Drawing challenge: Plate (gelatin plate)

Since Joke announced her lovely drawing challenge: plate, I thought and thought about "plate" as art.And, you all know me, I'm not happy with an actual plate, although I wondered about going to one of those "decorate your own pottery while we fire it for you" places, and, while I've done that before and really liked it, time wise it wasn't something I could do right now.So I thought about plates and kept coming back to printing. Printing plates. What kinds of printing plates could I do with limited time and my three little granddaughters under foot?Gelatin plates!I made one in a very shallow tray using my old favourite Oetker gelatin sheets right out of my kitchen. I just made the gelatin a little harder by keeping 1/2 cup of water out of the normal recipe. Then I went outside and got some grass and a piece of sword fern from the garden.The first colour I chose was blue. Cerulean blue acrylic, squished out on the gelatin plate and spread with a paint roller.Then I spread out a few grasses on the blue paint, lay a sheet of smooth watercolour paper on the gelatin plate and pulled a print.Then I rolled a light green paint on the gelatin plate and pressed a piece of sword fern down, and placed the paper back down.I love the second print on the first. I love this! How is it that I've never done gelatin plate printing before...omg?!? :DMind you, it's 30 degrees here today, I did this printing in my studio under the roof, where it's 35 degrees, and I ruined the gelatin plate after the two prints. But it was so worth it!I took the print to my dining room table, (where it's not so hot), and decided to draw some grass and Queen Anne's lace on it in ink.Love it. I can see more gelatin plate prints in my future.Pop on over to Joke's for a big plate full of fun when you have a chance. :D