I told you that I would come back to tell you about hand-painted papers. I have a gelli plate which is like a thick sheet of gelatin but is permanent. I dab some paint on, spread it with a brayer, add lines or texture if I want, and lay down a sheet of paper to get a print. Deli paper is my preferred type of paper—it is the thin paper that they wrap sandwiches in at a Deli. You do not have to clean the plate between uses, the left-over paint adds wonderful depth and shadow.(But the plate cleans easily with water or a baby-wipe when you are finished.) Printing with the gelli plate is addictive. I can easily paint 20-30 sheets in no time. Luckily I have a drying rack in my studio, but I hate taking the time to put the wet papers on it. I had great fun painting lots of colorful sheets for my ‘Octopus’s Garden’ piece. The piece is entirely collage (except for the sand and water). The only paper that was not painted using the gelli plate is the rock that the Octopus is sitting on. The rest of the papers are just the way that they came off the plate. I added a little shadow and minimal embellishments. This piece is 12” x 12”. I told you that it was going to be my raffle piece, but turned out too well. (But I do LOVE ‘I am the Walrus’ which is my raffle piece and may have to buy a chance myself!) If anyone wants to come to my studio and do some gelli plate printing, I would love to have you--but wait until next week after the show pieces are all turned in. Thanks.
