Forest Baths

Branding, website and merch for a Nature and Forest Therapy business in the Hudson Valley.

Services

Branding, Digital Collage, Web Design, Print Design

year

2022

Link

ForestBaths.Earth
Forest Baths Etsy Shop

About the Client

In 2022 my partner Fru became an ANFT certified Forest Bathing guide and started a business offering guided forest bathing walks. Together, we developed the branding and art to help more people experience the healing power of just being in nature.

The Logo

I created the Forest Baths logo by customizing the font Operina, designed by James Grieshaber at P22. We were going for something rustic, witchy and iconic that invites the viewer to get lost in the woods.

The Art

Each month, Fru and I sat down and made a list of the most striking and seasonally interesting plants that grew in our area. Based on that list, I gathered public domain botanical illustrations from the 18th and 19th century. I could not have done this without the incredible resource that is PlantIllustrations.org, and wikimedia.

Using photoshop, I isolated each plant and arranged them into collage-bouquets. Balancing color, form and illustration style was a wonderful challenge. Each month I pushed myself to create something cohesive, ecologically accurate and joyful.

These were originally created for the monthly Forest Baths email newsletter, and later used for a wall calendar, business cards and merch line.

January: Tufted Titmouse, Blue Atlas Cedar, Snowdrops, Wintersweet, Witchhazel
February: Hellebore, Northern Cardinal, Birch, Red Osier Dogwood
March: Polypore Mushroom, Bullfrog, Crocus, Daffodil, Bluebell, Skunk Cabbage, Pussywillow
April: Bluejay, Turkeytail Mushroom, Creeping Phlox, Forsythia, Dock
May: Day lily, White Trillium, Bumblebee, Dogwood, Cherry, Lilacs
June: Hummingbird, Beach Rose, Peony, Day Lily, Sunflower, Cardinal Flower
July: Dragonfly, Azealia, Raspberry, Bee Balm, Swamp Milkweed
August: Monarch Butterfly, Old Garden Rose, Mophead Hydrangea, Highbush Blueberry, Common Yarrow, Echinacea
September: Cricket, Hickory Nuts, Cosmos, Smooth Sumac, Goldenrod
October: White Cabbage Moth, Fly Agaric Mushroom, New England Aster, Mugwort, Clematis Seed Head, Virginia Creeper
November: Brown Bat, Maitake Mushroom, Yew, Ginkgo, White Snakeroot, Red Maple
December: Praying Mantis, White Pine Cones, Christmas Fern, Virginia Juniper, American Holly

See
January: Tufted Titmouse, Blue Atlas Cedar, Snowdrops, Wintersweet, Witchhazel
February: Hellebore, Northern Cardinal, Birch, Red Osier Dogwood
March: Polypore Mushroom, Bullfrog, Crocus, Daffodil, Bluebell, Skunk Cabbage, Pussywillow
April: Bluejay, Turkeytail Mushroom, Creeping Phlox, Forsythia, Dock
May: Day lily, White Trillium, Bumblebee, Dogwood, Cherry, Lilacs
June: Hummingbird, Beach Rose, Peony, Day Lily, Sunflower, Cardinal Flower
July: Dragonfly, Azealia, Raspberry, Bee Balm, Swamp Milkweed
August: Monarch Butterfly, Old Garden Rose, Mophead Hydrangea, Highbush Blueberry, Common Yarrow, Echinacea
September: Cricket, Hickory Nuts, Cosmos, Smooth Sumac, Goldenrod
October: White Cabbage Moth, Fly Agaric Mushroom, New England Aster, Mugwort, Clematis Seed Head, Virginia Creeper
November: Brown Bat, Maitake Mushroom, Yew, Ginkgo, White Snakeroot, Red Maple
December: Praying Mantis, White Pine Cones, Christmas Fern, Virginia Juniper, American Holly

See

Here’s a screen recording showing how the January collage came together.

And here’s one showing February. To create the dogwood “shrub”, I combined branches from 7 different dogwood illustrations.

Full Case Study coming soon!