Thursday 12 December 2013

Are you ready for this ??? - more prints than you can possibly imagine ...

Firstly - apologies for taking so long to get these prints onto the blog. I have two excuses .. one, I have got shingles and have been a little bit poorly for the last couple of weeks - but feeling on the up now. And two, there are just so many prints, it has taken me a long time to sort and upload them! You have to hand it to me .. I do  nothing by halves. So .. as we know - at the end of November was the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate and I was there, demonstrating for Art van Go on Thursday and Friday, and then in the Artists in Action studio on Sunday. Saturday was a day off and is when I got to see all the galleries (see last blog post). I'm starting with my poster .. I am very proud of this and have all four copies on the wall at home .. others may be above this sort of thing ... I am not ...
 
 
So here we go (just like the fair)- all done with the gelli plate and various other things - stamps, stencils, fruit and a lot ... ALOT of leaves 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
I am not going to write much - as I think getting through the images is enough work for you .. but I just have to tell you that these apples were done as a demonstration for Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn .. yes - you did hear that right ... I did a demo for JAN AND JEAN with my gelli plate (both of us a quiver) .. they must have liked it, as they both bought one ..
 
 


 
I just keep seeing quilts wherever I look ...



 
 
I used some matte medium and markal blenders as resists after printing and before adding dye with some of these ... it adds interest to the plain voided shapes ..






 

a few bits of photoshop  ... can't resist
 




 


 
 
I did say lots of leaves ...

 
I love all the effects you can get - but it is with these really fine line prints that I think the gelli plate is so impressive .. I pushed down into the plate really hard with my fingers to find all the veins and edges - even a real gelatine plate would have broken and nothing else would get these lines that I know of

 
 


 
more fruit ...
 

 
 
 
 
 
That is honestly a fraction of the prints done in the two days. I find it such an inspiring technique it is hard to stop, and everyone at Harrogate seemed to want to see the boy in action (the gelli is a boy .. I'm not) 
 
I di mange a few sessions in between doing some stencilled and dyed cloths - some of which are here....


 
and then In the Artists in Action studio I got working on to paper and canvas with my prints and the leaves. I'm saving all those images for another day - enough is enough I think. But here is just one of some leaves mounted on am khadi paper which has had textured papers made with molding paste adhered and then been painted. I will explain all that next time .. 
 
 
 
 The course I am running at Art van Go in April is going to be doing this sort of printing and then preparing and working on to canvas or khadi paper with textured papers .. so if you like these - and want to play with a gelli plate ... you might like that too!
 

 
 But now I'll let you go!! - phew .. I have got so many materials to play with now ... when I see them like this I am just so excited and desperate to start
Thanks for visiting and sticking in to the end - hope they were worth it - Hilary x  

22 comments:

  1. I love the leaves. will have to look at the AVG Course#

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    1. Thanks Sheila - and sorry for such a let response too. You can come and play with my gelli plates as soon as the weather gets better and we can play in the garden xx

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  2. Impressive effects with the leaves and the feathers. These gelli plates are very addictive.

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    1. Gelli plates are very addictive .. and I am a good addictive personality I suspect .. there is no hope! x

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  3. I think I need a lie down after that lot :) xx

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    1. I bet you do - imagine what it is like being me??? xx

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  4. All so inspiring - the leaves are wonderful too.

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    1. Thank you Rebecca - and for the link via email .. some lovely wok. The leaves print just so beautifully. It will be interesting what I find to try with over winter .. I will need a leaf replacement - that's for sure! x

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  5. My goodness, I think I need to go and get another cup of tea and go through these again Hilary! My, you have been busy. I really like the fact that you do a 'mini-series' in a particular colour scheme, or repeat a motif in different colour schemes. Another very effective technique which I am about to pinch from you, is using a mask and making the second print smaller that the first, so mask and resulting border are the same colour. i like that.

    So sorry to hear about your shingles. I believe it can be very painful, so I do hope you are over it now.

    Hilary Florence

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    1. There are rather a lot again aren't there .. but each a bit different and I want to share it all. I like mini series - they again just start making designs for work pop in to your head. You pinch away - all ideas are out there to share .. what is so interesting is that we all get such different results from them! My rash is past it's really painful stage and I am feeling well on the way to being better. If I can just manage to take a day off at Christmas I will be fine! xx

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  6. Oh dear...I am being kicked off again...so I will try again!
    So many handsome printses. I might have to invest in one of them gelli plates. Are they really that easy to use? If so I would be a fool not to get one...or more of a fool than I already am. Do you need to be in any way like Cinderella, because if you do I might as well give up now...

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    1. They are very easy to use Bonnie - and give wonderful results. You do not need to be a clever girlie at all - just willing to experiment and apply lots of what ifs and what abouts .. which you can do. To get the detail - you need to press in hard when taking the print and use a fine rollering of paint - I much prefer a sponge roller to a rubber brayer - it allows a lot more texture. I am so sorry my naughty blog keeps booting you off - I do hope it is not racist?? xx

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    2. I never thought of that! But knowing the ferocity of the kiwi maybe it is right... The blog has continually used a steel capped boot on me...and if this one doesn't work I might have to throw my ipad at a lurking marauding evil kiwi...

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  7. wow- love all the details with the leaves. And the playing with Photoshop.

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    1. thank you! the combination of fine detail and photoshop effects is just a dream! x

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  8. Much gorgeousness, wish I'd made it to Harrogate. I especially love the leaf prints :-)

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    1. Always next year! - I've just been printing out some of the horse chestnut leaf prints to use in a long thin landscape piece I think - if you are on facebook they are on my page .. https://www.facebook.com/hilary.beattie.16
      Hilary x

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  9. Thank you for sharing the Gelli prints. I would love to learn how to use my plates for this type of gorgeous work.

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    1. It is a pleasure sharing these lovely things .. I am just starting a new book with a theme around natural forms - and I think I may have to include a chapter on using the gelli plate for natural prints .. it is so effective x

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  10. I love the leaves too, specially the horse chestnuts and the ash??
    I have herad of gelli plates but will have to learn more. Don't know how you have coped with the shingles as well. Hope you are fine by Christmas.
    Sandra xx

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    1. Hi Sandra - a late reply .. I am so sorry .. Christmas happened!! Gelli plates are wonderful for capturing natures (and other I imagine) texture .. I love using them. I view playing with my gelli plate as therapy - so shingles has actually made me stay in more and have more time for such stuff .. not hat I would recommend that as a plan! Hope you had a great Christmas and Happy New Year - Hilary xx

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