Skip to main content

Capturing a Moment: Gelatin Printing





Lets just get right down to it, you've either tried it and loved it or you're currently wondering what I'm talking about. Gelatin prints that's what. A few years ago a student introduced me to the wonders of using homemade gelatin as a printing plate (sugar free kind). As it turns out it is a very versatile work surface that brings an element of intrigue and play into the work space.

When my clients first hear I'll be bringing in gelatin, they seek out napkins and forks and eagerly away the obviously tasty snack. The sound of dreams shattering as I pull-out the gelatin plates is audible (if only short lived). Soon everyone is poking and wiggling the gelatin and wondering what we'll be doing with it.

Play is an important aspect of what I do. So is creativity and genuine interest. These things are however harder to come-by in adults than their younger counterparts (who jump-into explorer mode instinctively).  Sometimes I have to coerce these attributes out and gelatin is one of those tools/processes with a higher success rate (for me that is).

Enough talk, lets get into some visuals.

With a few adaptations gelatin can be made sturdy enough for use as a printing plate.
After inking, items are laid on the place...
A sheet of paper is used to press the items down, creating a negative print (and removing excess ink).

After the negative print, the items are removed from the plate, and a true print obtained.


  














Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it. - Warhol
Labels:

Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 29, 2019 at 1:23 PM

    I remember this process with the jello.So cooool!🤗

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Layered {Response} Art

Inchies in process of being stained. I recently read artist Seth Apter ’s post on a question we artists are often asked: How long did it take you? The following blog post will be my response to his thought provoking post which I found rang a few bells for me. Seth’s post for October 20th, 2014 can be reached via this link: The Surface of my Work So, how long does it take to create? ...the art therapist’s perspective. I will give voice to some accumulated thoughts on the particular topic of response art. I feel it is important to make the distinction between response art and other artwork I may engage-in for the purpose of “creating something pretty”. Response art to me indicates a creative process (and/or artifact) that seeks to process an experience; usually to do with intense experiences encountered as a part of carrying out the duties of our profession [for more on response art in art therapy see Fish, 2006, 2008, 2012]. Beginning. When the creative bug cal...
3 comments
Read more

Arting-Out Stress on Paper: The evolution of a piece.

Every once in a while I tell myself to just go "art-about-it". Since I can remember I have loved going elbows deep into art supplies. Becoming an art therapist made my love of art closer to an addiction (the art supplies are everywhere!). Recently I was prompted by a student to create what "stress" looks like to me.  The resulting image was a bit jarring to me, it didn't sit well. It made me feel 'unfinished'. Created with watercolor and TomBow markers and water. When there is a mismatch between the image and my emotions the best thing for me to do is get back in there and work it out. With this particular image I decided to document the process in case I ruined it. As these things go, some emotions tend to be messier than others and "stress" is one of those that has a consuming energy about it. Splashed watercolors on it and added salt, then streaked some colors out. Moving-on. As an image is 'worked-on' some of the origi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Leftover Tie Dye? Work with it!

Summer seems to be the time for tie dye and outdoor activities -- in Florida that also means spontaneous monsoon-like thunderstorms and zillions (yes, zillions) of mosquitoes. So, if you’re stuck indoors with weeks old (or older) tie dye, this post is for you! As seen in previous posts I love re-purposing and up-cycling, however believe me when I say that I do not go looking for these opportunities. I just go with it when the muse calls and sometimes it works out and others it does not. This was one of those creative opportunities that paid off. 1 First, I happen to find some tie dye left by my students (maybe as far back as April or early May). It had been mixed ages ago (months) and packaging instructions say to discard after a few hours...umm. OK so I couldn't bring myself to pouring it down the drain. 2 Finding some pieces of light color or white absorbent cloth (mine were about 4”x4” bed sheet cloth) I set to purposefully experiment. I folded & wrapped e...
Post a Comment
Read more