Book Pages.

I am about to embark on a new handmade book, starting with background colours and pattern made on my homemade gelatin plate. Above is a picture of the front of each double page and below the back of the same pages.

These are all leaves of plants from my garden with just a couple of exceptions where I have used pressed flowers from gardens in the neighborhood.
 

Beetles and an Owl.

More beetles today, with carved stamps printed over a gelatin plate background and pressed leaves.

                                        A multi layered gelatin print with a carved owl stamp.
 

Beetles.

Beetles are an ongoing theme of mine, although I haven't used my hand carved stamps of them for quite a while. The multi layered background above has been sitting around for several months and today I decided to add some Egyptian themed commercial stamps and my own hand carved sort-of scarab stamps.

The leaf prints in this one were done just a couple of days ago, but I carved the beetles  a couple of years ago. I love beetles with the long curving antennae, so elegant!
 

Layers.

 In these four prints I have used the same vegetation plate to print over different backgrounds. This one above I have called 'Enchanted Forest'.

I think that the one above has at least 4 layers under the vegetation layer and I've called this one 'Many Moons'.

Another print with just 2 layers and the same plant material over a background. This is 'Lights in the Forest'.

I couldn't tell you just how many layers are in this one above, 4 or 5 at least. It's called 'Fallen'.
 

New Background Gelatin Prints.

As with all these prints, there are many layers of paint and images on them. If you look carefully you may be able to see images of feathers under the leaves of this one above. I love the leaves that have insect damage or are just worn away, but they do leave a lot of bits in the paint!

Again several layers here, including the use of commercial stencils, which I prefer not to use, as I would like the prints to be all my own work..

The background was made using a plate of crumpled paper, and then the leaves. I may add more layers to this or perhaps add my own hand carved stamps.

The background in the one above uses found objects to print with, including the bottom of a biscuit packet for the dots in the top left as well as more crumpled paper and then masks and a stencil.

I will definitely print over this one, as the contrast of the feather shapes is a bit too strong. Lots of commercial stencils used here, but the feathers are real, carefully chosen for their rumpled shapes.
 

Treasures for Gelatin Plate Printing!

While walking the dog around our local streets I always keep an eye out for bits and pieces on the footpath. This area is quite an old part of Melbourne and as such, many of the old houses are being demolished to make way for modern mansions. Because of that, there seem to be quite a few bits of hardware lying around just waiting to be picked up. The print above also includes stamped images of various potato mashers bought from charity shops!

This print above only used found items, including a piece of wood that was left behind when the council workers cut up and removed a lovely old Plane tree. I expect the people in the new mansion didn't want to be bothered with the mountains of huge leaves every Autumn.

This one above used some found items plus a few spheres that I made on cardboard with crumpled paper.

Some of the miscellaneous items that I have found on my walks, also including a slice of  the inner cardboard of a toilet roll squashed into an oval shape. (The piece of cut timber is to the left of the large reel)

       Another print over the top of an old one with various bits and piece from the collection used.