Look back and move forward

inspiration / /

One way to fill the well of inspiration and creativity maybe to scroll through images from 5 years ago.

yoga on a paddle board

I take about 6000 pictures a year. Most of them are about my art process. I use Lightroom to index the images.

alnoba with art class

I scrolled through 2016 and I discovered:

  • I was living in a huge warehouse loft
  • I walked in the city daily
  • I went to the museum a few times
  • I bought a car and paddleboard
  • I attended 2 in person art classes
  • I participated in 3 online classes

woodblock type

Those photos and memories gave me some ideas about what might be missing from my current activities.

  • Take more art classes
  • Find ways to be with other artists
  • Find ways to get to the Museum a few times

iPad drawing

So you might want to try this image review, if you want ideas on “new” habits, actions, or activities to your art practice. If you want to take more art classes too, then check out the current online printmaking classes that are being offered.

artists book by Linda Germain

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Go back to your sketchbook

artist book, inspiration, relief prints / /

I have been using a sketchbook a lot more in the past year. It is quite satisfying to fill one up.

sketch booking by the lake

Sometimes I get too focused on finishing up a sketchbook. They end up on a shelf or in a box.Pamphlet stitched books

Then I remembered that they can be used as source material for more drawings and prints. So this may be obvious to you, but it is a new idea for me, to use the original sketches as reference to make more drawings.

sketchbook

So get out some of those old sketchbooks and draw! Some of these doodles and drawings make even inspire printing plates or stencils. Keep it fun!

foam plates for relief printing

If you are interested in relief printing with foam plates, then check out the details on the workshop page and join us in the Soft Plate Relief Printing class. This online class starts soon.

 

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Shadow and shapes for drawing

inspiration, masking stencils, tools / /

You know that part of my practice is to go to the woods for inspiration. I love to capture cast shadows and use them as a drawing reference.

shadows and drawing practice

Using the photo as reference seems to help me to see shapes instead of leaves and branches.

shadow shape leaves

I do the outline drawing one day and come back and fill the shadow shape in with black paint on another day.

I hope this inspired you to look for shadow shapes to draw. Sometimes I have to take a lot of shadow pictures before I get one that is good for reference. Got to love our phones and digital cameras.

Sometimes I use shadow shapes to make stencils for gelatin printmaking.

Happy Printing!

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Explore potential marks

monotype print / /

One printmaking assignment in Art School might be to see how many different kinds of marks you can make on a relief style block.

sampler marks foam relief plate

This would usually be a carving process with wood, linoleum or rubber. I played with the assignment to make the sampler blocks above with soft foam plates.

woodblock printing tools

I think I like the assignment, because it focuses on exploration and discovery. There is no pressure to create an end product.

relief plate prints

But in the end, the marks can be used to create texture and value in other wise simple impressions.

If you would like to explore this low tech method of relief printing, the read the details about the upcoming, online workshop and join us.

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