Is a handwritten note a lost art?
Not according to Natalia Woodward, proprietor of Bat Flower Press.
With a completely unique line of upcycled handmade paper & notecards, Bat Flower Press celebrates not just the art of writing letters, but the art of making paper, and the art of recycling materials.
The process starts with collected matboard cut-offs from the Museum of Modern Art. From there the cotton fiber is broken down, ready to become art in a new form. Natural dyes from the Indigo plant, along with marigold, and sometimes walnut produce the different colorways the papers are available in, the most popular being the “Indigold”, or the “Blossom” which is not dyed, but contains cherry blossom petals sourced from farms local to Woodward’s studio in upstate New York.
The Indigold Papers are tinted with a mix of Indigo & Marigold dyes
Before starting Bat Flower Press in 2020, Woodward studied Printmaking at SUNY, receiving a BFA for her education, and went on to make collections of drawings, prints, and collages to explore different ideas surrounding connections between the natural world. Her foray into crafting paper is a natural continuation in her journey, combining her experience with print, her connections with the Fine Art world, and her passion for sustainable functionality.
It’s clear to see how traditional techniques inspire Woodward’s art and practice ~ the smaller notecards are even stamped with a branded wax seal! The aesthetic of the papers themselves are reminiscent of the past and how each and every sheet is one-of-a-kind, with edges and ridges and texture that’s unique to each and every sheet.
As a product, Bat Flower Press produces sets of handmade notecards using upcycled matboard from MoMa, but this product goes even further to lend a now unique & novel experience of being able to send a sentiment, that lasts, and was made purposefully, by hand, and is a work of art made from art.
