I have to admit that when I start creating I do tend to get carried away and make quite a lot. I like to work fast and suspend judgement to try and access more of my innate creativity. So I always make good quantities. But there is something about mono-printing that really gets me and I go into overdrive. I remember making my first monoprints for my course at Design Matters and sending Marie Roper tens and tens of images, as I just hadn't been able to stop. So that's my excuse here .. and I have seriously culled the number too .. I made at least three times this many!!
I was trying out one of the new gelli plates. I know everyone else seems to have already played - but I hadn't and was all prepared to be unimpressed and return to my cheap sheet of acetate. So I pootled out into the garden last week and put my first layer of paint on my plate. I wanted some prints of my hands for the work I plan for the Identity exhibition with Art Textiles: Made in Britain at FOQ 2014 .. I have some direct prints already, so decided to start by trying some gelli hand-prints ....
Hmmm - actually rather nice and I do think that I am getting more texture than with acetate .. so next up - some stamps ...
not all the dog ....
OK - I'm liking this thing ..cut my apple in half ...
and combined it with a rubbing plate ....
bit of photo-shopping ...
the plate is picking up the texture so well .. I think the only other thing that would do this like this would be a real gelatine plate .. but that require planning ... not my strong suit. I decided to try some finer leaves and grasses ....
and some feathers .. on stamps ..
and direct on the plate
I have used opaque and shimmer paints and washes of procion dye. These are just begging to be stitched into now. And my plate will definitely be getting a lot more use. In fact - I have got the real biggie one now, I loved it so much. Just shows - you should try things before you judge.
I said I'd post some more images of the gardens at Harlow Carr in Harrogate . but I think you might have had enough images for one day. So I'll save them for next time .. and just post one more ...
More beautiful white anemones - just for you Maggi! Thank you for joining me ...talk soon - Hilary x
Cor! You are a busy Beattie! Love seeing what having fun can do! I thought about Gelli plates as I did about Kindles, until I tried them and now I am fully converted! Who wants to faff about with something you have to make, then cool, then store, then use before it becomes a penicillin factory, when you get such wonderful results from the 21st century version! Thanks for sharing - especially love the apple prints - you naughty Eve you!!
ReplyDeleteHi Georgy - Cor - I have haven't I!! Having fun is such an underrated activity - especially by us women .. we always start feeling guilty about it. Well bottoms I say. I agree wholeheartedly about real gelatine plates - fabbo results but far too faffy. I wonder if that apple might have been 'THE good apple'?? Anyway - I am planning on taking a fruit selection to Ally Pally with . cos I like them too xx
DeleteAbsobloodylutely gorgeous. I especially like the feathers and the apples...and the leaves and grasses. I might have to invest in one of them thar gelli plates...except I have just made yet another promise to myself to spend no more money on things for my shed...
ReplyDeleteOh - one f my favourite words .. absobloodylutely .. lovely and descriptive. Difficult promise that Bonnie - and I do so sympathise .. I too try to limit acquisitions .. otherwise can't actually move. But they are very yumbo. Maybe a good Christmas present idea?? xx
DeleteI've never tried mono printing! Feel perhaps I should!
ReplyDeleteGood Lord - have you not?? You most definitely should!! Maybe start on acetate and see if you like it before indulging in one of these bad boys .. well - that would be the sensible thing to do? .. xx
DeleteThey really are addictive and you've got some great results here.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the anemones - bought another one for my collection today, bet it rains tomorrow when I want to plant it!
Awfully addictive Maggi ... it was only the fact that it got too dark to see that finally stopped me playing. Wonder what sort of print and anemone might make?? You SHOULD NOT have said that about he rain .. apparently you are a seer amongst many other talents! xx
DeleteI love the grasses ones!
ReplyDeleteHi whyducks .. firstly I want that name .. it sort of sums up life in so many ways. And yes - the grasses are magical .. I was stunned by the level of detail and how it captured their wispy etherealness .. will have to stitch those very delicately - wait until hormones settled down then! xx
ReplyDeleteLove seeing the progression of the prints can almost hear you thinking ! X
ReplyDeleteThanks Toni .. yes .. my mind was just buzzing away from one to another .. x
DeleteI love the fine grass ones! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you! - I'm thinking of some fine line stitching to go with those - will keep you posted - Hilary x
DeleteThese are fabulous, love them all - I can see you turning some into screens if you haven't already. I've got to say I love my gelatine plate, I open my cupboard feeling very virtuous (with the measurements carefully written on the packet) & mix it all up when I've just remembered last thing at night & it's ready in the morning ;) It's in the freezer now, not going mouldy, for when I've got an hour or 3. Oh so cheap & moist & lovely cracked lines.....!
ReplyDeleteRumbled - of course I have strated turing them inot screens!! - I'll post some images next time - thye are going to look good I think - will be hard to work out what they were made from - unless oyu read this blog of course. Never thought of freezing a real one .. my domestic skills are letting me down again .. but then the defrost might take more than 60 secs and I would lose patience. Although I do love a real one too ... would be very expensive to crack my lovely gelli-plate. Hmmm .. do both/have both .. always a good answer! xx
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