Take a break and fuel your practice

drawings / /

Lately I have been using breaks to feed my art making.

free inspiration at your feet by lindagermain

On a sunny autumn day in New England, the foliage and fresh air feeds my sense of colors and landscape.

See the leaves at your feet

A walk around the city provides images for stencils.

screen print over a gelatin print

A sketch during a TV show can inspire, drawings, doodles and prints.

art sketchbook by linda germain

So how can you use breaks and other parts of your day to feed your art practice.

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

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Print with wonderful weeds

inspiration, mark making tools, tools / /

Today as I enjoyed the one of the last sunny days at the beach, I also gathered some fall weeds for some upcoming projects.

be inspried by the beach

I found some thin, detailed twigs and branches that I hope to use in a clay project.

twigs for printmaking

If I were printing with weeds and grasses on the gelatin plate, then I would look for very strong and very flat varieties of weeds.

So depending on the printmaking process that you are using will determine what kind of weeds will work for you.
I use strong and moderate thickness to create foam relief plates. These kind of weeds need to be strong and thick enough to make an impression in the plate.

soft relief plate for printmaking

So I hope you are encouraged to see the value in roadside weeds for your printmaking practice.

weeds for printmaking without a press

This thick mess of weeds is too complex for using with the gelatin plate, but it is going to be great for one time use in making an impression in clay.
Happy hunting!

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

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Check out your local art scene

Haverhill, inspiration / /

I was recently encouraged to gather inspiration from local art options. I offer the idea to you. It is usually a quick and easy way to fuel your art practice.

art fuel your local center

You can search for:

  • Regional art associations
  • Art centers – that offer classes and more
  • Galleries and art exhibit venues like libraries
  • College galleries and continuing education classes

Then pick one to visit or join in for an activity. See who you meet and how you can be inspired.

cogswell art space

I recently helped with a clean up day for a local art center that is in the process of opening. Cogswell Art space is an old school that is becoming a new space for the arts in Haverhill. They are having a housewarming event October 19th and 20th.

I will be there on the 20th from 10 to 11AM doing a FREE gelatin printmaking demo.hand print cards with the gelatin plate

So the challenge for you is to look locally and see if you can find:

  • inspiration
  • support
  • other artists to create with.

Happy trails!

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

 

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Free Gelatin Printing Demo at the Cogswell Housewarming

Haverhill / /

linda germain gelatin printmaking in the greenhouse in winter

  • Gelatin Plate Monotype Printmaking Demonstration
  • by Linda Germain
  • Sunday, October 20th 10 AM to 11AM
  • Cogswell Artspace
  • 351 S. Main St, Haverhill, MA

Check out the amazing possibilities of gelatin plate printmaking. Linda will be printing with botanicals to make hand printed cards.

Gelatin printmaking is a non-toxic, low tech process that can be done in your home with just a few tools. It makes printmaking accessible to everyone from kids and grandparents to artists and teachers and therapists.

Come and experience this printmaking process first hand.

fern prints on the gelatin plate

Want to get started with Gelatin Printmaking at your own home? Get the free recipe below and watch a few videos.

Make a Glycerin & Gelatin Printing Plate Now!
Get the FREE recipe to make a gel printing plate

Additionally, you will receive a weekly email about printmaking, ideas, tips and courses.

Join us today and start having fun!

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Use Tyvek® to make strong stencils

stencils / /

Stencils are one of the main tools that I use when gelatin printing.

stencils made from tyvek for printmaking by linda germain

I use stencils to:

  • block the transfer of ink (masking stencil)
  • shape the transfer of ink through holes in the stencil(traditional hole stencil)
  • define and transfer ink in the shape of the masking stencil

A few years ago I took a class with Beatrice Coron, a paper cutting artist, who uses Tyvek® a lot. Check out her TED talk.

Since then I have enjoyed using Tyvek® stencils. And I think that the combination of strong Tyvek® stencils and malleable gelatin and glycerin plate allows for some unique mark making.

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

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