Gelli printing - finally getting to grips with it

Earlier this week my daughter asked if we could have an art day. She took Art at GCSE last year but hasn't really done much since. Initially, she wanted to join me in printing. Then she decided that she wanted to overpaint a portrait she did last year. However, when she saw I had some big paper she decided to draw a simple outline portrait of her favourite member of the group 'Road Trip'. (It's a teenager thing!)

So off she went with her drawing, asking for a bit of help now and again and I started with my printmaking. I think if I were to go and do my Art education at this point in my life I'd do print. There is something so immediate and unexpected about the outcomes and with mono-printing it a far more painterly technique - which suits me down to the ground. I think at some point I would love to find out more about local artist Rebecca Vincent's technique as its very controlled, she uses many layers and a big printing press. I work on the dining table and I don't have a press!

I usually use oil-based block printing inks, which have a long working time but can also take several days to dry. I was drawn to trying a Gelli plate as I had read that you can get a really nice print from them just using acrylic paint, but they are not suitable for oil-based inks. So a couple of years ago I had a Gelli plate for Christmas and give it a try, unfortunately, I was rather disappointed with the results. I used a lot of paint and it dried so quickly it was almost unworkable - this was a real shock when I'm so used to the long working time you have with oil-based inks.

Last year, when on a course for work I was introduced to block printing medium and textile medium. The block printing medium is added to the paint in equal amounts and extends the working time and gives a better print consistency. I tried this out with traditional monoprint techniques and a small press and it worked very well. My mum bought me some of the block printing medium for last Christmas and today was the first time I've given it a go. It was the perfect day to print with this technique as it was warm enough that I didn't need the heating on, but cool enough so that the paint wouldn't dry out too quickly.

I had no plan for what type of prints I was going to make. It was purely an opportunity to experiment with techniques and materials.

I set up my work station with a range of different papers, collage materials, rollers, spatulas and cloths. I also set up the clothes airer to dry the prints on.

I found that it's quite easy to layer the prints - mainly as the paint dries quickly. I also quite like that the paint can layer on the plate and this can create some interesting effects. I used a few stencils and other items for masking out areas but found that they're not as effective as my normal method. What I did like was the painterly quality you can get with this type of printing. and I liked being able to draw into the ink with the spatulas and create different effects.

Overall I'm pleased with the results and I created over 30 prints. Most of these will form collage materials, which will be layered and cut to create other artworks. One or two of the pieces work well on their own and some of the others will need working back into with other art materials to make them into something I'm happy with.

I still think I like the oil-based inks best, but I can clean this lot up and have it all away by the end of the day - which is a bonus when there are 5 of us in the house and space is at a premium. Which of these do you like best?