Gel Plate Printing Inspired by Nature – Summer 2023
Event Info
This class will take place on:
- Sat, July 17th 11:00am–1:00pm ET
Print with found objects, specifically leaves from trees and bushes or houseplants, in this two-hour workshop with Elaine G. Chu! Students will learn how to work with these objects as masks and also to create ghost monoprints. The instructor will go into a brief history of printing (both Eastern and Western), demo and provide tips on gel plate printing, and review how to construct a pamphlet-stitch book. The bulk of the class will be hands-on printing by participants with an opportunity to share their artwork in process along the way. Cards or single sheets will be printed.
There are a total of 15 spots open in this small-group workshop.
If you cannot comfortably pay tuition but are interested in taking this class, please consider filling out our financial assistance application here. We will notify you of your scholarship status before the start date of the class.
Required Materials
- 4 x 5″ gel plate (larger plate can be cut down to size if you’d like to print on standard-size cards)
- 3 or 4″ brayer (either hard or soft roller)
- Twelve blank A2 cards (4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ folded) and envelopes (alternatively, ok to print on large single sheets too)
- Acrylic inks, 4 or more colors—kind that comes out of a tube preferred (others types may work too)
- Large-eye needle
- 25″ length linen thread. (Can substitute embroidery thread or sewing thread doubled.)
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Scissors
- 5 sheets of standard 8-1/2 x 11″ text-weight paper (eg. photocopy paper) cut down to 8-1/2″(w) x 5-1/2″(h). Yields 10 sheets total.
- Scrap paper to protect work surface
About the Instructor
Elaine G. Chu has taught students of all ages in person and online. Her work has been featured in “Greencraft” and“Somerset Studio” magazines as well as “1000 Artists’ Books.” She co-authored “Wood Paper Scissors,” a how-to crafts book. Elaine received a B.A. in music at Yale University and a B.F.A. in graphic design at University of the Arts. You can view more of her work at EGChuHandcrafted.etsy.com and @egchu1 on Instagram.
All images courtesy of the instructor.
