Painted Prints: Monotypes with a Gelli Plate

Of making prints there is no end, to paraphrase a popular saying. This time, I wanted to try painting the entire image at once, without overprinting. And creating a varied edition of these prints, all based on the same drawing, or key. Monotypes.

Restless, I wandered around my yard for a subject. Aha! One bloom on the Bird of Paradise plant. That would be it. I took it inside the studio.

I drew the outlines, then mapped out the colors with colored pencils.

I wanted the final print to face left, so the drawing faces right.

Placed the transparent Gelli plate on top of my drawing.

After deciding where on the page it would be printed,

I drew around the edges of the plate.

Painted and printed, first on pieces of maps,

then on black Stonehenge paper, a better choice,

partly for the color, partly because it was more absorbent.

After looking through all of them,

I decided I liked two.

Each has unique qualities.

They look different on screen as well.

I'm really enjoying this process.

If all the birds align, I'll teach a workshop featuring this technique in the Spring.

Keep in touch…

Other experiments here and here.