From Complex to Minimal: When Art Takes a Right Hand Turn

Taking an online workshop is a new adventure for me. The one I'm currently taking with Jane Davies on monoprinting with the Gelli plate and collage has been extremely interesting and informative. I don't have to park myself in front of the computer at a specific time; I can watch the video for each lesson, read over the instructions, and complete the exercises whenever it suits me. Which is certainly helpful, since I seem to be spending more time at doctors appointments nowadays than I ever thought possible.

One of the exercises requires us to use only a handful of very simple shapes -- square and rectangles -- that combine collage elements plus prints made on the Gelli plate. Jane's instructions were to leave plenty of white space while adhering to a grid format for the placement of the prints and collaged papers..

Now, leaving plenty of white space is not in my nature. I subscribe to the "more is more" school of thought. I adore complexity and pattern in my art and that of everyone else. So when I was challenged by Jane to create a minimum of six of these minimalist pieces, I was a bit put off. At first, anyway.

©2016 Lynn Edwards

©2016 Lynn Edwards

©2016 Lynn Edwards

As I proceeded to complete the exercise, I was reminded once again that simplicity can be a very good thing. I actually liked the results I was getting! The three pieces above are my favorites out of the half dozen I created.

Jane had urged us to not worry about composition, but instead to concentrate on the purpose of the lesson, which was to become familiar with the effects of applying a printed shape over a piece of collage, and vice versa.

Being a longtime collage artist I was pretty well versed in those things, but it had been ages since I had deliberately chosen to work with a bare bones, pared down, totally simple design. As I began creating each small collage, I found myself appreciating the white space more and more. By the time I finished the sixth piece, I had become entranced with it. "Going Zen" was like enjoying an unexpected, sudden breath of fresh air in a stuffy, overheated room. It was liberating, exhilarating even!

Sometimes it's good to get a wakeup call. I plan to heed this one by creating work that's less complex and less complicated in the future. But I don't plan to abandon complexity altogether. Instead I'll let this lesson inform my future pieces and see where it takes them. Already I'm eager to see what new discoveries there are to be made. That's just another facet of the excitement to be found working in mixed media and collage.

Text and images ©2016 Lynn Edwards

Making Collage Papers With a Gelli Plate

Every now and then it's good for an artist to take a workshop. A workshop can introduce artists to new techniques, expand their knowledge of the medium they use, and connects them with others in the arts community.

I've had the good fortune to study with Bob Burridge and Carrie Burns Brown in workshops consisting of five solid days of immersion in abstract painting (Burridge) and in collage (Burns-Brown). Both were remarkable experiences that benefited me in countless ways. So when another of my favorite artists, Jane Davies, announced an online collage workshop on monoprinting with a popular new tool called a Gelli Plate, I jumped at the chance to enroll.

Single color collage papers made using a gelatin plate, stamps, stencils and various household items in Jane Davies' online workshop.   ©2016 Lynn Edwards

 Monoprinting is the act of creating a single print by pressing a sheet of paper onto a "plate" onto which paint or ink has been applied, then carefully lifting or "pulling" the sheet of paper away to reveal the resulting image. Plates can be made from a variety of materials, including glass and gelatin. For Jane's workshop, I'm using a commercially made plate called a Gelli Plate that, unlike home made versions, is very sturdy and does not break down or disintegrate over time.

If you've never experimented with monoprinting on a gelatin plate, you owe it to yourself to give it a try, particularly if you're into collage and making your own papers. With it you can make papers that are uniquely yours, in endless color combinations featuring designs of your own creation, until the cows come home. For a collage artist, it's Nirvana!

The photo above shows some of the papers I made in my first effort. I quickly learned that the Gelli Plate seems to require a breaking-in period; at first, the paint coverage seemed spotty and there were odd shadowy shapes of unexplained origin on the initial prints. But now that I've made well over 75 monoprints with my Gelli Plate, it has seemed to settle down and my monoprints now have a much smoother, more pleasing appearance.

What makes this cool little tool so much fun to use? The results you get are totally unpredictable. You may think you know what something is going to turn out like, but with Gelli Plate printing, it's just one surprise after another. Often, what emerges is so much more visually interesting than what you anticipated.

For example, I discovered that a technique Jane shared with us to remove dried paint from the plate resulted in a very exciting looking design when I substituted a piece of colored card stock for plain white drawing paper. This then led to the discovery that I could get yet another whole different look by pressing some of my older, textured and painted papers onto the wet plate. I'll share  these with you in my next post, just as soon as I can get them photographed. Meanwhile, here's a sampling of some very basic, two color papers I made in the workshop. Stay tuned, there are far more exciting papers yet to come!

Papers made by layering one color over another color. The surface designs were made using combs, stencils, notched scrapers, foam stamps and other tools. © 2016 Lynn Edwards

 Text and images ©2016 Lynn Edwards

Some Results from Day 1 of Gelli Printing

Here are just a few of the designs I created using my Gelli Plate!

©2015 Lynn Edwards

©2015 Lynn Edwards

©2015 Lynn Edwards

©2015 Lynn Edwards

©2015 Lynn Edwards

©2015 Lynn Edwards

After pulling the prints, I trimmed them to fit panel style blank notecards. All but two (the blue and white one, and the pink and green one) were made using my own stamp designs. I had a blast making the prints and could have stayed on in the studio printing for several more hours. But I had to call it quits so I'd have time to clean up the huge mess I'd made. Gelli printing is not an activity for the fussy or fastidious!

Text and images ©2015 Lynn Edwards

Make Gelli Prints, not Lemonade!

The huge winter storm that has been clobbering states to our north is now on Georgia's doorstep. My friend Kathy and I had planned to paint together in her studio tomorrow, but now it looks like that's not going to happen. When the Atlanta area gets ice and snow, the very last place you want to be is out in your car. If you don't slide off into a ditch, chances are you'll be slammed into by another driver.

So for the next few days I'll be "working" in my own studio making Gelli prints! The new 8x10 inch Gelli Plate I bought last month is one of the very neatest art tools I've ever used. Using it is pure play.

Unlike homemade gelatin plates, which quickly disintegrate and require refrigeration, the Gelli Plate is a permanent material that requires no refrigeration at all. To use it, you simply brayer on a layer of color, add patterns using stencils, soft tip mark making tools etc., and pull your prints. When you're done, just wipe it clean with a damp paper towel or baby wipe. Or clean it using soap and water. No muss, no fuss, no bother.

I used my Gelli Plate to make many of the papers for the series of mirrors I've just completed (now available through 2Rules at $90 each). Making those papers with the Gelli Plate was so much fun and they turned out great!

My supply of collage papers is running low so for the next couple of days, while ice and snow keep me home-bound, I'll be immersing myself in Gelli printing to build up my stash. It's an opportunity to replenish a much needed supply as I watch the snow fall...or the ice form, whichever. So my motto for this week is "When life hands you lemons, make Gelli prints!"

©2015 Lynn Edwards

Oops!

Sometimes we can get so caught up in day to day events, we fail to remember our standing commitments. Such was the case this week, when I became (1) completely immersed in the renovation of our guest room and (2) totally captivated by my new Gelli Plate and the process of creating amazing monoprints with it. Oh, and there was also the five foot high pile of laundry I needed to tackle, along with starting the ritual of decorating the house for Christmas. (With company arriving from out of state, we're going all out on interior and exterior decorations this year.)

To make a long story short, I completely forgot to post yesterday's "Thought for Sunday." My bad!!!
When I realized my error, and acutely aware of Thanksgiving coming up later this week, I thought gratitude would make a good subject. Though "A Thought for Sunday" didn't appear on time, I hope you've still been able to derive some inspiration from it. Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

©2014 Lynn Edwards