Mixed Media Printmaking Blog

Found Poems

artist book, book arts, collage / Linda Germain / March 10, 2021

I am getting ready for the Books as ART Materials class and having fun making found poems.

Books are mostly words and pages, so I like to find ways to use those elements in new art work.

I like to:

Cut words and phrases out of several different books, with different font sizes
Then rearrange the words into a 4 line poem
Some poems I really love
And some are just part of the process of making

I also use old book pages at scrap to catch excess glue from the glue stick.

Give this meditative poem making a try!

If you want to explore more ways to use old books, then join us in Books As ART Materials, the online class. Read the details here.

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Qualities of Books – as ART Materials

artist book, book arts, collage / Linda Germain / March 3, 2021

I wanted to share the qualities that I look for in books to be used as ART Materials.

When I use books as ART Materials I use:

Cover cloth – collage and journals
Book board – new books
Pages and text – poems and printmaking
Spine materials and bits – collage
pockets and old marks – collage

So if you are hunting and gathering books for re-use look at those parts closely.

It is fun to see books with new eyes for what is possible. Sometimes I just use pages as newsprint pickups when gelatin printing.

But then other times the bits and pieces can be worked into an abstract landscape collage.

I hope I have given you some new ways to look at old books that were headed for the recycling bin. Want to join us in the online class, Books as at Materials? Read the details and join us today.

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Look at books with new potential

altered books / Linda Germain / February 26, 2021

Let’s take another look at the book. Sure books are filled with stories and information, but I like to play with the physical bits of books. Getting ready Books as ART Materials, online class.

WORDS

I like to cut them out and make new poems and messages.

BOOK CLOTH

I love this stuff! It is easy to pull off the book board and has wonderful texture and stability.

I like to use the ragged thready edges in collage.

Book Board

I use book board to make new journals and sketchbooks. I tear off the cloth and then cut the board to a new size. Cover the board with gelatin prints or other media. It is nice and strong and a inexpensive alternative to buying new.

Spines and Mull

This stuff is my favorite part of the book.

This is the mixture of glue and mesh and paper and cloth that make the spine of a sewn book strong but still flexible.

I use these bits and pieces in collage.

I hope I have stimulated the way you look at books. I know many folks see books as precious and would not dream of tearing them apart. That is ok. The books that I use are destined for the recycling bin anyway.

There is a great website that lists book sales around the US https://booksalefinder.com . Many sales have been cancelled but hopefully that will change.

In the mean time, ask family and friends for unwanted books. You may be doing them a favor.

If you would like some guidance in using Books as ART Materials, then join us in the online class. Read the details on the workshop page.

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Collecting books – as art materials

mixed media printmaking / Linda Germain / February 22, 2021

I love to recycle and reuse stuff as art supplies. This is pretty easy to do as a paper based artist.

Books as ART Materials is an online class that starts soon. I am getting ready for class and realized that I have 5 big boxes of books, book parts and sample pieces. Hmmm?

Most books will have some positive quality:

great cover cloth
strong book board
wonderfully aged pages
spine bits and aparts

If you are thinking about joining us in Books as ART Materials, then now is a good time to start collecting old books.

Qualities and features to look for in old books:

Old but not precious
music book
big kids book
cloth covers
foreign language
dictionary
any book that inspires you

I hope you have the time to join us in this online class. You could start re-purposing a book today and create some found word poems. This can be very meditative is you approach it with a playful sense of discovery.

Enjoy!

READ the details about the online class – Books as ART Materials

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3 Uses for Glycerin – printmaking

monotype print / Linda Germain / February 1, 2021

Whenever I am at my local big box store, I always check to see if they have glycerin in stock. And if they do I buy a couple of bottles.

With pandemic many folks are using glycerin to make hand sanitizer, so it can be challenging to find.

1 – Make a long lasting gelatin plate

I use 2 bottles of glycerin to make the homemade gelatin plate. This is a malleable printing plate that is great for making monotypes with out a printing press.

You can get the FREE recipe and make your own printing plate here. With some time and playful practice you will be making your own beautiful monotype prints.

2 – Use glycerin to preserve botanicals

I use a lot of leaves and ferns as masking stencils. Some of these materials I have had for years because I preserved them in a glycerin and water bath.

Leaves and ferns can last for years and be used to make lovely monotype impressions. Try it! Get some instructions here.

3 – Use glycerin as a retarder with Speedball Water based block printing ink

For some reason retarder is a little bit expensive and only sold in smaller tubes. But luckily one of my students told me that a few drops of glycerin can be used to slow the drying time of the Speedball water based inks.