Mixed Media Printmaking Blog

Books transport you

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

Books give me:

hope
new ideas and
guidance

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

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.

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.

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12 collages at once

book arts, collage / Linda Germain / June 12, 2020

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

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

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

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.

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Inspired by books

altered books, inspiration / Linda Germain / June 11, 2020

I love the last day of a library book sale. That’s when I can get a big bag of old books for just a few dollars. These are books that nobody wants, so they are perfect for art projects.

So I approach the book sale and hunt with thoughts like these:

Do judge a book by its cover
- cloth or paper
- color
- size
- embossed design
- plain, words or illustration
Inside pages are not about the story but –
- strength of the page
- color of the paper
- how does it “feel”
- what language, music or illustrations
The Spine and the End Pages can be the most exciting parts
- texture of the materials
- personal notes and marks that record history

After you have played with taking a few books apart, then you might come up with a wish list for your next book sale.

My old book wish list:

Large cloth covered children’s book – for the cloth and book board
Hard covered books with yellow, orange or cream colored cloth – for the colors
Any book with embossed designs or text – for the rubbings

When I look at old books, I am thinking about design ideas like:

color
line
texture

If you want to play with using old books in your art practice, then join us in the online class, Book as ART Materials. Class starts soon. READ all the detail on the workshop page.

The lessons include:

black out poems
large diptych and collage
book forms

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Fun with book pages

book arts / Linda Germain / June 10, 2020

You can use book pages for almost any paper project. I think the half hidden text can create interest and draw the viewer in closer to your art work.

I often will white wash a stack of old book pages and then gelatin print on them. It creates a freedom, because the paper is not so precious. I white wash with the same ink or paint that I am printing with.

While brainstorming for the upcoming class, Books as ART Materials, I played with book pages for paper mache bowls. It was more challenging than I thought it would be, but fun to explore.

I love making little origami boxes with book and magazine pages. It is always a surprise to see how it all folds together. I have quick tutorial here on making origami boxes.

You could do any origami project with pages. I have folded a few cranes. Choose a thin yet sturdy page for these folded projects.

When I start to take a book apart, I love finding pages with different qualities:

faded sepia tones
scribbles and notes
transparent leaves
bold or big type
blank pages

I collect several papers with different qualities and begin a project, like the collage above.

How could you use book pages in your work?
Would it create freedom to play with paper?
Would it give you a way to begin?

If you would like some help using Books as ART Materials, the join us. READ the details on the workshop page. Class starts soon.

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Take Books Apart – Play

book arts / Linda Germain / June 7, 2020

There’s more to a book than you might think.

The obvious parts of the book are:

Cover
Pages and
Words

If you go a little deeper, you will find:

Book cloth
Decorative end pages
Illustrations
Lending and ownership notes
Marks of use and wear
Spine, mull, glue, headband and mull
Book board
Maybe even a dust jacket

I love to take old books apart and use those parts to make new pieces of art. That might include:

Black out poems
Artist journals and
Collaged pieces

You want to use books that are older and no longer loved. These types of books usually are recycled as paper products. This website is a good resource for book sales: https://www.booksalefinder.com

Often on the last day of a library book sale you can get a big bag of old books for a few dollars. Hunting for these old treasures is part of the fun. On this page I go into more depth about the qualities I look for in old books as art materials.

If you would like to explore using Books as ART Materials, then read the details on the workshop page and join us today. Class starts soon.

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