So I finally found an acrylic art class to go to this spring. I have been wanting to take something ever since I started back with acrylics last year. So much has changed, material wise, in 40 years and I needed to update myself on current paints, additives, and methodologies. Who would have thought that now there are acrylics as thin as watercolors.
Anyway, on the first day, I made a gel print. It used to be that gel plates for monoprinting were hand-made with real gelatin powder and used for a day or two before discarding. Now, you can buy a plastic substrate that performs like a real gel plate but doesn’t degrade. I never tried this before so it was an interesting experience. I was able to borrow a small plate to experiment with that first day but I didn’t get to do much more than a single print before I moved on to something else.
I went ahead and bought 8×10 and 5×7 “gelli plates” for my own use at home. Fortunately, they have arrived in time for the last two classes so I will be trying some more complicated things out with a little supervision before I dive in on my own. I also found a few books to help guide me along and I will have to check out youtube.
This class has been mostly abstract in nature, quite different from my normal work I know, but I am mostly interested in learning about new materials and technologies rather than subject matter. So far, I’ve been very happy with the experience. Pour painting is next.