Have you ever used a Gelli Plate before? All the Art Carter’s are receiving a Gelli Plate in their December Carts this year! Normally, I would do a YouTube video explaining the products inside this months Red’s Art Cart, however for December I have chosen to explain it via a blog post. Main reason is that I have already explained most of what is in the Cart in the example video, which you can view if you click below
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Every year, Decembers Art Cart has always been a little bit more ‘fun and crafty’, because it's the end of year and the focus is more on decorations for the festive season rather than personal gain with developing certain art techniques. Adding a Gelli Plate is the perfect product for such a month as it wonderful for making gift tags and cards and possibly even wrapping paper.
Contents of December Red's Art Cart 2019
For those that may not have heard of a Gelli Plate, let me explain briefly what one is. Joan Bess is the creator of the Gelli Arts printing plates. Other companies have since followed and you can also make them at home I believe. They are made mainly of gelatin and glycerine but the best part about them is that they can be stored at room temperature, reusable and easy to clean! Gelli Arts sell the printing plates in a few different sizes which you can purchase through the Mrs Red’s Art Shop HERE! When new, they look just like a piece of clear glass and approximately 100mm in thickness. They feel just like jelly, very flimsy and wobbly, quite a nice feeling between your fingertips I must say!
Joan Bess and examples of the Gelli Arts printing plates.
Gelli Arts recommends that acrylic and water-soluble printing paints are used. Oil paints can be used but cleaning is harder. Soapy water is all that is required to clean the plate. It’s really important to store your plates between the two pieces of clear plastic that protect the plate and then in the hard plastic protective case the plate comes in. Sharp objects and surfaces will permanently damage the plate.
There are many ways of printing with the plates, by applying acrylic paint, using stencils and even using such items as tissue paper and cling wrap to create an impression to the turn into a print. In the video for this month’s Art Cart, I show how to do a 3 layer print. You can only create one print at a time, and you have to either use a hair dryer or wait for the paint to dry on plate before moving on to next layer, but it is sooooo much fun!
Examples using contents of the December Red's Art Cart
The hard rubber roller that my Art Carters are receiving is probably not the most ideal size for the plate however, with every Cart, I have to factor in the weight of entire box and the price of each item. That said, this plastic roller is fantastic to use, light weight and you can clean the roller by removing it from handle if you wish. These rollers are also available for purchase in the Mrs Red’s Art Shop HERE.
Gelli printing is always a great way to get through all your acrylic paints that you have bought over the years. The Art Carters all received an Atelier Interactive Artists Acrylic Pastel colour tube, 75ml. Atelier brought the pastel range out in 2018, with 7 gorgeous subtle colours to compliment the rest of the Interactive range. Now you don’t have to colour mix to get that beautiful pastel colour you want! These colours are all available in the online store of course.
For the purpose of this Art Cart, please use the pastel paint along with all your other acrylic paints, just like I have done in the video. If you do have old tubes of acrylic, it is best to test the paint first by squeezing a little out onto some scrap paper to make sure it has not gone lumpy or separated. If either of these happen, you will not be able to use it on the Gelli plate as it simply will not stick to roller or plate.
Three layer Gelli print
And finally, the last item that is inside the December Art Cart is two 5”x5” art stencils. Mrs Red has just begun to stock these in the online art store so make sure you check out the other designs. In my humble opinion, you can never have enough stencils!
In the world we live in today and the beauty of YouTube, there are endless videos to watch on Gelli Printing. They are all inspiring and will give you endless ideas of how to create some wonderful prints.
For the Art Carter’s who are reading this post, please send photos of your work on our social media links which is mentioned on your information card. I love seeing your work and you inspire others as well.
Round stickers - three layer Gelli print
For more information on the Red’s Art Carts, a monthly art subscription, please click HERE.
The Carts are a surprise to you every month, not knowing what is inside and it feels like your birthday comes around every month. There are also 3, 6 and 12 month gift subscriptions to purchase. And in March 2020, Mrs Red is launching Little Red’s Art Cart, a monthly art subscription box for ages 5+. This will be technique based projects and I am really looking forward to launching this and see all the fabulous artworks that the Little Art Carter’s produce! More information on this subscription will be available over the coming month.
Please go and enjoy using your December Art Cart and if you didn’t get one, jump into the store and grab a Gelli plate and roller so you can get started!
Mrs Red
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