This morning I refreshed a couple of my gelatin printing plates. As you may have discovered they shrink a bit and get stiffer over time. This happens because the water evaporates.

You can see in the picture below that the gelatin plate shrank about 1/2 ” on the top and bottom.

Before melting the printing plates, I cut some rectangles, squares and circles. I found that it was easy to cut the gelatin with scissors. I punched the circles with recycled caps, but I think a nice cookie cutter would make a cleaner cut.

Then I pulled out some acrylic paint and hand printed this tote bag! Fun stuff.

If you would like to explore hand printing fabric with the gelatin plate then read the details and join us in the next session of Monoprinting Fabric. Class starts soon.

Once in a while I put down my usual mark making tools and brayers and grab a few paint brushes to make some abstract landscapes.

In the landscapes above I used 3 different approaches.

1. Left – bold quick paint makes with lots of paint and thick and thinner brushes.
2. Middle – I used a photo of a local place as a reference.
3. Right – Is the “ghost” impression, or second impression and gives a lighter more subtle impression and added hand sewing.

If you would like to explore gelatin printmaking on fabric then check out the details of the online printmaking class, Monoprinting on Fabric. Class starts soon.

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I love making gelatin printed fabric. So you can imagine that I have a big pile of fabric for projects.

I must confess that I like creating the patterned and printed fabric more than completing projects. I love the unpredictable layering process of monoprinting fabric with the gelatin plate.

Some ways that I have used the hand printed fabric:

Pillows made with gelatin printed fabric

Book cover made with monoprinted fabric

Coasters made with gelatin printed fabric

I have pieced gelatin printed fabric and then added hand sewing and matted and framed the art work. I also mounted some fabric prints on to wooden blocks.

Book marks, a coffee cover and quilting squares.

This tote bag was really fun to print with a tiny piece of gelatin.

This was an odd shaped remnant that I trimmed and made a small apron for the studio.

So you can do almost anything you would do with commercially printed fabric, with your monoprinted fabric. There are some factors to consider:

• Washability will depend on the ink or paint that you use
• Smooth hand again depends on the inks and how many layers you use.
• Perfect repetition should not be the goal when working with the gelatin plate
• Fluid and abstract marks are often easier to obtain with the gelatin plate
• Small pieces of fabric are easier to work with, so consider projects that can be pieced together after printing.

If you would like to explore Monoprinting Fabric with the gelatin plate, then check out the details of the Monoprint fabric workshop. Read the details here.

Other fabric projects that I am considering:

• Stretchy headband
• Pieced wall hanging
• Tea Towel

Got any great uses for your hand printed fabric???

Do you like texture and textiles?

Is there something that moves you in close to a fabric and makes you want to touch it? Try to identify whose qualities that move you.

That is how I feel about mixed media art and printmaking. I love layered textures that make me want to get closer to the artwork.

When I see textured objects I often wonder can I use that for printmaking? And often the answer is YES.

Especially when printing with the gelatin plate. The gelatin plate is soft and malleable. This allows for the creation and transfer of delicate marks with mere hand pressure.

It is quite exciting to make beautiful marks and patterns with your own hands.

Whether you like to:

• collect fabric
• makes stuff with fabric or
• create unique fabric

you are probably inspired by texture and pattern.

I challenge you to notice what it is that inspires you and collect 5 bits of inspiration that you could use to inspire your next work of art.

The key is to collect a bit of inspiration and then turn that inspiration into action.

Move beyond the collection stage.

In the book cover above I used the following for inspiration and action:

1. Potato masher to lift off and apply ink
2. Tiny flat grasses
3. Recycled sheet to print on
4. Embroidery thread
5. Stash of gelatin printed fabrics

If you think that you would like to explore gelatin printmaking on fabric, then read the details about the upcoming online printmaking class, Monoprinting Fabric.

 

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