Making use of a few prints and cradled panels

[Donna T]

I make prints on a gel plate of all kinds of botanical things. Most of them end up as blank greeting cards but I have so many extras. The duds also get saved for use as collage material. I've been hanging on to a few 6 in. cradled wood panels for years so I decided to see what I could do with them. I mounted the prints and then cut up the scrap pieces to make a border of sorts. I used Golden Soft Gloss Gel as the glue and also covered the wood with Golden's Gac-100 to prevent discoloration (and because I happened to have some). Some leftover Golden Polymer Varnish finished them off. They are 6x6 in. Now I need to make them so they can hang on a wall.

 

[Enyaw]

wow .. that is really cool .. those prints are full of depth and soul as if they were swaying in a soft breeze.

 

[Joy]

I don't know beans about this technique, but they came out really well. The blue is especially intriguing with the variety of shapes and textures.

 

[Queen Bee]

These re lovely.

 

[Donna T]

Thanks Wayne, Joy and Bee! I am always on the lookout for interesting weeds and flowers. Not all are good candidates for being pressed and printed but I’ll try anything.

 

[Hermes2020]

I agree with all the previous comments. My favourite is the stunning magenta one with a hint of blue.

 

[Triduana]

I love them both, I think they're beautiful. Love the border too.

 

[Artyczar]

These are wonderful! Great job!!!!

 

[Donna T]

Thank you Hermes, especially about the magenta color. A friend said she thinks it’s too pink but I wanted these to be a little more colorful. I use quinacridone magenta a lot … maybe too much.

Thank you Kay - I was hoping the borders weren’t too weird. I used to make quilts and I kind of miss all those colorful scraps.

Thanks Arty!

 

[Enyaw]

quinacridone magenta a lot … maybe too much

Never too much…. Fantastic colour.

 

[snoball]

These are really lovely. As thick as the wood is, it would be great if you had a keyhole bit to make a keyhole in the back to slide over a screw or nail.

 

[bethany]

These are wonderful, Donna! I am working with a student who wants to learn printmaking. She has been making gel botanical prints- so you are giving me some ideas for her. Never thought of mounting them to a cradled board..

 

[Donna T]

The keyhole bit is a good idea, Sno. If I was planning on making more of these I would get one. My husband is going to put screw eyes in the back so they won’t stick out and the panel will sit flush with the wall. Thanks so much.

Thank you Bethany. It’s good to know there’s another botanical print maker out there! If your student needs some good gel plate inspiration have her check out the Yeates Makes videos on YouTube. They are really good.

 

[Hermes2020]

Thank you Hermes, especially about the magenta color. A friend said she thinks it’s too pink but I wanted these to be a little more colorful. I use quinacridone magenta a lot … maybe too much.

Thank you Kay - I was hoping the borders weren’t too weird. I used to make quilts and I kind of miss all those colorful scraps.

Thanks Arty!

Quinacridone magenta is also available in the alkyd paints I use. It is transparent and gives magical effects when I glaze it over blue and scarlet.

 

[john]

What they said. The depth pattern and texture is really nice.

 

[PaintBoss]

I agree with everyone, very lovely indeed. I don’t know much about this technique either and I think it’s great to see what you’ve done with your leftovers.

 

[Donna T]

Thank you John and Christine. I learn as I go with these prints and if they don’t work out I either use the other side of the paper or try to cover over the goofs. Actually, the goofs are my favorites even if they are not what would sell as a card.

 

[Terri]

Wonderful work, Donna! I'm so inspired. I'm just starting to play with a gel plate and seeing your results is exciting!

From what I've been told, pressing anything into the plate will leave an impression and possibly ruin the surface. But clearly you're not having that issue - your results are smooth and flowing.
So you're actually taking botanical items, like these beautiful stems, leaves, etc., and pressing them flat and then placing them right on the plate? Just pressing in a book or something similar?

 

[Donna T]

Hi Terri - I’m so happy to hear you got a gel plate! What size did you get? I’ve had the same 5x7 plate for about five years and I haven’t wrecked it yet. I thought that by now I’d have to start using the pristine back side but so far I haven’t. The leaves, weeds and flowers I collect get placed between sheets of newspaper or plain newsprint and then I pile a few heavy books on top. I’ve found that some plants work well and some shrivel and dry up and aren’t a good fit. They don’t have to be completely flattened but it’s hard to remove excess paint around things that stick up above the plate. I use sheets of tissue paper to remove the excess paint. Everything I do is an experiment and I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

 

[Jo Castillo]

Amazing and beautiful. Love all the colors.