Welcome to ...ta da...THE GRAND PLAN

Now I have some background and texture going, I am ready to work on more of a focal point for the finished prints.  Here is my plan.

The Grand Plan (and a ton of links):   
First--my inspiration for my art style is Deidre Adams.
I checked out Elizabeth Barton's post about Quilt National.  In the post is a picture of a fabulous quilt created by Deidre Adams.  Elizabeth shared a really nice detail shot of the quilt and Deidre has more on her blog.  I checked out other fiber work by Adams on her website.  They are created with acrylic paint on fabric and stitch making them perfect for a gelli plate experiment.  Her fiber pieces very much remind me of the abstract expressism paintings by Mark Rothko.  My last print series was influenced by his work.  My only gelli plate experiments  are also inspired by Mark Rothko but were done on paper and not fiber. Now, you may  not care for this style but I love it and want to create fabric and finished art pieces that are clearly influenced by it. That's my BIG goal.  Lots of steps between here and there.

Second--my inspiration for content is Friedrich Nietzsche who said:
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.  If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened.  But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."

This is what I hope to achieve in my prints: 

1. Abstract compositions with planes of colors
2. Strong horizon lines
3. Complex layering achieved through texture and color
4. A symbolic representation of "an individual" in each.
5. The design/composition finished (or resolved) by printing or by stitch.

After an evening of p rinting I ended up with 2 fabric prints that I think are close to being finished. That is really not a bad ratio.   As soon as I find my camera cord to download them, I will post my results and talk more about the process I used.

The Little I KnowAbout Gellli Plate Printing

As I have already said, I am just starting my experiments so I can tell you a few basics and then I will leave it up to the experts to tell you more.

 Things I have learned so far:

1. Acrylic Paint:  The gelli plate is really only for acrylic paint.  I didn't know that and it is a downside for me because I prefer to used thickened dyes and acrylic inks on fabric since it leaves the fabric softer.
2. Newspaper:  I read the instructions that said not to use dyes or inks with the plate but I did not translate that to mean "don't set the plate on newspaper."  Since I had to cover the surface of my table, I used newspaper and set the plate directly on the old newspaper.  It picked up the ink!  The plate does not transfer the ink when printing but the ink has stained the plate. Here is what my new Gelli Plate looks like now.
   
3. Mixing Colors:  Different types of paint will dictate whether you mix your colors on the gelli plate itself or on a palette of some kind and then transfer it to the gelli plate.  The thicker the paint, the more likely you will need to mix the  paints on the palette.
4. Playing Time: Acrylic paint dries very fast.  If you want to spend much time creating a design on your plate, you had better use an extender!
5. Cleaning up:  There are a variety of ways to clean your plate from washing with water, to wiping with baby wipes, to making a last print. Just cover the dry paint on the gelli plate with some fresh paint, cover with a paper for a print, and allow the paper to stay on the plate till the paint is dry.  Then pull off the paper.  You get a clean plate and a great print.   Here is a link that tells you about that last print.
6. Layers:  Everything looks better with layers. It is a rare print that needs just one layer to be finished.  In the words of Judy Sall, "Now I realize that layers are my lifeblood. I need them, crave them, won't stop until I have them. Complex, deliberate, intoxicating layers."  Yep, if you don't like what you have made with the gelli plate, it probably needs another layer.

Tutorials 
There are some good tutorials already produced so I am not going to recreate wheels.  Lisa Chin, one of our visiting artists, has one here-- Lisa Chin.
And here is a video.

Here is a link to my first attempts at paper prints using the gelli.  Tomorrow I am trying my first experiments with fabric and will let you know how it goes.  Please, feel free to give me some advice.  I will check before I start on Tuesday evening.

June's Technique--Gelli Plate on Fabric

Finally there is a Gelli Plate large enough that I was willing to buy it!  My 12"x14" plate arrived just two weeks ago and I was eager to incorporate it into my surface design repertoire.  I started searching the internet.  I found many artists who use the Gelli Plate with paper but few that use it with fabric.  There is generally much less information for using it with fabric.   Have you had the same  problem?

I pursued my goal with great diligence and dedication and I did find some wonderful blogs of fabric artists who use the Gelli Plate very effectively.  Since June is my month to host the Fire Blog, I decided to reach out to the fabric artists who have mastered the Gelli Plate and ask them for some assistance. I asked three if they would "appear" on the Fire Blog and all three said yes!  Wonderful!  You are so going to love this month of lessons for using the Gelli Plate on fabric!   Here is the schedule for the month. 

June 1
I am introducing the topic,giving some basic information about the Gelli Plate, and announcing the three generous artists who have agreed to share their expertise with us this month.

June 8
Lisa Chin is our first artist. Her blog is Something About Nothing.  Here is the Gelli Plate Tutorial with Leaves that made me know I wanted to ask her to join us.  I love printing using masks and stencils, particularly those that are picked from the back yard!  Her work is wonderfully layered!

June 15
Holly McLean has agreed to be the middle of the month artist to keep you engaged. Her blog is Through My Window.  Her blog post incorporated her doodles with printing with the Gelli Plate.  Two of my passions incorporated into one artistic pinnacle!  She turns her doodles into hand made stamps and uses them to print.  AND she is going to teach us her technique!  Yeah!

June 22
Lynda Heines is our final artist.  Her blog is Bloom Bake & Create.  This is the blog post of hers that made me think of Beth Berman who loves to print with her collection of potato mashers.  Since Beth and I are constantly on the lookout for non-art tools to use in making marks in print, Lynda won my heart!

I am excited by the plans for the month.  I hope that you are too.  So get out your Gelli Plate, acrylic paints, fabric, and stamping tools and get ready for fun.

 As soon as I figure out how, we will have an opportunity for you to  link  your posts on Gelli Plate printing here, at the bottom of this post.  Please, all month long post links of your art work using the Gelli Plate here.

Loading InLinkz ...