Saturday 5 January 2013

Monoprinting with a gelatine plate

 I've had a box of Gel sachets in the cupboard for a couple of years now (& they aren't even out of date!)


I've had them as long as I've been enjoying the blog & fantastically informative videos of Linda Germain of Printmaking Without a Press. So exciting to be finally doing this! Using 2 layers of my fave colors, a carved polystyrene block - the diamonds,  right, you can see the marks just from the cling film that was under the gel plate while setting, then comforting grasses a la LG & the good ol sequin waste.

 Then I got my little heron cut out & used that as a resist - the middle one above is where I stamped the wet cut out into a resisted bit..... On the right above is a serendipity bit, oh & below top.


 Got some brights out as the reason I finally decided to do this now was my SIL's birthday coming up soon. She always inspires me to get this years card on the road. Above is using wool/yarn - & some cards to be at the bottom - they all went a little dark. & you could hardly see the little resist of a feather top left that I cut & anyway it kept curling up!


 This is the card sil will get - I drew into the resist shape & colored with pastels the peacock eye & then just as I stuck it down I had palpitations as there was no stitching! So I peeled it back & added 5 stitches....phew ;) Felt better then. Pleased with my first attempt at printing with a gelatin plate.



Then I went for a walk & chose the above color scheme....or it chose me. I'm always amazed at the variety of seaweeds, there are 5 above - the colors of the top one, lime green & blood red is my favorite today - the burgundy on the right is beautiful, too. I had to add the blue shells & pale smokey green lichen; the yellow lichen lives on the rusted wheel. I don't usually appreciate still life but I do this.



 Using the shell, a dotty piece of found rubber mat & a lid at the top & below the seaweed. I love infilling the resisted bit with the ghost bit. I drew some seaweed on card for a resist as I didn't think the real thing would work so well.




Then I fished out a peacock feather & got very excited! Probably needed to go back to jewel colors.



 The plate cut into a pic size & a 'card' size. It's cracked already, very fragile but easy to make & lasts a week in the fridge.


 This is a bit of plastic used a a pallette - I can see it being cut up in the future.

14 comments:

Beverley Baird said...

Love your creations - especially with the feather!I won a gelli plate and I had a lot of fun just experimenting. I have to go back and have more fun!
Hoope you had a wonderful New Year's!

Julie said...

Oh my word! That feather took my breath away too! So delicate! I've never got round to making a gel plate but I have the lazy version, a Gelli Plate which I have used just once. I was sure you only had to own these things to get wonderful art! What's that? You're supposed to take them out of the packet? I should try that! lol

Heloise said...

The card looks great and you have created some lovely images to use. The seaweed is beautiful. Can you eat any of it?

Jen xo said...

gelli printing is so much fun, love your results and colors and the peacock feathers worked out beautifully... the card looks great too....|Happy New Year Emma..:)

Anonymous said...

Wonderful bird and feather prints, oh you are having fun. That plastic, oh yes, it needs to turn in to something as well.....xox

Suztats said...

Such fun, Emma! I've got to make some time for a play day really soon. Nice results.

Jacky said...

Wonderful results Emma. I love printing with the gel plates.
Even though yours is cracked, you get some great effects from the cracks too.

Lovely to see your printmaking!

Jacky xox

Rustic Vintage Country said...

Gosh, that's all so amazing and the bird and feather are also a hit with me, but it's all good stuff. xx

Su said...

They are beautiful. I've been itching to try this for a while but haven't actually managed to. I did do something similar using a garden kneeling pad as the base instead of gelatine and that worked well :-)

Peneller said...

These prints are really good Emma. Must get my gelatine out of the cupboard and have a go! Looked into getting a geliplate but they're a bit pricy! Loved your seaweed collection by the way.

Carole Reid said...

I love the way you chose your colour scheme from nature. Will have to try that tomorrow on my walk, Emma.
PS we babysat our little Emmie this evening. Oh I love being a nana!!!!!xo

Anonymous said...

what fantastic results with your printing. I love the colours in the still life - that lichen is a wow!

jackie said...

Nice results. Do you think there is any advantage over mono-printing;I have been thinking of making a plate, but genuinely wonder what the difference would be. What do you think. The bowls are really lovely, and he put in a free gift!

Robin Mac said...

I really must get my gelatine out to try this technique again - you look as if you have had such fun, and I love the results. How has your son been coping with the heat? It would have been a bit of a shock I imagine. Cheers