unveiling: Leaf printing obsessions

All of these pieces come from the inspiration I found this spring working with leaf prints using the Gelli plate. I fell in love with the various forms of plant life I'd find on my walks. Carrying around a plastic bag and scissors, I'd gather "specimens" everywhere I went; in the city, the suburbs and the woods. These would then go into my fridge for safe keeping until I could pull them out and play with them!!

I found there was something about using the forms of plants that brought about a feeling of open spaces and architecture. I was inspired to build. So I used the prints as building blocks for collage, just as kids love to builld their own castles and forts. I loved combining familiar elements in not so obvious, almost mysterious ways, bringing a new appreciation for the forms.

Using both the fast drying, cheap craft paints and then the luscious Golden Open acrylics with their slow drying, fluid and rich colors kept me quite happy. I'd make mountains of simple prints. Each pull always brought surprises and I was hooked. I'd make these in my bits of time during the week and then on the weekends I'd begin to put these together, either as more complex collages or as prints that could stand on their own.

This first set of four is all collage. They came from using the prints as building blocks - cutting them up, not knowing what I'd be doing with them but feeling inspired by particular parts, wanting to combine them with parts from other prints. I played around a lot, moving them this way and that. Lots of fun!

Then I pulled some prints that started to feel they could stand on their own. See them below. They were less about building blocks and more about a mysterious something emerging.