Join artist and creativity coach Pam Porter for a colorful, hands-on weekend exploring her signature process, Gelli-Block Printing—a hybrid technique that combines loose, colorful Gelli prints with bold linoleum block designs.
Gelli-Block Printing is a creative and simple way to add vibrant color to linoleum block prints.
Using a soft gel plate, students roll on acrylic paint, use stencils, and layer colors to create rich backgrounds. Once dry, black ink is rolled onto hand-carved linoleum blocks and printed directly over the Gelli prints. The result is a striking fusion of loose, expressive color with crisp, graphic imagery—each piece bold, vibrant, and one-of-a-kind.
No printmaking experience needed—just curiosity, playfulness, and a love of color and design!
What You’ll Learn
Day 1: Gelli Prints & Abstract Carving
Morning – Gelli Printing: Learn how to use a Gelli plate with paints, brayers, and stencils to create spontaneous, colorful monoprints that will become your background papers.
Afternoon – Carving & Printing: You’ll carve a 4 × 6-inch linoleum block with images and patterns. Then, print your carved design on top of your Gelli prints for bold, layered results that combine color and form in exciting ways.
End of Day: Glue your finished prints onto blank cards—each one a small, layered work of art.
Day 2: Printing, Experimenting & Finishing
Build on what you learned the first day—deepening your exploration of color, texture, and layering.
Morning – New Prints & Variations: Create new Gelli prints, carve additional imagery, and experiment with different colors, compositions, and overlays.
Afternoon – Composition & Finishing: Mount your favorite prints onto cards or prepare them as frameable works of art. You’ll also have the option to carve small rubber stamps for added patterns and accents.
End of Weekend – Sharing & Reflection: We’ll wrap up by sharing our finished prints, celebrating everyone’s unique results, and leaving inspired to continue printing at home.
What You’ll Get
Hands-on experience with Gelli-Block Printing — a fun, forgiving process for all levels
Guidance in creating strong, eye-catching designs
A weekend of creative play in a relaxed, supportive environment
A collection of finished handmade cards or frameable prints to take home
Fresh inspiration and confidence to continue printing on your own
Kit Fee $25, payable to Pam in cash, includes:
Glue sticks
Acrylic paints
Printmaking papers
Blank cards and envelopes
4 × 6-inch linoleum sheets
Rubber stamp materials
Cleaning wipes
Carbon paper
Use of Gelli plates, brayers (rollers), scissors, carving tools, stencils, and block printing ink
Supplies to Bring
Apron or smock
Small sketchbook and pen or pencil for notes and ideas
Your Instructor
Pam Porter is a long-time creative arts teacher, mixed-media printmaker, and certified professional life coach based in Carbondale, Colorado. She developed Gelli-Block Printing as a fun and simple way to merge the colorful patterns of Gelli monoprints with the bold graphic look of block prints. Pam teaches her printmaking workshops throughout the Southwest, including The Art Base (Basalt, CO), Anderson Ranch (Snowmass, CO), L’Ecole Des Beaux Arts (Santa Fe, NM), and the Making Art Safely Studio (Santa Fe, NM). Her workshops are playful and process-oriented, designed to spark creativity, intuition, and a sense of flow. She encourages her students to experiment and have fun in the studio.
Cancellation Policy: There are no refunds.