Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
In my career as a journalist, I have experienced many incredible things and have learned a lot of lessons.
When I worked at The Inter-Mountain in Elkins, I would scour the events calendar and meeting notices to find things to take pictures of for the paper.
One of the meetings I attended was of the Emma Scott Garden Club where I learned the art of flower pounding. When I saw it in the paper, I immediately knew I had to attend.
The club welcomed me with open arms, and I joined in making an art piece.
Flower pounding is a way to literally use flowers and plants as an artistic medium. Flowers and plants are arranged onto a piece of watercolor paper or fabric, covered with a piece of wax paper and – this is the fun part – you use a hammer to pound the flowers to extract their color.
I have to say it was one of the most entertaining events I attended, and the art form stuck with me all these years.
Last year, I decided it was time to dust off my flower pounding skills and make some more art.
Armed with flowers from my friend Tammy Hively’s yard, I created several pieces and learned a few tips along the way.
While the Emma Scott Garden Club used fabric, I prefer to use watercolor paper because it is made to soak up liquid and it gives the final product a painterly look.
I made my pictures several hours after I picked the flowers, so they still contained a lot of moisture. When I hammered them, the pigment of the flowers was vivid and stuck to the paper very well.
If you are looking for a more subtle color, I would suggest letting the flowers dry a little longer, but no more than 10 hours. If they are too dry, the color will not transfer.
I experimented with composition and tried to create a butterfly out of the petals for one picture. There are so many examples online of people creating specific shapes out of the petals before they do the hammering.
I personally like just spreading the flower out and keeping its natural shape. I also tried leaving a bud curled up to see what would happen and it basically made a mess. It’s better to unfurl the petals and let them spread their pigment naturally.
Flower pounding is a fun and creative way to keep a memento of the flowers and plants you’ve grown through the years. I’ve seen online where some gardeners keep a journal of their favorite plants, including an imprint of the actual plant.
Plus, let’s face it, it’s therapeutic. Taking a hammer to something can be fun and useful after a stressful day. This way is less destructive and there’s a nice piece of art once you’re done.
If you do decide to use fabric for your flower pounding project, it is best to treat the fabric beforehand to ensure it will take the pigment well.
First wash the fabric in cold water without fabric softeners or detergents. This will remove any dirt that may interfere with the process.
Soak the fabric in a mixture of water and alum powder for a minimum of two hours and up to 24 hours. Alum is a natural mordant that helps bind the pigments to the fabric. The ratio of water to alum powder should be 16:1.
Rinse the fabric thoroughly with cold water to remove any excess alum powder.
Let the fabric air dry or tumble dry on low heat. Do not use fabric softeners or dryer sheets.
Once it is dry, the fabric is ready to be a canvas for your flower pound artwork.
There is no need to pretreat the watercolor paper if you choose that route. It’s ready to go.
After you pick your composition, remember to cover the flowers with wax paper which will act as a buffer between the flowers and hammer. If you want to check the progress of your work, the flowers will lift off the paper and adhere to the wax paper, giving you a sneak peek of how the transfer is going.
Once you are finished, remove the wax paper and flowers to see what you’ve made. There may be pieces of the flowers left on the paper. Those can be easily removed by hand or remain as some added texture to the artwork.
The art piece is completed at this point and ready to be enjoyed.
