April Theme
Color Safari (Exploring Inks and Paints)
April 18 – Week 16
Art Challenge: Gelli Plate
Journal Prompt: A lot on my Plate
Gellin’ Like A Felon!
Yay! I’ve been looking forward to this challenge because I love, love, love MY GELLI ARTS™ gel printing plate! Seriously, I have one in every size and it s a ‘must have’ tool in my studio. If I were stranded on a desert island and I could have only one thing, it would be a Gelli™ plate! Well, not really, because I wouldn’t have any paint but you know what I mean!
Using a brayer, acrylic paint, stencils and my Gelli™ plate, I created pages and pages of monoprints. Talk about FUN! I’m not going to go into a tutorial about how to use these plates, but if you go to the Gelli Arts™ website, they have plenty of short videos on all the amazing things you can create with this product. I always keep stacks of these prints on hand because they are great for incorporating into other art or standing on their own. Aren’t they gorgeous? And guess what? No two are alike – I love that! These were all printed on regular copy paper – cheap and plentiful!
So thinking about the prompt, “a lot on my plate,” I decided to draw a still life where I could use all of these juicy colored monoprints. I created a basic sketch for composition directly onto the pages of my journal. First in pencil, then over again in waterproof ink.
Next, I used a neon pink paint for my table to make the monoprint papers stand out. Then, working from back to front, I cut out bits from my monoprints and adhered them to my page using gel medium. It was like creating a mosaic on paper! The pictures below show the progression. I was careful to put darker and lighter shades in the appropriate places to show value.
Once all the pieces were glued down, I used a Distress Marker to draw in shadows. I wet the marker slightly to smear the ink and created a nice effect. These markers are pretty amazing too. Thank you Tim Holtz.
To finish off, I glued in a few lighter pieces to add dimension and sketched only the important lines with a prismacolor pencil, like on the banana. I really love how this turned out!
I’m looking forward to seeing all of your interpretations on the challenge and I know you will enjoy our Featured Artist this week . . . the amazingly creative and talented Mary Beth Shaw! You can view her interpretation of this challenge HERE. Please stop by her website to share some love!
I’ve listed the products I used below, but for the Monoprinting, I also used a wide selection of StencilGirl Stencils, Mary Beth Shaw’s stencil company. They have some amazing stencils and a huge collection. And a surprise this week . . . Rae Missigman has designed some beautiful stamps for StencilGirl available starting TODAY!
For more information on this week’s challenge you can find us here:
http://arttothe5th.squarespace.com/
Flickr
Instagram: #documentedlife #documentedlifeproject
Looking for previous challenges? click HERE
Visit our blogs: Sandi Keene, Roben-Marie Smith, Rae Missigman
Join us on The Art to the 5th™ Academy™ – a thriving “community” and classroom for “The Original” Documented Life Project™! Find us on Instagram: #documentedlife
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Comments
I love your still life! It looks like so much fun to create. It is so you with your lesson on values – ever the artist. I am in love with whatever created that leaf print wallpaper!!
You know me . . . It’s all about VALUE!!!! And a lesson on the leaf wallpaper is coming your way the next time we get together! Love you!
Wonderful, wonderful Lorraine! What a fun way to mix up the papers already made! I’ll have to get a Gelli Plate! LOL
Hi Sabrina! Thanks for your compliments – while a gelli plate is definitely a luxury item – I continue to find uses for it. I held off for a long time but am so glad I got one!
Your plate is certainly full with tons of color and fun. I would love to be served a plateful of that wonder food. I must have some of that Amsterdam Rose as it bursts and splatters into my brain when I see it. When I was very little, my Mom let me choose the paint color for my bedroom and this was it. Somehow, she was unable to get paint in the strength that you have – either on purpose or because manufacturers probably had no call for this vibrant color in house paint. But I wanted to be surrounded by happy and this is it. Actually, I don’t even need a piece of your yummy fruit, I could just gaze at the tablecloth!
Isn’t that pink great, Mary? It almost glows in real life! I didn’t add any filters to my photography – what you see is what you get! And I can imagine you as a little girl in a bright pink room with your bright pink personality . . . so YOU! xoxo
What a fun page! Very neat layout.
Thanks Shawna – it was a lot of fun!
Once again, with a simple idea, you come along and make it extraordinary !! those prints are just goegeous, I love the way you used the background paper and make it look like a wallpaper, so cool !! xo
Thank you Leike – it was a lot of fun and full of happy accidents – Serendipity!
you never cease to amaze me! this is so gorgeous and i want to hang it on my wall! I, too, will be waiting for a leaf paper lesson! xx
You got it Rae – you me and Sandi – wallpaper tutorial!
p.s. thank you sweet pal for the shout out today! xo
Of course! Anytime!
Absolutely Love this Lorraine! Wonderful idea.
Thank you Liz and thanks so much for commenting!
Wow, I love this – it is a work of art, makes me want to get the gelli plate back out – thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you so much Anin – I can never play with it enough!