves that had been used in a previous print. They seem to hide behind the brown leaves, shyly peaking out at random points but can never fully be seen. I believe that this adds an aspect of mystery to the print, these imprints seem older as if something has been taken away from the work and hidden. I believe that this also invokes a feeling of curiosity throughout the piece and within the the viewer themselves as they are left to try and figure out the mystery of what could have been there before. 

I believe that these two prints are simple but effective, one being a brown background with black leaves and the other a white background with black leaves. I think that the white background allows the black ink of the leaves to clearly stand out, creating a clear and bold image and focal point. The three leaves that have been used are all different shapes with different length stalks and I believe that these differences allow the each section of the print to be new and interesting for the viewer. When looking at the black leaves on the brown ink I believe that the patchy, almost translucent black ink creates an interesting effect where the ink seems to fade out gradually across the leaf. I also think that the composition of these prints is pleasing as each leaf is laid out neatly next to each other, creating a senseof order that contrasts the two previous prints. 

The last two prints are black ink on a black background. Although at first I didn't think that it would work I believe that I have create two very interesting and unconventional prints. instead of having a clear subject and focal point the leaves seem to melt and blend into the paper creating these ghostly phantom leaves. The leaves can still be seen but the composition of each print is more chaotic than the others. Especially in the last image and I believe that this creates a feeling of disorder and disorientation, making the print feel frantic and panicked.