Hey there, I just wanted to share an idea, that is not in my book yet that you all can use. As I live in Ecuador, I have found that the classic geli plate (for mono printing) made with glycerin and gelatin can grow mold when stored over time, which is yuck. In Ecuador, almost anything can grow mold! I even found it in my store bought acrylic molding paste. So what I do now as a monoplate is this: I take a simple picture frame about 8x10 inches. If you want bigger a bigger frame whatever. I tape it all around with packaging tape all around the outside edge, so nothing can escape between the bottom of the frame and a base like a piece of glass or ceramic tile. Cover the inside surface of the frame and base evenly with liquid dish soap, or a vegie oil. The inside space is your mold for the silicone, the soap or oil is a mold release as silicone wants to stick to everything. Then, in a washing tubbie filled with really soapy water. I cover my hands with liquid soap and empty a tube of silicone (a second tube may be needed depending on the size of the tube of silicone and the size of the inside of the frame) into the water. Silicone sticks to everything not soapy, so the key is make sure you are fairly liberal with the liquid dish soap. With your soapy hands, mold the silicone into a ball, whenever the silicone wants to stick to you more soap to you hands, when it is in a nice ball and not really sticking to anything, take the ball and mold it into your picture frame, press it evenly into your frame removing bubbles and filling the space well, then cover it with wax paper place a heavy flat book over the wax paper and let the silicone sit over night, remove book and wax paper, and let sit for a couple of days to a week. It stinks so I leave it outside or where it can air out. It should be firm to touch. Remove tape, and remove it out of the frame. If for some reason it had stuck to something you didn't want to, you can use a sharp blade to cut it. Wash off your mono plate and it is ready to be used. It is easy to clean and remove paint from it and lasts forever with no mold growth. Happy New Year present from me to you, please send me photos of your art using this method I would love to see your art work.
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