Mixed Media Printmaking Blog

Trust yourself – Make Marks

artist book, drawings, inspiration / Linda Germain / July 26, 2021

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

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.

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.

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 / Linda Germain / July 12, 2021

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.

A few classic subjects:

self portraits
fruit and veggies
flowers

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.

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

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 / Linda Germain / July 9, 2021

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

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 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 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 binding is great for books that open flat.

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Just play for 20 minutes

book arts, combined techniques / Linda Germain / July 6, 2021

You could start your day with 20 minutes of art play and see what a difference it makes.

Of course it would:

need to be fun
need to be easy
could get messy

Somethings you could do to support your new art play practice:

Use just a few supplies
Set them up the day before
Use a 20 minute timer (time flies when you are having fun)

It has been said, “To stimulate creativity, one must develop the childlike inclination for play and the childlike desire for recognition.” (Albert Einstein)

If you would to join me in a bit of supported play, then check out the online workshops currently being offered.

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