Let the wilderness support your art practice

monotype print / /

Most recently I have been giving myself permission to sit by the lake in the woods. There is a tiny conflicting voice that is telling me to get to “work”.

sit by the lake for ideas

But I am finding that the gift of that time by the lake makes it easier to get to work later. Hmmm?

So I offer you this challenge:

  • Find some wilderness nearby, woods, lake, ocean, park
  • Go there walk, sit and breathe it in
  • See if this gift of time in nature improves your “work” time

gelatin prints on tea bags

I get many ideas and inspiration from the woods:

Hope I have encouraged you to walk in the woods today.

shadows make good stencil images

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Boundaries create Space – art approach

inspiration / /

Boundaries give you limited choices and then you figure out how to make things work.

gelatin prints on tea bags

What would be a boundary in gelatin printmaking?

  • Limit your stencils to 3 – 5
  • Work with only 2 colors
  • Print 3 layers or less

So often we are so excited to play with lots of stencils and mark making tools. And as a result our prints can be confusing and chaotic.

art fuel your local center

So as the physical excitement to use all your tools at once mellows, I challenge you to create a boundary for your next printmaking session. Pick something that supports your style. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but that when the magic starts to happen.

delicate gelatin monotype print by linda germain

One way to impose boundaries is to join a class, then the teacher gives you exercises and assignments.

The 100 Print Project starts soon and is structured to guide you to take many small steps to create a 100 print installation. READ the details on the printmaking workshop page.

installation of gelatin prints

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Re-work the ashes of 2020

handmade books, mixed media printmaking / /

In the last post, I did an exercise to release the troubles of 2020 and create new opportunity for 2021.

I took plenty of time and played with the ashes and bits of paper that remained.

They were delicate, fragile and kind of beautiful.

burn your fears and worries

I dumped out the ashes and considered the possibilities.

I thought about:

  • Using the ash like charcoal
  • Mixing it with a medium like paint
  • Nourishing a potted plant

But I found the bits of paper that survived the burn to be the most interesting. So I glued them into a small accordion book and began to respond.

accordion book

I took several days to live with the materials. I added:

  • smudges and scribbles
  • tea stains
  • bold words and light marks

I think I created a little book of celebration and hope.

I hope you get the chance to do a similar celebration of letting go and looking to the future.

mixed media book linda germain

One way to welcome the new year is to join us in the 100 Print Project. It is an online gelatin printmaking class that encourages:

  • working with lots of transparent layers
  • pulling 100’s of impressions
  • developing you design and composition skills.

Read the details on the 100 Print Project workshop page.

gelatin print by linda germain

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Ritual – end of the year

inspiration, monotype print / /

I like to review my year in photos. I choose happy images that remind me of good times. Enjoy this 2 minute video.

Another ritual that I like to do from time to time:

  • Write down anything I want to let go of on a small slip of paper
  • Burn the troubles and paper in small jar
  • Give the ashes new life

Today, I wrote down everything from 2020 that I want to release and let go of.

release your worries ritual

And I had so many slips of paper that I was afraid that I would set off the smoke detectors/sprinkler system in my studio, if I burned them inside. So I headed to the beach.

beach a healing place for letting go ritual

The beach is a healing place for me. I walked out to Rye Ledge with my worries, some matches and a jar. The winds were light and the tide was low. And I set my 2020 worries free – up in smoke.

let worries go ritual

The final step will be to do something new with the remains. That will be for another day.

let nature inspire art making

I encourage you to embrace a ritual of review, celebration and letting go! It may clear your energy for the new year.

Consider supporting your printmaking habit in 2021 – join us in the 100 Print Project, online printmaking class. Read all the details on the workshop page.

installation of gelatin plate prints

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Art making habits

monotype print / /

Do you have art making habits?

Gel print by linda germain

Do you need to change some ways that you approach art making to create new work?

move beyond the chaos

  • I noticed that my messy cluttered space caused me to dread going to the studio.
  • I go crazy when I know I have a certain tool and can’t find it after 20 minutes of searching
  • I love looking at a wall of completed prints
  • I love stackable boxes that hold my prints, stencils and papers

gelatin plate prints by linda germain

I challenge you to get a cup of tea, take a seat in your workspace and look around for 15 minutes or so.

  • Notice what you love
  • Notice what drags you down
  • Even take pictures
  • Notice things you use and don’t use
  • Notice things you think you might use someday
  • Or things that you “should” use
  • Or things that are too precious to use

After this contemplation, would you say your space supports your art practice?

print storage

Could you take 20 minutes and

  • get rid of things you don’t use?
  • sort through a pile of papers or tools?
  • clear off a table?
  • make a plan to set up your space so that it supports your creativity.

One other way to support your creative habits, is to take a class. Check out the art classes being offered right now.

100 print project

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