Making Fun and Festive Monoprints

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Museum Assistant Karlisima Rodas-Israel shares her experience at Joyce Wellman’s Workshop in April, and how you can make monoprint holiday prints, cards, and more.

I had a wonderful and fabulous experience at Joyce Wellman’s workshop in the spring. Joyce is an artist working in painting, printmaking, drawing, and mixed media, and one of her prints was featured in the exhibition Pour, Tear, Carve: Material Possibilities in the Collection. As part of the exhibition, she held a talk and monotype workshop. The process is called monotype because the design on the plate is unique and each print is one of a kind. The workshop was full, and we were all sitting together, sharing materials and ideas.

Karlisima Rodas-Israel with artist Joyce Wellman

I made four prints and I was very inspired because I really enjoyed the process of using different objects to make textures, such as corrugated cardboard or pieces of wood. The printing process was fun and easy. We pressed the paper onto the plate with a piece of foamboard so that the paint from the plate would adhere onto the wet paper. People enjoyed mixing the acrylic paints and experimenting with making textures. We came up with very interesting designs. Some of the participants were art teachers, and some had never done art before. It was a mixture of people from diverse backgrounds. As an artist, I enjoyed learning new printing techniques and was inspired to keep making my own art. Joyce was a very good teacher. She first gave us instructions and then she stopped by at each table to give us advice on how to make the prints and how to enhance our designs. She was very helpful, kind, and encouraging. She told me that this workshop had brought her a lot of joy. Everybody had a good time. I was so inspired and learned a lot!  And for this, I am very thankful!

Workshop participants with all their materials ready to make prints

You can also make monoprints at home! You can make holiday cards or gift your unique prints. Or create monoprints together with your family and friends!

Here is what you will need:

  • Acrylic paint and paint brushes
  • Watercolor pencils (optional)
  • A plastic tray or plate to use as a paint palette
  • A cup of water to clean your brushes as you paint
  • A metal spoon or a piece of foamboard to press the paper onto the plate
  • Paper: cardstock or thick drawing paper or watercolor paper (5×7 in. to make cards)
  • Scraps of corrugated cardboard, string, or other materials (to make textures)
  • A plastic container of water to wet the paper
  • A plastic sheet or plastic plate (5×7 in. for cards). Some suggestions:
    • Pronto Plate from Dickblick.com
    • Grafix Impress Monoprint Plate from Plaza Artist Materials.com
    • Akua Printmaking Plate from Dickblick.com
    • Or any plexiglass plate, piece of glass, or metal baking sheet

Workshop participants making prints

Let’s get started!

  • First, get ready–Use an apron to avoid getting acrylic paint on your clothes as it does not come off. Protect your table with newsprint paper or a plastic table cover. Display your colors on a plastic palette in front of you.
  • Submerge the paper in water in a plastic container full of water or in a sink.
  • Then, create your design on the plastic plate (or glass, plexiglass, or baking sheet). Paint your design with acrylic paint. Make sure to keep the brushes wet, since acrylic paint dries very quickly. Keep your colors fresh and bright by cleaning your brushes with water when you are changing colors to avoid muddy colors. Make sure to rinse off the brushes and palette at the end of the session!
  • You can make textures with cardboard by cutting triangles, squares, or any shape. Then apply the paint onto these shapes, and press the shapes onto the plate. You can also tear off the top layer of the cardboard and use the exposed corrugated side to make interesting textures.
  • Use your imagination to make your design! You can make a tree, landscape, mountain, house, flower, star, heart, smiley face, stick figure, or anything you want. Your design can also be totally abstract. You can use a lot of colors or just a few. Most importantly, have fun!
  • You can also write words on the plate, like Joy, Peace, or Love or any word you wish, but make sure to keep in mind, that, since this is a print, it will print in reverse, like a mirror image, so it must be drawn also in reverse. For this, I recommend that you use a mirror. First, write the word on a separate piece of paper, and then put it in front of a mirror, and then write the word on the plate exactly as you see it in the mirror. It will be the reverse image.
  • Once your design is painted on the plate, then you will need the wet sheet of paper. Lift the wet paper from the container of water and remove the excess water, but keep the paper wet.
  • The painted plate must be flat on the table. Make the print by pressing the wet paper onto the plate. Use a spoon or a piece of foamboard to press the paper firmly onto the plate and make sure to press the whole paper. Lift the paper carefully, and you have your print!
  • You can draw on top of this print with watercolor pencils to add wiggly lines or additional marks. Finally, let the paper dry on a clean surface, face up.

You can only make one unique print each time and that is why it is called a monoprint, but you can use the same plate to make more prints. Just wipe off the paint from the plate with a wet paper towel or add more paint or more designs on top of it since the paint will likely be dry and will only print a “ghost image,” or a very faint image. This is fun because you have infinite possibilities!

As Joyce Wellman taught me, we are the boss of our artwork and we are the creators. So, have fun and enjoy the process!

Karlisima Rodas-Israel making monoprints

Meet Our Fall 2023 Interns

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Meet our fall 2023 interns, who have just finished up their internships at the Phillips. Read about what they worked on over this past semester.

Fall 2023 Intern Cohort visits Phillips@THEARC

Divya Chhotani, American University

Divya Chhotani is the DEAI Intern. During her time at the Phillips, her primary focus has been conducting an intergenerational study of the staff and understanding the link between DEAI and guest services in the museum space. Through surveys and interviews, Divya assessed if the staff felt that their generation has helped them understand the world better or hindered them in the long run. Divya is from Austin, Texas, and is studying psychology, justice, and law at American University in Washington, DC. Divya enjoys hanging out with her friends and family in her free time, trying new restaurants in DC, and listening to music.

Zi Li, George Washington University

Zi Li is a second-year Art History MA student at the George Washington University. She gained her bachelor’s degree from Bryn Mawr College in 2022 with Art History and Math double major. Her research interest falls in studying intercultural artistic communication and material culture, especially textiles and ornaments. In fall 2023, she worked at The Phillips Collection as a Public Programming intern with Head of Public Programs Ashley Whitfield in the Community Engagement Department. Zi helped with public events such as curator talks, book signings, and Phillips after 5. She researched and planned activities for the December Winter Solstice-themed Phillips after 5, which featured making holiday gift bows, paper lanterns, and origami wreaths. The activities were very popular!

Kelsey Limpert, Salisbury University

Kelsey Limpert is a fall 2020 graduate of Salisbury University, where she received a BFA and an Art History minor. Her thesis exhibition revolved around embroidery, seeking to push beyond conventional conceptions of it as a medium, while also being inspired by Medieval and Proto-Renaissance artwork. While at The Phillips Collection, she interned with the Advancement Department and worked alongside Corporate Relations Officer Miranda Burr. She researched prospective donors for the upcoming Bonnard’s Worlds exhibition, and used that information to draft letters for solicitation packets, which she also prepared and mailed. She also assisted with the project management for the African Modernism in America Stewardship Report, a packet to give to donors and members upon conclusion of the exhibition that highlights the success of the exhibition while also serving as a historical document. For the Membership Department, she combined three reciprocal benefits lists to provide ease of access for current and prospective members and the front desk staff.

Laura Pratt, University of Maryland

Laura Pratt is in the final year of her Master’s of Library and Information Sciences at the University of Maryland. She previously graduated from the College of Wooster with a Bachelor’s in history, specializing in Chinese History with a minor in Technical Theater. Since then, she has worked as an IT assistant at a K-12 school and interned at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, the National Archives, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and now The Phillips Collection as the Library and Archives Intern. In this role, she has been able to expand her experience with fine art archives, process collections of music pamphlets from throughout the institution’s history, and learn about the different departments of the museum. After the close of her internship, Laura will be joining the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park full time as an Archives Technician.

Fall cohort at the National Gallery of Art

To The East: Rik Freeman

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Photographs of murals by Rik Freeman are part of To the East: The Rise of Murals East of the River (on view at Phillips@THEARC through February 8, 2024). Curated by Cory Lee Stowers, Executive Director of DC Murals, To the East reveals important context to the purpose and practice of mural-making in Washington, DC, and beyond. The Phillips Collection Fellow, Arianna Adade, met with Rik Freeman to discuss his background.

Rik Freeman in his studio

Rik Freeman, a pioneering mural artist, made a name for himself for one of his earliest murals of Marvin Gaye in Washington, DC. Completed in 1993, this mural at the intersection of U Street & 13th Street NW, in the vibrant corridor formerly known as “Black Broadway,” holds special importance as people often forget that Marvin Gaye is a DC native, and also features DC native Duke Ellington. Freeman’s artworks are more than just creative expressions; they serve as educational resources, centered on hundreds of years of Black history.

Rik Freeman’s mural in Deanwood, 100 Years in African American History, 1993. Photo: Lou Parnale, 1993

Rik Freeman’s mural on the Douglas Recreation Center, 1990

Rik Freeman was born and raised in Athens, Georgia. Growing up in the South, he went to a segregated school and didn’t attend an integrated school until the fourth grade. He recalls his first attempt with art when he was around 10 or 11 years old, drawing a Hank Aaron portrait on his wall. As a child, he was always  sketching but didn’t think of it as a career until high school when he had a Black art teacher. A quiet child who would often get reprimanded for drawing during class, his art teacher allowed him to freely create and experiment with art, invoking his passion for the arts.

Freeman attended Savannah State University where he studied fine art, and it wasn’t until his 20s when he was introduced to mural art. He relocated to DC when he was 29 years old and after battling several obstacles such as losing his father, his job, and going through a break-up, Freeman decided to start taking art seriously. In 1989, he completed his first mural with DC Artworks and has been making a living as an artist ever since.

Rik Freeman, Mavynee’s Aria.

Multiple works by Freeman in his studio

Freeman’s work is deeply rooted in his Southern identity and molded by the rich history of the African diaspora. Freeman’s artistic motivations are diverse; he specifically illustrates blues music in his Blues series, with which he grew up, but also hip-hop and rock. Earth, Wind & Fire, Jimi Hendrix, and The Monkees have all influenced his art. What defines Freeman’s approach lies in his decision to paint murals in working-class communities around the DMV area, emphasizing the importance of everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status, in molding history.

Rik Freeman’s Studio

Freeman settled permanently in DC after purchasing his home in Deanwood, in Northeast, with his wife. From the outside, his house may seem homely and simple. However, the back tells a different story. Surrounded by beautifully manicured ponds and gardens lies Freeman’s home studio. The gorgeous brick building, covered in lively vines, bolsters large windows throughout, giving an abundance of natural light to the space. The studio harbors dozens of Freeman’s artworks throughout the decades, showing his progression not just as an art, but also as an individual. His beautiful studio often serves as a safe haven for his creative expression and a foundation for his artistic storytelling.

Rather than focusing primarily on iconic Black figures, Freeman’s artistic storytelling has also taken a different path. He purposefully emphasizes the importance of ordinary people in the Black community, highlighting their role in developing and influencing leaders. Through his murals, Freeman hopes to highlight the vital role of everyday individuals in the rich fabric of Black history and culture. 

“A book, you can close it. But a painting, you have to see”

Rik Freeman’s mural, Ode 2 Barry Farms, 2016