My name is Sylvia Dolan – welcome to my website. 

I am a textile artist, living and working in the beautiful town of Malvern in Worcestershire. 

I discovered eco printing when exploring ways to dye fabrics and paper for my work 

Eco-printing is a process that transfers leaves and flowers onto paper or fabric. The plants used, release their natural colours onto the surface through boiling. Other natural plant dyes are sometimes added, for example avocado or onion skins, which can change the colour.  I don’t use any chemical colours, pigments or dyes in my work. Rust and vinegar are used as “mordents” to create a sharper print. 

I collect all my plant materials locally, both from the hills and from my garden. 

The leaves and flowers are carefully arranged then a bundle of paper or fabric is placed in the pot to be boiled! 

The joy, and sometimes the frustration of eco-printing is that it is not possible to predict the outcome of a print – nor is it possible to replicate one.  Each piece is a truly unique piece of art as no two prints can ever be the same. 

Gallery