Can you cope with more gel prints?

I do try to limit not just my palette but how many prints I do in a session.  But it is SO addictive!

Here are some more from yesterday.

This is the gelli plate with paint left over from a previous print.

These next two are the prints on deli paper to clean up the gel plates I had been using.

All of these prints remind me of all the photos I have of decay like this one.  Although obviously not the same colours.

 

And this is what my workspace looked like when I'd finished!

 

I have started a couple of sketchbooks using the gel prints.  Come back on Saturday to find out more.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

Gel plate sessions

Continuing with the gel plate theme I chose a limited palette - you might recognise it.  I played with a stencil and a piece of plastic mat which has squiggly lines.

Interestingly I had the gel plate in a landscape position (which is unusual for me) but when it came to taking the photos, apart from the one above, I put the prints in portrait!

I had printed all the above on on mixed media paper.  The next few are on Deli paper or copy paper.

This was one of the prints I did with transparent paints - leaving each layer to dry - and then putting gel medium on top to pull the last layer.  I thought I had left it on to long so it tore - leaving paper on the gel plate.  But actually I hadn't left it long enough.

I printed back over the top to cover up all the white.

And these are with turquoise paint and just a bit too bright.  However these prints will be useful to add pops of colour on collages.

 Guess what I did next!  I cut up the prints made on mixed media paper to make concertina books. This one folds up to 10cms square.

This is a slightly smaller one and folds up to 10x8cms

I'm now in the thinking phase.  Should I stitch into it?  Should I collage other papers onto the pages?  Should I collage and stitch?

I'll let you know the outcome.

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice

Introducing Simply Create

 

I launched Simply Create on December 12th and I am thrilled that lots of you joined me in the Simply Create group on Facebook.

 

Simply Create is about the creative process.

It is not about creating works of art or even finished pieces of anything.   You will learn how to use art materials and tools in different ways which I hope will lead you to investigate your own ways of working, build your own creative language and find your own style.

Plus it is totally FREE

  Is Simply Create for you?

You can find all the information on this page.

If this is not for you but you know someone who would be interested, please pass on the link to this page.

Thank you to everyone who has continued to follow my blog through 2020.

Here's to 2021.

Thanks for joining me today.

Bernice

Monoprinting with stencils

I love using my gel plate for monoprinting, but it is veryaddictive.  I usually get out a range of different types of papers - cartridge paper, deli paper and printer paper usually.  I limit myself to around 15 sheets of paper because otherwise I would just keep going.

Two reasons for keeping to a small number:
1.  I don't have enough room for a large number of papers to dry.
2.  there's only so many things I can think of to do with the painted papers.

Actually there's a third reason:
I've found the best prints are those that have several layers so even with 15 pieces of paper I might be pulling 45-50 prints.

This time I knew I wanted to play with my text stencils.  Here are some of the results.

I frequently photograph or scan my monoprints.  This is especially useful if you put another layer on one you really like and don't like how it turned out.  In addition, if you have scanned one you really like, you can use it multiple times.

The other useful thing you can do is change the scale of your print on your computer - larger or smaller - and use the print out for collage.

Next time I'll show you what I did with these papers.

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice

My sketchbook or whatever you call it!

The problem with calling something a sketchbook is that you feel you should be sketching in it.  And I don't sketch.  Or draw.  Or even doodle.  However, a bought sketchbook can become a repository of ideas, a workbook, even a diary of how your work is progressing.   So whatever it is you choose to call it, I am going to share some of the pages form the book I'm recording my ideas for the Master Practitioner course I'm doing with the School of Stitched Textiles.

Finding which poem to use for inspiration.

Collage pages having chosen The Road Not Taken.

Leaf printing with birch leaves

Using the music 'Summertime' as inspiration.

At this point I was beginning to get ideas for what I wanted to make from all this inspiration.  I'll show you that in another post.

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice