Gelatin Prints

In this work I used the natural beauty of Maine's local flora to create an abstract piece in ink. I chose the leaves because of their natural beauty and intricate design that reflects in the ink. The dark blue that I used helps to exaggerate the details of the leaves without overwhelming the piece. The blue shade invokes a sense of calm and relaxation.

By rolling ink over a gelatin plate the texture of the leaves is transferred onto the canvas, thus revealing the intricacy of the leaves' details. To do this one must first roll the ink onto a slate until the ink is sticky and lines the slate as a thin layer. Once this is done, you use the roller to cover the gelatin plate and apply your leaves face down. For your first print, you put the paper square on top and rub it evenly on top of the leaves. For the second print, you remove the leaves and place the paper onto the gelatin and rub the paper once again to transfer the ink. For your third and final print, known as the ghost, you repeat the process one more time before wiping the gelatin clean for the next user.

To extend my final ghost print I chose to fill in the negative space within the leaves with a light watercolor yellow. The yellow provides a warm contrast to the blue's cool tones. This represents the sunlight peeking through the fall foliage.