Mixed Media Printmaking Blog

Cleaning is part of making

studio / Linda Germain / December 27, 2019

I am almost afraid to admit that, I just came to the understanding that cleaning up my tools and workspace is part of the process of making.

I resist cleaning and some what resent the time that it takes to puts tools away and organize them. But this attitude is not helping me.

So I am trying to embrace the idea that “cleaning” time is just a valuable as the making time. Maybe I can even make it fun. 🙂 Maybe this new attitude will enhance both the making and the cleaning parts of the process.

I have been looking for inexpensive storage ideas. I found that disposable cake pans/covers work nicely for prints in progress. They are stackable, which means they take up less space.

I got a few see through boxes for longer term storage.

I wonder do you have parts of your making process that you enjoy and others that you resist??

How can we enjoy more of the process of making?

Enjoy –

Idea gathering
Experimental mark making
Creating a finished piece
Tool gathering
Space organizing
Cleaning and starting again

Happy printing!

PS – Join us in 2020 for the Mixed Media Retreat! – Get the details on the workshop page.

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Making gelatin monotype prints

monotype print / Linda Germain / December 23, 2019

Today, I cleaned up my work space a little and then gathered a few tools and pulled some gelatin prints. I was thinking about a couple of design concepts.

Keep it simple
Layer light over dark
let a focus evolve

I hope you can find time to play with printmaking. Give yourself some limits of boundaries and see if the challenge creates new discoveries.

For this mountain scape I used torn paper stencils and the delicate grasses as a stencil for the foreground focus.

I hope I have inspired you to:

Gather a few stencils
Make a pile of prints and
Keep it simple

Magic will happen!

Need the Free recipe to make the long lasting Gelatin and glycerin plate? Get it here.

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Make books-holiday gifts

artist book / Linda Germain / December 17, 2019

One simple way to use some of your gelatin prints as gifts is to make small notebooks. These can be very easy to make and super fun to give as a gift.

How to make small books – pamphlet stitch

Decide on a size. Size might be determined by the paper that you have available or the prints that you want to work with, or maybe the intended use.
Fold sheets in half. Crease with bone folder if desired.
Find 2 prints and cut the same size as your pages.
Place prints back to back and fold (this is the cover)
Make a sewing template – 3 evenly space holes
Pierce all folded pages – mark top, keep in order
Wax some embroidery thread by dragging it across bees wax candle several times. Or use already waxed thread.
Sew booklet together and tie knot in center.
Trim staggered edge with new fresh, sharp utility knife and several passes. This take patience and practice.
Sign, date and gift!!

Here’s a quick video summarizing the steps to make a pamphlet stitch book.

I hope you enjoy making some books for yourself and your friends.

If you are looking to use up some more of your prints in creative book making ways, then check out the Mixed Media Printmaker’s Retreat. It is an online class designed to support you in your art making habits.

Get support from an online class. Check out the current offerings on the printmaking workshop page.

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Making books and rusting paper

artist book / Linda Germain / December 13, 2019

I dug through some of my prints from this year and started making a mixed media book.

I like to work in a kind of layered spiral.

I lay down a based coat
Add some textured color
Then some hand drawn marks
A bit of collage
More paint and around and around until it feels done

This book used two kids books as a the base for the pages.

And then I used a multi needle coptic stitch to put them together.

It took me a while to remember that stitch pattern. I am not sure it is truly correct, but it is working nicely to hold the boards together.

I love to add upside down text to the book. So I write on tea bags and glue them in upside down. I get to put my emotion into the piece and still keep it a secret.

Over the last few days I pulled out my box of rusty things, spritzed with with vinegar and water and set them on some paper. I am getting mixed results. It is a surprise each day when I uncover the stack.

Find time to play in your studio!!!

Get support from an online class. Check out the current offerings on the printmaking workshop page.

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Be open to the element of surprise

monotype print / Linda Germain / November 22, 2019

I just came back from a short walk away from my studio. It has been a gray and overcast day, and my printing was labored. I needed a break.

I was lifted up by the puffy golden clouds that filled the sky just as the sun was setting. Glad I took a walk.

It reminded me to be open to the gift of surprise and serendipity.

This openness to experimentation is essential to gelatin printmaking. It is a true monotype process. Everything changes with each impression.

This can be really fun, unless you are stuck on recreating some kind of print or mark. So I advise to approach gelatin printmaking with a sense of adventure and discovery.

That is when the magic happens for me. My current exploration into Monochromatic Mountains uses masking stencils in a systematic way. That creates layered value changes.

Get support from an online class. Check out the current offerings on the printmaking workshop page.

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