peace dreamer

When I think about the hope my children express about the future, I long for their optimism.

When I think about my children having children (as they will in the next couple of months), I want more than anything for the world to be at peace.

As I played with this round Gelli plate today, I did not consciously contemplate anything, but I can see from this result that I was thinking about the world. The world as a container for the people who inhabit it.

If I am a dreamer about peace, I know for certain that I am not the only one.

Eva Cassidy. "Imagine."

Gelli plate prints

demo, Katherine van Schoonhoven

I am a member of Portland Women in Abstract Media (PDX-WAM) and yesterday I hosted our monthly meeting. It always feels good to be in the company of fine artists. 

In addition to our regular sharing of information, critique, talk about upcoming shows, art and life conversation, I set up a play time in the studio. We all (mostly) wore painting clothes and experimented with creating prints on my Gelli Arts plate.

I demonstrated by making two prints. We used liquid acrylics by Golden and many tools to create texture and interest. One of the artists saw Pisa's leaning tower in my demo print.

Although some in our group have done monotype and other printmaking, none had used the Gelli plate. The beauty of the Gelli plate is that it uses materials already in our studios. And the resulting prints are exciting and as different as the artists who created them.

Ann Fullerton

Bonnie Garrett

Collin Murphy

Marilyn Woods

Best of all, my studio was filled with creative energy and an explosion of new ideas about art. I'm sure I captured it before everyone left.