Celebrating flora and fauna

A collection of eco-printed and acrylic painted wall hangings created by Poowong artist Kay Read are currently on display on level three of the West Gippsland Arts Centre.
Titled "Off The Beaten Track", Kay's exhibition celebrates our natural environment. Each eco-print was created using natural materials gathered from her garden, then Kay finds a story within the print and brings it to life using her acrylic paints.
"Every piece has been created from the heart, from plants representing life, feathers for the air elementals, to the crystals from our precious earth. All are an expression of nature and the natural world that we live in," Kay said.
Kay started eco-printing about eight years ago after seeing it on an episode of Better Homes and Gardens.
"The interior design and craft presenter showed the eco-printing technique by printing leaves onto napkins and watercolour paper - I was hooked," Kay said.
Eco-printing is a sustainable, natural dyeing technique in which the pigments from leaves and flowers are transferred onto fabric or paper using heat and steam.
Kay's eco-printing process involves soaking the cloth in a soy milk and water solution before laying the natural materials and foliage over the cloth. Then Kay sprays the cloth and materials with a rusty, vinegar solution which helps the organic matter release its natural dyes.
Then she puts the whole bundle into a big pot with water, vinegar and other materials with natural dies like onion skins and bark. After being soaked in the pot or steamed above the mixture, the cloth will take on the natural print of the organic materials.
"Once I do the eco-print, I then seek out a design within the print," Kay said. "It might take a while of me looking at it and thinking, what is nature telling me?""You may look at these and think, how the heck did she see this in all that chaos?"
Beneath each wall hanging in the exhibition is a photo of the eco-print, which shows how each work began.
Kay's exhibition features 11 artworks. Her personal favourite is the peacock piece because of its connection to her family crest in the United Kingdom.
Kay Read's "Off The Beaten Track" exhibition will remain on display on level three of the West Gippsland Arts Centre until Friday August 28. Guests are invited to leave a message in her eco-printed message book.