Gelli Plate Printmaking

“You don’t have to know where you’re going to get there.” – Eva Hesse

This 3-hours workshop introduces students to gelliprinting, a fun, accessible, and highly experimental process that encourages exploration, intuition, and creative risk-taking to create prints without a press. Students will learn foundational gelli printing techniques on paper while developing their own visual language through color, texture, layering, and mark-making.

The class will combine demonstration, hands-on experimentation, guided prompts, and group discussion. Students will explore both planned and spontaneous approaches to printmaking, learning how to work with “happy accidents” and build dynamic compositions while letting go and enjoying the process. By the end of the course, participants will leave with a collection of finished prints on paper and a deeper understanding of how to use gelliprinting as a tool for both fine art and functional applications. 

This course is open to beginners and experienced artists alike; no prior printmaking/art experience required.

Class Breakdown: 

• Introduction to gelliprinting tools, materials, and setup
• Demonstration of collagraph techniques using textured and found materials
• Charcoal transfer techniques for expressive mark-making
• Image Transfer techniques
• Guided experimentation with layering, pressure, and composition

About the instructor: 

Kaili Woop is a multimedia artist and designer based in Astoria, Queens, working across printmaking and wearable art. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and a 2023 recipient of the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Award and the SUNY Chancellor Award. Her work has been exhibited at The Museum at FIT, The Alpha Workshops Gallery, and US+U Gallery. Woop has over two years of experience teaching hands on printmaking workshops with organizations including US+U Gallery, QED Astoria, Sunnyside Arts and Queens Collaborative. She is currently focused on developing a wearable art and design brand using traditional printmaking techniques for clothing and accessories.