New-found love: Gelli Printing

I can't remember when I first heard about the Gelli Arts printing plate, but I knew right away I wanted one. I've been interested in gelatin monoprinting for awhile, but was uncertain whether I wanted to try my hand at creating my own homemade gelatin plate, a plate that breaks down over time and so is temporary. The Gelli Arts plate makes monoprinting so easy and hassle-free, as it is a permanent, gelatin-like printing plate, so it's always ready to go whenever you are. I know I sound like a Gelli Arts spokesperson, but I can't help it. I just LOVE this thing!

I received the 8"x10" plate for Christmas, and I can sincerely say it is one of the greatest creative gifts I've ever been given. From the first moment I rolled paint onto it with my brayer, I was hooked. I took every available opportunity to sit down and make prints, and in short order I had accumulated quite a substantial stack of painted papers. Some of my prints were a success, with interesting patterns and textures, and some weren't so amazing, but I have come to realize even "failed" prints can be used in numerous ways in various other projects.

Here are just a few of the multitude of prints I've made:

It's always exciting to peel your paper off the plate and discover what you've managed to create. I haven't been this inspired by a new art tool in awhile. If you have been thinking of jumping into monoprinting, you simply cannot go wrong with the Gelli plate. I must warn you, though - it's completely addictive. 

In a future post, I'll share some of the projects I've created using my prints.