On a morning walk last week – one of those crisp, bright days on the cusp of Spring – I pocketed some lovely wild vinca & made several gel plate prints with these in different configurations. The one above seemed to suggest a fairy, so I added some wee contributions with pen and ink and colored pencil.
I also added a copy of a fairy sized “found poem” of sorts from a story by Jane Andrews in Our Young Folks – An Illustrated Magazine for Boys and Girls, Ticknor and Fields, Boston, 1868.

the fairies are working
painting flowers and
delicate things

I hope to continue working, making more images of “flowers and delicate things,” as the Fey direct.

My current gel plate printing obsession has been fueled by a wonderful online online gel plate printing mixed media course with Tara Axford through Fibre Arts Take Two, a dangerous destination for fellow studio mess and magic makers – consider yourself warned.  Anyway, the courses are amazing; FATT is based in Australia primarily, but instructors and students come from every corner of the globe. 

I’ve dabbled in this form a bit before, but I’ve so enjoyed this very organized, challenging, and inspiring deep dive.  The portion of the course with the instructor regularly popping into a private Facebook Live group is now past, but I’m still making my way through remaining modules.  FATT course materials and their gorgeously executed videos are available to access for life.