Leaf printing was invented during the 1800's to preserve the identify of botanical specimens. I discovered the art of leaf printing when I visited the San Francisco botanical garden in 1982 and have experimented with it off and on ever since. In the last few years I have experimented using leaf prints of plants in my yard. I start with a watercolor wash and watercolor splatter on paper or watercolor stretch canvas. Then, I use a dark printer's ink to make a print of the vase, the leaves, and finally the border. I use watercolor pencils to color in the leaves and the border. Then I finish off the painting by adding designs and outlining the designs with black, white, and purple acrylic paints.