New Chapter - Print It

Well the creativity has been at nil level - this is due to the sudden death of a very close friend.  We met through textile studies and it was a continued shared passion.  But 22 years on, there was so much more to chat about.
We lived about 25 miles apart but spoke regularly, for ages on the phone, so I have a big gap in my life now.  So I'm going to start to fill it, with, what might sound odd.  But its like all the dots lined up at the same time.

One of the things I hate, and did you get that hate... is doing something creative which then takes fives times as long to clear up.  I can and have made paper, and being a paper person you'd think I'd do more.  Likewise I can and have dyed fabric and threads.  But I come down to, can I buy this, and if so is it worth doing myself.  When it comes to colour, for years I've preferred to add that via paint, because I can get the exact shade I want, and... only colour the amount I want.  I have fabrics and threads dyed by me which never gets used, I hate the faff of dyeing large pieces for the 20cm sq needed, or just as bad, getting out all the equipment to do just a little.  Last lot of dyeing I did, six different colours in separate lots, brilliant, then decided to abandon the entire idea, so yet another pile of stuff unused.

So fearing I was getting too far the other way, too far commercial product, not enough me, I bought myself a Gelli Plate.  I love it.  Its exactly right for me.  The clear up is next to nil, the prints dry so quickly there's no longer a trail out the bedroom across and round the landing and into another room.  Plus paints, brayer (roller) stencils, I already have those in abundance.  I just crave the baby Gelli - 3" x 5" but I don't see it readily available in the UK, yet.  I've asked a local shop to enquire of her suppliers.

The pink pattern here on the background is one of my prints.

So although I love this, I'm still not putting enough effort into it, and that's when all the dots lined up.  As if I needed an excuse, info re an online course was released on my birthday.  Its by Carolyn Dube, someone I've followed for a while, because she makes me smile, I love the attitude of not getting worried about whatever happens in the art. the changing minds and doing over.  See her blog/Facebook to find out what an Oops is....

Now that my friend has left this gap in my life, this little course, 5 weeks, will offer up focus, structure, sense of purpose.  I've no idea if it will be the right thing, if the end result will be my style or meet my needs, but I don't really care, cost wise its worked out to be roughly the price of a single dayclass, so its not like I have the "I've spent all this it has to work" mindset.  I already have most of the things to be used in the class, might need some US/UK translation.

So to borrow from another who uses the Gelli Plate and whose work I like, Hilary Beattie - I'm going to start Gelliping in a more earnest manner.

So with my birthday and a death, it becomes a new life chapter, I'll let you know how it goes, that is if anyone reads, but hey, its all about recording the how, what, why, for me.

Find out more about One Pull Wonders via Carolyn's website, here.