Deep Dive – monotype print

£90.00£135.00

Deep Dive – abstract monotype print with underwater feel – acrylic on paper – 30 cm x 30 cm

Description

Deep Dive is another from my Lockdown 2020 series of gel prints. The title comes from the deep blue of the background which made me think of being deep underwater. The other patches and strips of colour then became seaweed and underwater plants. I’ve made prints with this sort of feel before, both digital and physical. The first one I think took its theme from Octopus’s Garden by the Beatles.

The print was made by gel printing with acrylic paints on paper and is about 30 cm square. It is unmounted and unframed, although if you wish I can mount it on a cradled wooden panel, with black painted edges ready to hang on your wall.

During lockdown, I have made large series of  similar colourful abstract monotype prints. They represent a new direction for my work, one I intend to continue to explore for a good while yet. I am very drawn to the way in which abstract, almost accidental layers of colour can be transformed into a coherent structured artwork. Many draw their inspiration from real places, others are pure abstract and some, while still abstract, have a link back to the world of experience such as the underwater theme here.

What is a gel print?

Monotype prints in general are made by drawing or painting on a smooth, non-absorbent surface. This surface, sometimes called the matrix, was historically a copper etching plate. In contemporary work other materials are often used, such as acrylic sheet. The image on the matrix is then transferred onto a sheet of paper by pressing the two together. This usually requires a print press. Monotypes can also be created by inking an entire surface and then, using brushes or rags, removing ink to create light areas in a field of opaque colour. This is then pressed together with a sheet of paper to make the print.

The specific process I used for this print was gel printing (or Gelli but this is a trademark). The matrix in this case is a soft synthetic gel. I apply the paint to the gel sheet with rollers or brushes. The area to which the paint is applied can be controlled by masks and stencils. The rolled out paints can also be drawn into or textured in various ways. This process is repeated until I’m happy with the image.

Some of my prints made this way have over 20 separate full or partial layers. The nature of the process allows for both intense bright colours and  subtle variations in colour as well as tangible physical texture.+

Additional information

Dimensions 30 × 30 × 2.5 cm
Mounted or Unmounted

Unmounted, Mounted on panel

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

You may also like…