Create space for new art making

studio / /

If you are a mixed media artist like me, then you probably see potential in everything and have a collection of mark making tools.

note to self

Sometimes this pile of potential gets in the way of creating.

Mark making tools

Every so often I go through and get rid of the tools that I no longer use. This frees up space in my studio and my mind to create with a bit more clarity.

mark making stamping tools

So I challenge you to go through your supplies or tools and get rid of the things that you don’t use. It will give you a new freedom and lightness. That may show up in your work.

simplified gelatin prints

Still need the free easy to make gelatin and glycerin recipe? Get it here.

 

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Awareness and Opportunity – Art making

monotype print / /

Daily walk in the woods feeds my mind with ideas. I am transported to a peaceful place.

woods walk inspiration

I often notice:

  • smell of the forest
  • dust and prints on the path
  • delicate weeds and grasses

Sometimes, I get annoyed if I have to share the trail with lots of other people. Sometimes, I get in my head with worries. But mostly I am grateful to have the woodsy trail along the lake so close to home.

tree bark texture

The awareness and appreciation that I bring into the woods creates opportunities back in the art studio.

weeds for gelatin printmaking

The most literal would be the grasses and weeds that I collect for gelatin printmaking. Different grasses are available to me a different times of year. I have to keep my eyes peeled.

rose bud

Often times I will be inspired by flowers or buds and try to capture the energy and essence in a photo. Then I can do some sketches and use the image in a project.

shadows to inspire stencils

Shadows always capture my attention. I love using shadow pictures to create stencils. I love how simple shapes can be powerful and expressive.

gelatin plate monotype print by linda germain

What about you?

  • Do you have a daily walk that could create artistic opportunity?
  • Can you notice simple shadows and weeds with a new awareness?

I hope you do have the chance to notice the simple beauty available to you and to use that in your studio practice.

drawings for making screen prints

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Let’s look at book parts

altered books, artist book / /

Books are more than stories, pages and words.

books for making art

Let’s see what treasures these two books have offered me.

book apart

The African Violets book:

  • decorative spine
  • 2 hard cover boards
  • pretty green book cloth
  • lots of off white vintage pages
  • black and white photos
  • 300 pages for painting, sculpting and collage
  • and the part I love the most is the paper, mull glue and threads that make the spine strong

I can do a lot with all that. I can make:

  • poems
  • origami
  • monotypes
  • and collages

make art with books

I love finding yellow books at the sales. With the Nonsense Book I got some bonus treasures:

recycle books into art

  • Old library check out cards
  • super sturdy spine materials
  • fun text and lots of illustrations
  • Library ownership notes
  • bold text on the spine
  • the mull, pages and covers
  • Yellow!!! book cloth

Oh the fun I am going to have with these book parts. I have been making lots of patterned pages and collages lately.

collage of book pages

I enjoy the freedom of working on old book pages. Nothing is precious. I can play all day.

tiny coffee stained collage

I am even making lots of quick and loose painted monotypes.

monotypes on book pages

Want to explore making art with books?

Check out the current online art classes being offered.

 

 

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Books transport you

altered books, artist book, book arts / /

Do you get deep into a book and feel transported to another time or space? Do books make you laugh, cry and feel?

Recycled books for art making

Books give me:

  • hope
  • new ideas and
  • guidance

book pages to make art

When I am using books as art material books can:

  • connect me to an unknown past
  • make me want to touch and discover
  • give me a place to begin

cut up books to make art

Working with book pages, covers and parts is a tactile process. It can be a bit sculptural. I love combining cloth, threads, words, pages and glue to create a new conversation.

collage book parts to make mixed media art

I hope that the new abstract piece creates:

  • wonder
  • joy or
  • curiosity

Join me in the upcoming class, Books as Art Materials. Class starts soon. READ the details on the workshop page.

book pages and patterns

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12 collages at once

book arts, collage / /

Thinking sometimes gets in the way of making. The fear of getting it wrong or making mistakes can stop us in our tracks.

small collages with book pages

I know that when I am just laying down marks and materials, and not analyzing too much, that is when the magic happens.

tiny paper collage

So in preparation for the online class, Books as ART Materials, I have been playing with paper and cloth scraps.

12 collage at once

Torn scraps are fun to use because they often already have and interesting shape. This way I am responding to the existing materials and not really needing to create something new.

It is also a fun way to start or end a day of making art.

If this sounds interesting to you, then join us in the online class, Books as ART Materials. Class starts soon. Read the details on the workshop page.

expressive collage by linda germain

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