Botanica Anima

This 3-dimensional art project evolved slowly—through the processes of natural dyeing, ecoprinting, fabric manipulation, and painting. It’s a piece of botanical art with red Madder pigment at its heart.

The Allure of Madder

The red tones in this work come from Madder—a natural pigment I often return to when creating fibreart. With different mordants and combinations of other pigments, Madder shifts its mood entirely.
Here, it leaned toward rust: warm, grounding.
It feels like something ancient, something remembered.

On the handmade paper backing board, I brushed on washes of red Madder pigment. The tones shifted toward rust and clay.
Experimenting with egg whites, and later egg yolks, brought out effects that felt unexpectedly rich—almost like early egg tempera techniques.

The Printed Napkin: Anchoring the Composition

A central element in this botanical art composition is an ecoprinted linen napkin, dyed in plant-based pigments: deep shades of brown and black. After printing, I pleated the fabric and adhered it to mat board to anchor the piece visually and texturally.

Origami Butterflies and Quiet Weight

Then came the origami butterflies—fragile forms that echo both environmental art and the fleeting nature of the species that inspired them. I arranged and rearranged their placement before settling on a composition that brought stillness.

Adding a few small cocoon shapes from white and red handmade paper introduced gentle dimension without taking attention away from the natural dyeing techniques or the Madder pigments at the center of the work.

You can also see a related project of shadow box art here: https://maijazemitis.com/boxed-in/

Letting Botanica Anima Speak

Creating this kind of botanical art with red Madder pigment is always a dialogue. I shift, step back, and adjust. I let the materials show me where they want to go—the plant shapes, the dyed linens, and the quiet forms all begin to speak.

https://www.essentialvermeer.com/palette/palette_madder_lake.html

A Question for You

What emotions do these colors and textures stir in you?
Do you see something of your own world in these fragile wings, and the vivid, grounding red of Madder pigment?

Traces of Time

Each layer holds a trace of time—gathered, altered, reconsidered. I don’t always know where a piece is going when I begin. But somewhere along the way, the materials start to speak— and I try to listen.

The Madder shadow box is now finished! The box is painted white and the arrangement of all the elements is complete. It’s titled Botanica Anima.

It emphasizes life force, the anima within plants, pigment, and creatures. It connects the cocoon, butterfly, and botanical dye into one continuum of spirit. The title invites viewers to consider the work as a meditation on vitality, transformation, and the persistence of natural energy across forms. It feels intimate and deeply alive.