Exotic Botany Collage Sheets
The title of the book from which the botanical illustrations on these free printable collage sheets came cracks me up - Exotic botany illustrated : in thirty-five figures of elegant Chinese and American shrubs and plants, many of them new. Explaining the sexual system; and tending to give some new lights into the vegetable philosophy.
I love how the author describes the plants as elegant and new. I’m sure the plants had existed happily for centuries before the author came along, but since the book was published in 1772, they were likely new to him and the folks back in London, where it was published. I suppose they are quite elegant, too. Now, the bit about “vegetable philosophy” really has me intrigued. I didn’t see any vegetables in the book, and I’ll admit that I didn’t actually read the book, but I picture an asparagus and an artichoke getting into a heated debate about which came first - the seed or the plant.
Looking for more? Make sure you visit my Vintage Botanical Printables Hub for lots of free floral, plant, and mushroom printables.
2.5” x 4.25” Flower Images
Use these collage sheets for art journaling, junk journaling, bullet journaling, collage, artist trading cards (ATCs), scrapbooking and other mixed media artwork and crafts.
1.5” x 2.5” Flower Images
Art Journal Inspiration
Here is a sample art journal page I created using one of the flower images. Those big, purple ruffled flowers on the right are a standout. The way the petals are layered gives them so much depth, and they look great sitting on top of those bold, messy painted papers. It’s a nice way to pull in some intricate detail to contrast with the more abstract parts of the collage. Plus, the deep purples really pop against the bright colors of the background, giving the bottom of the page a solid, grounded feeling.
You can also download the collage sheet with the photo of the woman here: Vintage Photo Printables and the butterfly image here: Colorful Butterfly Ephemera.
“She Didn’t Know she was in Color” Mixed Media Art Journal Page
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