altered books Archives - Page 2 of 5

Magazines and books – sources of inspiration

altered books, book arts, drawings, inspiration, mixed media printmaking / Linda Germain / September 28, 2021

Once or twice a year I get a stack of old magazines from a library or other recycling source.

It is a treat to feast on the pictures and text. I cut stencils and roll pages into mark making tools, make collages and more.

I go through the magazines several different times for collage and drawing projects.

cut up book pages for collage — cut out word poems

Parts of the magazine that inspire me:

Words – for found poems and collages
Fonts – for drawing
Photos for drawing references
Thumbnails of larger pictures – composition ides
Illustrations – for drawing ideas
Figures and silhouettes for stencil making

So go to your library or recycling center and get a stack of magazines and make stuff. The images and words that you find are a jumping off place for your own uniques expression. Twist, crop and rearrange the words and images to make something new.

Make some origami boxes – There is a free tutorial here.

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Zoom call doodles – good habit

altered books, artist book, mark making / Linda Germain / July 1, 2021

It might not be what your boss suggests, but doodling during meetings and phone calls might be good for your for your visual art practice.

I recently did the doodle above during an hour long call.

I was suprised by all the different patterns I was able to create with simple lines dots and circles.

I think this mediative practice:

is easy to do with minimal supplies
suspends judgement – quiets your critical voice
can create some pleasing results to feed your art practice

For those reasons, I have added a daily meditative mark making prompt to the Mixed Media Retreat, the online class. Details on the workshop page.

I think meditative marks can:

be a source for stamp and tool making
be a way to learn to draw more shapes
be just plain fun and relaxing

Hope to see you in class.

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Scraps collage – so much fun!

altered books, artist book, book arts / Linda Germain / March 15, 2021

One way to get your creative juices flowing and quiet the inner critic is to work on several small pieces at once.

Another way to keep the creativity flowing to to layer and respond with minimal marks.

I did these scraps collages with bits and pieces of book pages and part in my online class, Books as ART Materials.

I approach the project with an attitude of playful discovery. I work up about 12 4″ square pieces in layers.

Sometimes a get a few striking collages. But I am always developing my design and composition skills.

Give it a try at the end of the day, gather the bits of waste from your work bench, add scribbles, text or coffee stains and see what happens.

If you would like to explore using Books as ART Materials, then join us in the upcoming class. Read all the details on the workshop page.

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Look at books with new potential

altered books / Linda Germain / February 26, 2021

Let’s take another look at the book. Sure books are filled with stories and information, but I like to play with the physical bits of books. Getting ready Books as ART Materials, online class.

WORDS

I like to cut them out and make new poems and messages.

BOOK CLOTH

I love this stuff! It is easy to pull off the book board and has wonderful texture and stability.

I like to use the ragged thready edges in collage.

Book Board

I use book board to make new journals and sketchbooks. I tear off the cloth and then cut the board to a new size. Cover the board with gelatin prints or other media. It is nice and strong and a inexpensive alternative to buying new.

Spines and Mull

This stuff is my favorite part of the book.

This is the mixture of glue and mesh and paper and cloth that make the spine of a sewn book strong but still flexible.

I use these bits and pieces in collage.

I hope I have stimulated the way you look at books. I know many folks see books as precious and would not dream of tearing them apart. That is ok. The books that I use are destined for the recycling bin anyway.

There is a great website that lists book sales around the US https://booksalefinder.com . Many sales have been cancelled but hopefully that will change.

In the mean time, ask family and friends for unwanted books. You may be doing them a favor.

If you would like some guidance in using Books as ART Materials, then join us in the online class. Read the details on the workshop page.

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Let’s look at book parts

altered books, artist book / Linda Germain / June 19, 2020

Books are more than stories, pages and words.

Let’s see what treasures these two books have offered me.

The African Violets book:

decorative spine
2 hard cover boards
pretty green book cloth
lots of off white vintage pages
black and white photos
300 pages for painting, sculpting and collage
and the part I love the most is the paper, mull glue and threads that make the spine strong

I can do a lot with all that. I can make: