Flourish & Print: Gel Plate Joy

Flourish & Print: Gel Plate Joy. 

Flourish & Print: Gel Plate Joy is a fun workshop to learn some easy textile art skills. May is such a joyous time for the botanical calendar.  Trees are in blossom, and gardens are bursting into bloom. Capture and celebrate the beauty of nature without being able to draw by making prints from early summer foliage and flowers. You can frame your prints, use them as book covers, or as a base for collage in a sketchbook or artists book.

Watch my promotional video for a sneak peak.

Flourish & Print: Gel Plate Joy – Course description

Flourish & Print: Gel plate joy is an introductory workshop in gel printing.  Gel printing is used by textile artists, quilters and for general crafts such as cardmaking, or art journals and sketchbooks. It doesn’t need large or expensive pieces of equipment and is easy to do at home. It’s a whole heap of fun and it’s much easier than it looks. The amazing gel plates (gelli plates) create highly-detailed prints showing every vein of leaves and flowers. It will inspire designs for embroidery and collage. You can print your own paper and fabric for use in other crafts, or for use to make an Art Quilt. So if you like any form of craft, quilting, or patchwork then you need to give it a go.

Firstly, I’ll show you how to make your own mark-making tools and printing blocks using everyday items.  Then I’ll demonstrate various printing techniques using the amazing gelatin plates to create colour and pattern on paper or fabric (gel printing). Gel plates pick up subtle textures and marks of anything imprinted on them. Because of that, I love to use ‘found’ objects from nature, such as flowers, leaves and feathers These unique one-of-a kind-prints will enable you to totally personalize your work.

You will create your own collection of printed papers. Then I’ll demonstrate various ways to use your beautiful artwork.  The prints can be used to decorate covers of books, framed as a stand-alone wall art, collaged, or made into a folded concertina book.

This class will free you from having to buy commercial printed papers for your art and the same techniques can be applied to fabrics in your own time. It will add a whole new dimension to your work. It’s the easiest way to learn how to design your own unique artworks.

Level: All

Who is Flourish & Print: Gel Plate Joy aimed at?

Anyone who enjoys crafting, not just textile art.  But Contemporary Quilters will love being able to create their own unique fabrics; Cardmakers and Art Journallers can create personalised papers. Printed materials can be used to make book covers, cards, gift labels, wrapping paper and for use in sketchbooks and mixed media art.  You don’t need any art or drawing experience.

What will I learn?

• how to make your own print blocks
• how to ink up a gel plate and make layered prints
• what papers and fabrics can be printed on
• what you can use as a print plate (other than a gel plate)
• how to care for a gel plate
• how to assemble your prints into a folding book (artists book) that you can add machine and/or hand embroidery.

Course arrangements

All the printing equipment is provided but I’ll advise the paper/fabric requirements when you book.

For inspiration, why not take a look at this website of one of my favourite textile artists.  Hilary Beattie often uses gel plate printing techniques in her work.

#monotype #monoprint #gelplate  #gelplatejoy #botancialprinting