A fantastic DIY low fi kitchen table method of monoprinting onto paper or fabric. (No expensive presses or equipment required.) You can buy a gelli plate or make your own at home from non-toxic materials and little cost.

Purchasable through this online shop:

• Gelliart 5x7” plates - $56.40/plate.

• Gelliart placement/registration tools - $57ea.

• Click for Stazon inks (used for image transfers).

• All prices include GST.

Purchased gelli plates don’t require refrigeration. Just clean with a baby wipe at the end of your print session and store in their original packaging at room temperature. If you are careful with your plates, they should last for years.

If you are on a budget, you might like to make your own gelli plate. However, you’ll probably need to store them in the fridge to minimise mould and, with use, the surface will eventually degrade over time. When this happens, chop up your homemade plates (rather than throwing them out), microwave them and cast them in a new mold. (But don’t do this with your expensive purchased plates, keep those really safe!) There are plenty of recipes on the internet if you want to Google making your own. And if you replace 70% isopropyl with 99% isopropyl in those recipes, you’ll avoid bubbles more easily. Both glycerine and isopropyl can usually be purchased in bulk (and more cheaply) from your local chemical supplier, rather than from supermarkets and hardware stores. (If you living Adelaide, try Ace Chemicals in Adelaide. But always phone first; Ace is an industrial chemical supplier, so orders need to be made a few days in advance. No drop ins.)

Plates can be used with pigmented, acrylic-based printing mediums/products. At the high quality end, try Akua monoprinting inks and Golden Open acrylic paints. At the low fi end, use any old tube of cheap acrylic paint you have lying around. Poscas work well, and if you are doing image transfers then Stazon inks will help. Dye-based products should be avoided as these can permanently stain the plate surface. Avoid oil-based inks as well.

Whichever type of plate you use - purchased or homemade - don’t leave them out to be nibbled (gelatine smells great to pets and rodents), keep both surfaces protected and flat, and clean with soap/water or a baby wipe prior to storage.

Keep your plates safe and you’ll have fun for a seriously long time.

And, as always, if you are printing onto fabric, don’t forget to mix in a medium (before printing) that turns the paint into a curable textile paint and then following the instructions for curing the fabric.

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Here’s a set of images/videos on Instagram that show @markwillsartwork making an amazing gelli monoprint… First, the finished print, and then the process in three videos, one, two and three. And for great ideas/tips on gelli printing, check out the Yeates Makes YouTube channel.

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Special orders are available - including new orders of Out of Stock items and bulk orders. Please text Simone on 0407 079 604 to enquire.

Postage by Australia Post Parcel Post, up to 5kg, within Australia, with tracking, 2+ business days delivery (actual time may vary according to Australia Post’s Covid restrictions and border closures).
- Postage 1-4 small items (up to 5kg in total) $15.
- Bulk purchases & paper purchases always by pre-arrangement, text 0407 079 604. (Delivery costs are dependant upon size/weight of package.)

Alternatively, collection from Adelaide (SA) inner city for no charge.

Collection times must coincide with Simone’s teaching/studio schedule - mostly Saturdays during the day (Stepney), Sundays during the day (Hindmarsh) and Monday evenings (Hindmarsh).

No drop ins please.
(Artists work across many venues, so studio visits are always by appointment, thank you.)