technique  monoprinting

produced in jacksonville, florida

creation date  september 2018

artist  johanna lawson

fall equinox art retreat 2018

my ultimate vision for this company is to organize and establish a space where artists – novice to expert – are encouraged to share their personal truths and stories through creativity and art. a place where people in my community can connect, create, inspire, and instruct. the first ever Spring Equinox Art Retreat, hosted back in march, was the beginning of that and batch no. 24 is a continuation.

this past saturday, i hosted an art retreat where my loved ones had a space to connect and create together. because monoprinting and gelli plates are my favorite medium,  i decided to demonstrate a monoprinting technique inspired by nature and the coming season. we started by setting out into nature to find our monoprinting tools! 

TECHNIQUE

(mono)printing is a form of printmaking that has lines or images that can only be made once, unlike most printmaking, where there are multiple originals. my (mono)prints are one-of-a-kind and created using the Gelli Arts® gelli plate with acrylic paints, inks, and dyes.  all (mono)prints are completely original and no two are the same, making them extra special. print on top of print create layers and layers of beautiful art that can never be replicated. each lift of the paper off the plate is a new opportunity for art, creativity, and a new perspective. #sendlove #everydayart

monoprinting autumn leaves

step one

go outside and find your favorite leaves. fresh, flexible leaves are best for monoprinting. you will also need: any size Gelli Arts® plate (8 x 10 below), brayer, card stock/paper, and various paints in your favorite fall colors!

step two

choose light colors (metallic pale gold, yellow, bright gold) for the background of the leaves. don’t blend the paints completely, this creates variation in the leaves.

[print one]

step three

use darker colors (mixed berry, copper) for the overall background of the print, outline of leaves, and vein details.

step four

create the design with your leaves. place the leaves, vein side down, on your plate. be sure the leaves are as flat as possible. smooth them onto the paint and plate.

step five

pick up the second layer of background. be sure to burnish, especially around the stems and leaf edges. use tape to secure the position of the paper.

(alignment is important for the third and final print)

[print two]

step six

lift the leaves. reveal the vein details and immediately place paper back on the plate. burnish, burnish, burnish! rub the paper on all parts of the plate, then lift. ta-da!

[print three]

for a slight variation on this technique (that produces my favorite results!), check out my autumn leaves tutorial video and channel on youtube. a link to the video can be found at the top of this blog post. follow me and subscribe to my channel for other fun monoprinting and watercolor techniques!

CREATION

the final batch comes in two sizes – stationery (4.25 x 5.5″) and square (5.5 x 5.5″). to give it an extra special touch, i added an embossed quote from Albert Camus, “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” that pretty much sums up these beautiful prints!