Mixed Media Printmaking Blog

Found marks and meaning

artist book / Linda Germain / June 19, 2017

When working with old books it is exciting to find notes and scribbles and old library check out slips.

I like to call this patina or history. It is not something that you can make up, it’s real and can transport you back 100 years. I like to take these treasures and re-work them into a new book that can be handled and interacted with.

The books cannot be precious in either state. I love to make artist books that seem so precious and fragile and still invite the viewer to open them and experience the combination of old and new. This process can give old found marks new meaning.

Are you interested in re-working some old books into new treasures?

Click here and read the details of the Book as ART materials workshop. Registration is open and class starts soon.

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New use for Old books – Intimate ART

book arts / Linda Germain / June 14, 2017

Many old books end up in land fills or get recycled for paper pulp. This should ease your mind and give you the confidence to tear, cut, glue and reshape old books into new art making tools and art pieces.

Books are precious and powerful, but I think repurposing old unwanted books gives it new life and new power. I like to work with the parts of the book:

Covers
End pages
Page blocks
Spines

These parts can be cut apart and reassembled to make a new book with a rich patina and history. Sometimes you can find wonderful marks, notes, and history from prior readers.

If you have a pile of old books and you are brave enough to make something new with the old parts, then join us in the online workshop, Books as ART Materials. Click here to read the details on the workshop page.

In the class we will:

Take books apart
Use pages and parts to make stencils and stamping tools
Build new book forms

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Sources for old books

monotype print / Linda Germain / June 7, 2017

As I am preparing my new class, Book as ART Materials, I am discovering new sources for old and unwanted books.

Independent Used Book Sellers

These local book sellers often have boxes of books that are too old to sell or otherwise headed for the recycle bin.

I found 2 kind book sellers who were willing to let me take books from there recycle pile.

Never 2 Many books – 58 Pulaski St. Peabody, MA – I found a box full of old books that I can use for book making art projects – Thank YOU!

Well Read Books – Rte 125, Plaistow, NH – Offered me to look through and take some of the books that were on the way to the book recycling project Rolling Thunder

I know that most of my readers do not live close to these book sellers, but I bet that you have similar types of bookstores in your area.

It makes it a lot easier to cut up a book if you got it for free or very inexpensively.

Some good sources for nearly free old books:

Yard Sales
Friends garages and basements
Small independent used book sellers
Local libraries

What to look for in an old book?

Cool covers
Interesting End pages
Old notes
Fades pages
Drawings, music, foreign language
Embossed words or designs

Click here to read more about the Books as ART Materials workshop here on the information page.

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Simple stencils from fabric designs

stencils / Linda Germain / May 22, 2017

I got several small fabric samples, at the local recycling center, extras for creative reuse.

I did some sketches, drawings and doodles with reference to some of the patterns. This is an easy way to draw something if you really don’t have a passion for drawing. It gives you a starting place. Of course you do not want to create exact copies of someone else’s design.

Today I cut a few simple trees and circles and used them as masking stencils while printing with the gelatin plate. Monotype printing on the gelatin plate is always unpredictable.

I have been exploring this process for several years and still l manage to discover new approaches. Today, I played with surprise ink on the stencil and releasing it in different ways on to the plate and on to the paper.

If you have not tried gelatin printmaking with the homemade gelatin and glycerin plate and you like working to discover new ways of making marks, then wait no longer. Get the FREE recipe and try it this week.

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Recycling an old book into a journal

artist book / Linda Germain / May 18, 2017

Sewn book bindings can intimidating. But the more you do the better you get.

Every time I make a Coptic stitch bound book, I need to refresh my memory and skills.

So with this journal I set perfection aside and embraced the re-learning of the coptic stitch binding.

When journals are too perfect and precious, then I seem to be reluctant to use them. So I guess is is great to have this less than perfect journal for doodles, lists, notes and drawing.

If you would like to explore re-use old books this summer, then stay on the printmaking list below and I will keep you posted.

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