Art Saves — Elastack Monoprinting • by Kerri Stabile

It's so good to be back as an alumni curator at crescendoh.com. To quote a song by my favorite singer/songwriter, James Taylor, “The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time ...” and for me, there are few better ways to do so than by creating art.

This time around, I want to share a technique with you that I developed last year. After taking a class in traditional monoprinting, I began exploring printmaking techniques that were more accessible to those without access to a printing press. After seriously considering, and fortunately discarding, the idea of using my Suzuki and driveway as an alternative printing press, I experimented with gelatin monoprinting. Although I loved the process, I was not crazy about the fact that the gelatin “printing plate” has to be refrigerated and eventually discarded. I couldn't help thinking that there must be something in this vast universe that mimicked the surface and “give” of gelatin but had more stability.

Monoprinting with Elastack
Then, I remembered a product that a friend had given me ages ago that I had never used. It’s called Elastack, and it's a soft rubber molding compound used primarily in the science industry. This friend is both a scientist and an artist, so she often shares very innovative products and ideas that seem to collect dust for ages until artistic inspiration strikes! Like gelatin, Elastack melts clear and takes the shape of the container into which it’s poured, but it can be used hundreds of times over and it’s stable at room temperature for, so far, seven months! Even better, if the surface gets scratched, it can be re-melted and poured again. Below is a simple step-by-step of the Elastack monoprint process. Here is a link to find it online: sculpt.com/catalog_98/RUBBERS/Elastack.php.

Technique

1. Gather materials with which to print. Here I have used natural elements and punched shapes.
2. Peel your Elastack printing plate out of its mold.
3. Squeeze acrylic paints onto palettes for coating your printing plate.
4. Brayer and or brush acrylics onto Elastack plate.
5. Place natural elements onto plate in a harmonious way.
6. Press a sheet of paper onto the plate to create a monoprint. I like to use old calendar pages, sheet music, etc. rather than just plain white paper.
7. Add some additional brush strokes to define monoprint details, if desired.
8. Add details with a black fine point marker for a whimsical effect.


To learn more about Kerri Stabile, visit kerriposson-artist.blogspot.com. For a YouTube video of Kerri demonstrating this technique, visit youtube.com/watch?v=y_4cyKtoZ10.