Inspired by Rothko & Gelli Arts!

8/4/2016

Hey, Creatives! :)

The summer is flying by here in Houston, and it has been SUPER HOT!

So, what do you do in the sweltering heat?
Stay inside and Make Art, of course!

Lately, I have been totally inspired to get in my studio and create and play with my new Gelli Plate by Gelli Arts. I have only used it a few times now, but it is so, so much fun :)

You may be wondering why my title says, Inspired by Rothko, and here I am talking about Gelli Plate printing. Don't worry, I'm getting to that!

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I have a million ideas about how to use my Gelli Plate - from found objects, to stencils, to simple color exploration.

Which is great!
Except, I can't do them all at once.
So, you see my problem.

To narrow down my options, I wanted to let my monoprinting be inspired by something or someone. For my first playtime, I chose to limit myself by using only a few handmade items and found objects to create texture, and just try it out. (You can hear my first impressions and see that video here.)

For the next play session, I mulled over several options--there are ENDLESS options!!

My Gelli Plate is an 8x10, rectangular plate :) Perfect size for 9x12, 8.5x11, or even smaller paper.

While mulling, I began thinking of Mark Rothko, one of the founders of abstract expressionism.

I love Rothko's paintings. In fact, I can honestly say that he is one of the main reasons that I began painting.

When I first saw his work, I thought,
I can do that!
-- You know, that thought that often gets me into trouble!
--yet, there it was.

I thought, if he can do it, I can do it.

At the time, I just wanted to make art. I had only just begun to appreicate abstract work. I had no thoughts about the "why" or the meaning behind it all. I remember the experience so well. The painting was a huge blue canvas painting, saturated with color, and intensity. It was overwhelming and beautiful.

Rothko No. 17 http://www.christies.com/features/Mark-Rothko-No-17-to-lead-in-New-York-7209-3.aspx

A painting is not about an experience.
It is an experience.

~Mark Rothko

That's one of my favorite things about Rothko.
He wanted you to be part of the painting.
He painted on very large canvas so we could experience art from the perspective of being inside the space, rather than as a bystander. (Deep thought of the day!)

If you live in the Houston area, you can experience this for yourself at the Rothko Chapel. I've been there...it's amazing.

All of this thinking about Rothko made me want to paint color field paintings.

What better way to do that than to try it on my Gelli Plate!
Rothko painted in layers of color!
Monoprinting is all about layering!
Perfect match!

Of course, the scale of the paintings is a bit different, but I think he would understand. After all, he was all about the experience. :)

And so, without further ado....

I had a great time attempting color fields on my Gelli Plate. Unfortunately, there were technical difficulties, and I had to voice over the video, rather than showing it in real time. Thank you for reading and watching!

My Supply List is below, as well as some pics of the results of my colorfield painting play session.