Monoprinting

There's a lot of buzz in the surface design world about printing on Gelli plates.  I've been wanting to get one but just can't really afford the $30 to $70  they cost. First there was printing on a gelatin plate that you made yourself from cheap, unflavored gelatin, which gave a textured surface for a more interesting print.  I first tried that after reading Rayna Gillman's great book, Create Your Own Hand-printed Cloth.  It was a lot of fun, but you had to plan ahead and make the gelatin a day earlier and store it in your fridge. After using it for awhile, it broke down and you had to throw it out. With both kids back home, it's hard to find room in the fridge and planning ahead, when I want to create art, is not one of my strongest points. So I got to thinking about what would have a similar texture and be less expensive than the Gelli plates.  I bought a package of three assorted sizes of white, acryllic cutting boards at Target for a mere $12.  They work great!  They are lightweight and clean up well and have a wonderful texture.  Here are pictures of some prints I made on the cutting boards, using Setacolor paints, dried leaves, assorted stencils and stamps.