I recently attended a week long Yoga retreat.

Ahhhhh………  Or is it Ommmmm. 🙂

I came back to the studio alive and renewed. And the things that helped that to happen were pretty simple.

• Take gentle walks often
• Listen to my gut
• Breathe to align my body

These 3 things feed my art practice as well as my healthy body.

Walks

I always get ideas and clear focus when I take a walk. I get:

• Photos that inspire stencils
• New energy that lets me shed critical judgements
• Ideas for new classes from the scenery

Listen to my Gut

This one can be common sense, but sometimes we get lost analyzing thoughts, or seeking advice from others.

We can listen to our “gut” on a physical level or on a mental level.

Way’s to listen to your artist’s gut:

• Make a mess
• Stop and call a piece done after just a couple of marks
• Take the class that you have be dreaming about
• Let go of old supplies or work that is weighing you down

Breathe to align

This insight was kind of specific to my yoga retreat, but I think I can still make an art analogy.

The breath is always there.

Hence it could be a great anchor to what is right in front of you right now.

Three ways the breath could align you with your art practice:

• Use an intentional inhale to step away from your piece and admire it
• Use a big sighing exhale as you finish a step – acknowledge your efforts
• If you are stumped and do not know how to proceed, maybe notice whether or not you are breathing in a way that brings in new ideas.

Happy Printing!

Need a class?

Check out the current online printmaking classes

 

I use stencils to block and to transfer ink when I am making gelatin prints.

A traditional stencil is a hole in the stencil material, as you can see in the image below. To use these stencils, I would gently push ink through the holes.

And the resulting image would be and ink impression the shape of the hole.

The other kind of stencil that I use a lot with gelatin printmaking is a masking stencil. These kinds of stencils block the transfer of ink to the paper. These stencils below are types of masking stencils.

These stencils would create a “white” shape with ink being printed around the edge of the masking stencil.

This is a simple impression made with a masking stencil. The ink passes to the paper in the areas around the stencil.

This print is more complex but the image of the girl was still created with a masking stencil. It blocked the blue ink from printing in the area of the masking stencil.

Now to the most excited way that I use masking stencils with the gelatin plate. I use the stencil to block and transfer ink.

Ink naturally builds up on the back side of the masking stencil the you are gelatin printing. This leads to a lovely impression UNDER the masking stencil.

I embrace this lovely build up of ink to create multi colored impressions. If you would like to explore this process, then join me in the one weekend, online class, Hand Printed Cars + the gelatin plate.

hand printed cards online workshop with Linda Germain from Linda Germain on Vimeo.

I have been using Tyvek® stencils for gelatin printmaking for about a year. I can remember that I was afraid of failing when I first started cutting stencils from Tyvek®.

Even just yesterday, I got caught up in trying to come up with a “perfect” image. Then I had to remember one of my mottos –

– Use what I have and just start printing.

And when I stopped analyzing and thinking then I was able to put this image together and make a stencil that I am pretty pleased with.

I have created an online, weekend class – Hand printed cards + Tyvek® stencils and the gelatin plate.

Class starts soon.

READ all the details on the printmaking workshop page and join us today.

hand printed cards online workshop with Linda Germain from Linda Germain on Vimeo.

I love taking classes. And when I take a class, I want to learn as much as I can about the process from the instructor.

This means that I don’t want to spend a lot of time deciding on the images that I want to use for the process.

Image collection and cultivation ideally is an ongoing daily process. Some might call it a sketchbook practice. But it really does not need to be limited to a sketchbook.

Image ideas and creation could be:

• sketchbook practice
• a pinterest board
• a daily photo habit
• a folder of magazine clippings

The key elements to this habit/practice of image collection are:

• It happens daily/regularly
• You save the images in one spot, so you can find them when you need them
• The method you choose fits your style

I love to help my students find ways to support their daily practice of art making. That is why I use short videos and lessons. So the student can spend most time making, doing and creating. I think that is that fastest way to learn new printmaking skills.

If you are interest in adding some new skills to your art making practice, then consider an online workshop, check out the current classes.