WorkArt & Culture

Artist aims to preserve her local forest by crafting linocut stamps of nature

In her series Favourite Things in the Forest, Russian artist and illustrator Olga Ezova-Denisova aims to preserve the things she discovers on her nature walks by transforming them into clever linocut stamps. Everything from delicate branches and leaves to pine cones and blueberries, her intricate little stamps can be used to make the most beautiful prints.

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Hand holding a linocut stamp carved with a blueberry sprig featuring green leaves and dark berries, with printed botanical patterns visible in the background

She explains: "I have a favourite spot in the forest not far away from my home — it's a bluebery meadow. There are blueberry sprigs, which have green and red leaves; there are countless cobwebs and many dried branch and yellowed pine needles. I can also find wild strawberries and of course so many pine cones.

"In the rain pine cones are closed, and when the weather is dry—they are open. For me, it's miracle to see this, notice this, observe. I would like to grab, save and share this miracle with all. And my project is exactly about this sentiment: I try to preserve my favourite things in the forest with the help of hand-printing technique linocuts and my photo camera."

Via Behance

Ripe blueberries and unopened flower buds among green foliage and delicate branches in a forest meadow
Forest materials including pine cones, twigs, green leaves and dried branches arranged on white paper next to a notebook with deer linocut illustrations
Artist Olga Ezova-Denisova's workspace with natural materials including branches, pinecones and leaves arranged on an open notebook, surrounded by jars of pencils and art supplies
Artist's sketchbook open to botanical pen drawings of forest plants and seeds, surrounded by dried branches, pine cones, green leaves and coloured pencils
Sketchbook page with botanical drawings and watercolours of forest elements including branches, leaves, berries and pine cones, alongside carved wooden stamps and coloured pencils
Sketches and linocut stamps of forest foliage, pine cones and blueberries spread across a wooden workspace with scissors and a paintbrush
Carved linocut stamps depicting forest botanicals arranged on a wooden surface alongside carved wooden handles, brushes, dried plants, sketches and printing papers
A hand holds a small linocut stamp carved with a yellow berry with a red and purple shadow, positioned above a printed sheet showing green leaves and foliage
Hand holding a linocut stamp carved with a blueberry sprig showing green leaves and a dark berry, displayed against tiles printed with forest plant designs
Linocut stamp prints by Olga Ezova-Denisova arranged on white paper showing forest botanicals including leafy sprigs, berries, pine cones and dried branches in green, tan and black
Pressed botanical specimens and linocut stamps arranged on white paper, including strawberry leaves with berries, pine needles, blueberry sprigs and pine cones
Wooden easel displaying a white print of delicate botanical illustrations including leaves, branches, pine cones and berries in a green forest setting
Linocut stamps and prints of forest foliage including blueberry sprigs, pine cones, branches and needles arranged on a white background
Linocut prints of forest foliage including delicate leafy stems, pine cones and branches in green, brown and black on white paper
Linocut stamps of forest plants and natural objects arranged with actual pine cones, leaves and dried branches on a white surface, showing printed designs of blackberries and foliage on paper
Hand-printed illustration on paper showing botanical drawings of blueberry sprigs with leaves and berries, placed on forest ground surrounded by real pinecones and vegetation
Hand holding a white card with a gold linocut print of a delicate branch, surrounded by dried evergreen sprigs
Printed botanical linocut stamps showing forest flora including pine cones, blueberry sprigs with leaves, and branches on white paper outdoors
Olga Ezova-Denisova's carved linocut stamps depicting various forest leaves and pine needles in natural tones and greens, arranged on white with printing tools visible above
Olga Ezova-Denisova's linocut stamps and prints of forest botanicals including blueberry sprigs, pine cones and dried grasses, displayed with actual pine cones and dried plants
Hand-carved linocut stamps of forest plants and seeds including leaves, berries, pine cones and grass arranged on white paper
Hand holding a linocut print showing botanical illustrations of blueberry sprigs with leaves and berries, pine cones and dried needles against a blurred forest background
Hand-carved linocut stamps and printed sheets featuring forest elements including blueberries, leaves, pine cones and branches, alongside a green roller and cream ink cartridge
Olga Ezova-Denisova's kraft paper envelopes and white cards featuring hand-printed linocut illustrations of blueberry sprigs and forest botanicals arranged on a wooden surface with painting tools
Kraft paper cards printed with linocut stamps of blueberry sprigs with green leaves and dark berries, numbered with handwritten figures
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