Sometimes a group of us get together. Friends who are also artists. We laugh and chat, try new art techniques or a new medium. Talk about exhibitions we have seen, and our latest inspiration brings us joy. Fun with artist friends is so free because we are all grappling with the same things. A shared understanding of the work of creativity means we can express our dreams, passions, hopes and doubts. Often constructive feedback comes from casual conversations.

On one of these occasions, I borrowed a wooden stamp from Anne Langdon. Anne is a printmaker who creates beautifully detailed collages. So, we were all experimenting with printing on a gel plate.

My gel plate was 6 inches square. This is one of the prints I made on that day. As you can see, I was not aiming for high art. Just playing. Play is important in art.

Play Can Morph

I always photograph what I do, regardless of the quality. There was something about the print that appealed to me. A freedom and disregard for symmetry. The playfulness translated to the print.

When I got home, I loaded the photograph into Photoshop, cropped it, and changed the colours. It always amazes me how much colour affects my perception of an image.

While there are some possible colour combinations which worked, I wasn’t sure. I decided to remove the colour completely and have shades of grey. For me, this was the version that worked best. I think this will end up being incorporated into a fabric design. I’m not yet sure how, but I do have some ideas. More playing coming up. Stay tuned.

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