Gelli Printing is a technique that uses a gel plate to create unique monoprints. The gel plate is a squishy surface made of polymer and mineral oil. It feels a bit like the top layer of Jell-O left in the refrigerator without a cover for too long, which has hardened. Working on the gel plate involves rolling paint onto the surface with a brayer (roller), then using a variety of materials to create texture, then pulling the print- using a piece of paper for fabric, thereby transferring the print. The versatility and one-of-a-kind nature of these prints is addictive.

In the prints below, I first made a photo transfer of a picture onto the gel plate using black paint. This gives you an old-school photographic ‘negative’ image. I then used acrylic paint to add layers of color. In the end, I rolled one color over the dried painting and pulled it with a wet strength tissue paper. I usually go back in with acrylic paint markers to add some details.