Circle back to the woods

fabric prints, foam plate printmaking, inspiration, mark making tools / /

I stopped walking in the woods for the last few weeks, because I found a tick attached to my neck and I had stayed on the trail.

trees inspire printmaking

But today, I went back to my old trail in the woods by the lake and was so supported by the energy of the place. I had let that little bug, fear and frustration stop me from going on my “healing” walks.

lake walks for inspiration

I shared the trail with a big dear and a quiet blue heron and plenty of shadows.

shadows for drawing reference

I bring that good energy back to the studio and get more done.

shadow shape leaves

I always find tools and inspiration in the woods. Different seasons offer different tools. Currently I am looking for strong twigs and weeds to use in the soft plate relief class, starting soon.

soft relief plates

This is a low tech way to make relief style plates without needing to carve your design. You can use the process to print on paper or fabric.

mud cloth style printed fabric

Check out the details on the printmaking workshop page. And start collecting tools and inspiration!

 

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Excited about Back to school sales

mark making tools, tools / /

I love it when the Back to School sales hit the local stores. I like to stock up on:

  • composition notebooks
  • erasers
  • Glue
  • scissors and more

round stamps carved from erasers

This year I am hoping to find some novelty erasers in geometric shapes. I like to carve simple designs into the erasers. I found the basic pink eraser at the Dollar Tree Store and have carved quite a few fun little stamps.

stamps made from pink erasers

I am not wishing summer away, just looking forward to some new and inexpensive art supplies. I encourage you to check out the back to schools sales in your area and see if you find some interesting art supplies.

In this post, I list a few more supplies that I like to stock up on. Happy printing!

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Trust yourself – Make Marks

artist book, drawings, inspiration / /

Sometimes, I just have to begin and trust that the path will evolve.

japanese stab binding

I do this “just begin” thing a lot, and I am still surprised when magic happens, things work out and I make something that I like or learn from.

walk to fill the well

I keep it simple to begin:

  • take a photo
  • go for a walk
  • clean my work bench for 20 minutes
  • make some doodles

So I say try it, and see what happens. I think it helps to let go of any demands that it work out and just explore the present moment.

soft cover coptic stitch

Before you know it you may have a whole collection of art work! Check out the current online class offerings

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What to draw when it feels like work?

drawings, mark making tools, mixed media printmaking / /

If you are like me and don’t really like to draw, then it can be challenging to come up with ideas for drawing subjects.

sketchbooks linda germain

A few classic subjects:

  • self portraits
  • fruit and veggies
  • flowers

self portrait linda germain

I think the important thing is that you are interested in the subject matter. That will make it easier to stay committed to the drawing. Most recently I have been distilling my marks down to basic shapes.

mark making in sketchbook

I think it helps to give your self permission to draw the same thing over and over again.

A couple of more topics:

  • Studio tools
  • Jars, cups and vessels
  • Buildings
  • Birds

shadow shape inspired drawing

So if drawing feels like work to you, don’t give up. Just keep trying new approaches:

  • new subject matter
  • use small pages or notebooks
  • try meditative marks

If you would like to explore some meditative mark making and learn a few book forms, then check out the current workshops being offered.

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Books a good way to show off your monoprints

artist book, handmade books, mixed media printmaking / /

piles of prints with potentialIf you are an experimental monotype printmaker like me, then you probably have a lot of prints and papers with potential.

stab bound book of monotype prints

The books above are bound in the manner of Japanese Stab binding. This form works well with a soft cover and hard back, and a long landscape style format. We will learn this book form in the Mixed Media Retreat.

accordion style books

Accordion style books are great for display.

I think the natural evolution is to start making books with some of those prints. Things you could make with your prints:

  • book covers
  • end pages
  • whole bound book of prints
  • spine covers

Pamphlet stitched books

Pamphlet stitch binding easy and useful.

If you are curious to get started with some simple book forms, then check out the details, of the online Mixed Media Retreat. We will learn 6 book forms and several layering techniques that will put your prints to good use.

soft cover coptic stitch binding

Soft cover coptic binding is great for books that open flat.

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