Printing with Gelli Plates

 On a recent trip to Plaza Art Materials, actually on my first trip EVER to this awesome place, which is located in Nashville, Tennessee they had a Make it and Take it event. In other words an assortment of people letting you try their product in the hopes that you will fall in love!! Well, IT WORKED!!

There was a woman demonstrating Gelli Plates. And, did I mention everything that day was 40% off!  I don't know how it works in other states, but Florida gives their teachers lead money AND I just figured out how I was gonna spend mine!

I really couldn't wait to try it with my students. Thought I would try this with my 3rd graders. I see them at the end of the day and would have plenty of time to clean up. Really a good thing!

Had it all figured out. Here's what I did. I showed them my sample, which is at the top of this blog. Explained that I wanted them to know all the different ways artists make prints. I wanted them to understand the purpose for printing. And to have the opportunity to do a mono-print.

Then I demonstrated on my Elmo. I used a spoon to apply acrylic paint to the plate, rolled it with a brayer.

 

 Put down a paper leaf, used a stamp for a little texture. Then I pulled the print,

 

My goal was to keep it simple, as it was something new for all of us. I purchased 12 plates, because I don't believe I have more then 24 students in any class. My thinking was a 2 to 1 ratio.

I put 2 trays down on each table. Each tray contained 1 Gelli plate, 2 small cups of paint (colors that work together), a spoon, a texture stamp, a foam stamp, that ribbon that has holes and a brayer.

 BUT before putting the trays out, students were given two pieces of paper with instructions to write their names on the paper as the pencils were going away.  

                                    NO SHARP OBJECTS NEAR MY PLATES!
 Also, directions were given for cleaning the plates after printing, by using newsprint to pull off any paint still on the plate.

My students in action!

 

 

And some of the finished results!

 

  

They had a blast doing this! AND everyone was happy with the results! If anyone reading this, has used other materials successfully with their Gelli Plates, please share!
                                  I will need to step it up next time!
                                                                   Thanks for reading!