Muffin Tray Monoprinting
A colourful field of circles!
The Set Up
Yayoi Kusama has spent her life chasing dots. She calls them her infinity nets — a way of dissolving the edges of things so that everything becomes part of a larger universe. Simple, repetitive, and endlessly joyful.
I first saw this idea on Bar Rucci’s blog Art Bar. Bar is my ultimate inspiration for process art, and she has been incredibly influential in shaping Smudge's philosophy. Her words, “set it up and see what happens,” gives everyone permission to let go and always trust the process. This activity feels like the perfect meeting point between Kusama’s obsession with repetition and Bar’s spirit of play!
Flip muffin trays upside down so the circles are raised. Pour poster paint into jars and always add a little white (it makes the colours sing).
The Making
Load up the circles with brushes, sponges, or even fingertips. Keep it simple with one colour per jar or mix directly on the tray and watch marbling magic appear. Lay a sheet of A3 paper over the top and press down with your palms, or flip the tray dramatically onto the paper. Peel it back and it feels like magic; a whole field of circles appearing in one go!
Variations
Use liquid watercolours for a different print texture.
Mix colours directly in the jars for swirled, unpredictable prints.
Rotate the paper and print multiple layers so the circles overlap into infinity patterns.
Materials
Muffin trays (any size)
Poster paint mixed with white for vibrancy
Jars for paints
Brushes, sponges, or rollers
A3 paper or larger
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Muffin Tray Monoprinting
A colourful field of circles!
Bookmark
Print Making
The Set Up
Yayoi Kusama has spent her life chasing dots. She calls them her infinity nets — a way of dissolving the edges of things so that everything becomes part of a larger universe. Simple, repetitive, and endlessly joyful.
I first saw this idea on Bar Rucci’s blog Art Bar. Bar is my ultimate inspiration for process art, and she has been incredibly influential in shaping Smudge's philosophy. Her words, “set it up and see what happens,” gives everyone permission to let go and always trust the process. This activity feels like the perfect meeting point between Kusama’s obsession with repetition and Bar’s spirit of play!
Flip muffin trays upside down so the circles are raised. Pour poster paint into jars and always add a little white (it makes the colours sing).
The Making
Load up the circles with brushes, sponges, or even fingertips. Keep it simple with one colour per jar or mix directly on the tray and watch marbling magic appear. Lay a sheet of A3 paper over the top and press down with your palms, or flip the tray dramatically onto the paper. Peel it back and it feels like magic; a whole field of circles appearing in one go!
Variations
Use liquid watercolours for a different print texture.
Mix colours directly in the jars for swirled, unpredictable prints.
Rotate the paper and print multiple layers so the circles overlap into infinity patterns.
Materials
Muffin trays (any size)
Poster paint mixed with white for vibrancy
Jars for paints
Brushes, sponges, or rollers
A3 paper or larger
Back to Top
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Thoughts?
Would love to hear if youv'e tried this or have any ideas on how to make it even better!
