Michaele Ignon was our March guest speaker - she showed us how she uses a gel plate to create monoprints. She walked us through the materials and tools she likes to use, including hand-carved stencils, cut-outs for masking, styluses and stamps. We discovered lots of creative household items that make wonderful marks in the paint on the plate, like a slice from a long pool noodle or the round end of a chopstick.
After she demonstrated a few techniques, everyone got a chance to create their own monoprint design.
Michaele also introduced us to the idea of printing on deli wrap to create collage elements. Deli wrap for sandwiches, which you can get at the bigger cash & carry food stores, has the perfect weight, surface and transparency. It's right between tissue paper and wax paper.
Above is a pear she painted on a canvas, and below is the same pear after she collaged pieces of deli wrap that she printed with a variety of marks and colors. We loved how the torn papers blended right in to the canvas.
Click here to view or download more details from her presentation. Click here for her recipe to make your own gel plate, or you can find brand name gel plates at any art supply store.