artist book

Join Me – New Class – stamp making

artist book, collage, combined techniques, monotype print, sketchbook ideas, stamping tools / /

I am excited about the new class that starts October 25th. This class is about:

  • Making small stamps out of sticky backed foam
  • Slipknot book form
  • a gelatin print lesson and
  • a bit of collage

I love this combination of techniques. There is something for everyone. So you can choose a focus that fits your interest at this time.

slipknot book with gelatin print and collage

The slipknot binding is great for sketchbooking, because it can be flipped and folded to always lie flat. It takes a bit of thread management to link the pages together, but it is a pretty easy book form.

Gelatin monotype with stamping

I am including a gelatin print session so you will have prints to respond to with collage and stamping.

The collage lesson is just to get beyond the blank page.

slipknot bound books

Read all the details and join us in Stamp Making + Mixed Media Book Workshop.

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Simple tools – bold marks

artist book, book arts, combined techniques, foam plate printmaking / /

I love to keep the printmaking process simple and non-toxic. That is one reason that I enjoy gelatin printmaking so much.

simplified gelatin plate monotype prints

I also enjoy the easy printmaking process of relief printing. Sticky back foam and scissors make this even easier.

foam relief stamps

The simpler the design the more I like it. Stamp pads can be expensive and the ones I buy dry up too fast. I found a way to ink the foam plates with broad nib markers.

broad tip poster markers to ink foam relief plate

I can quickly print these stamps in books and on papers. I love that I can use limited supplies and have very little clean up. And because I am using water based markers to “ink” the foam stamps everything is dry very quickly.

foam stamps printed on book page

I have made quite a stack of little foam stamps over the last few weeks. Some inspired by nature walks.

tiny foam bird stamps by linda germain

I think small is good for this process, because they are easy to ink and print. I have made a few that are about 6″ long and I think that is big enough.

blue bell foam stamp

hand stamped cat print

Check out the self study printmaking classes that are available now.

 

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In and Out of the Studio

artist book, combined techniques, inspiration, monotype print / /

I think time outside of the studio, feeds what is created in the studio. What is your experience?

artist book relief prints

I often see shadows and leaves on my morning walks that I use as reference in my gelatin printmaking. I collect weeds and grasses to use as masking stencils too.

cast shadows great for drawing

Lately, I have been doing lots of line drawings of faces. Old photos have been the stimulus for some of these drawings. I have also been capturing new images of family members to use as reference.

stylized portrait

Even an extended vacation could inspire a new series or process.

gelatin prints bound into artist books

I just came back from Maine Media for a week long class, A Sense of Place with Isobel Lewis. I enjoyed exploring new book forms and printmaking methods.

If you are looking for a stay at home art vacation option, then check out the self study classes on my workshop page.

botanical gelatin plate monotype prints

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Take an art vacation

artist book, book arts, drawings, inspiration / /

I just got back from a week at Maine Media. Oh boy did I need to get away. And I am glad to be back in the studio with renewed energy and ideas.

tetra pak intaglio plates

I have joined in on some online courses this year and they have been stimulating too. But working in person with instructors and fellow artists offers another energy.

The class was “A Sense of Place” with Isobel Lewis. We explored Rockport Harbor on the first day and did several drawings to capture the feel and essence. Luckily it was a sunny spring day.

rockport harbor

We spent the week making marks and working the papers into several different book forms.

accordion book

The book above was formed with 4 Tetra Pak intaglio prints. I love the loose threads that symbolize the ropes and lines of the boating community.

tetra pak print by Linda Germain

Enjoy a short video of a single sheet accordion book that a made during the week.

Consider giving yourself the gift of an art vacation. Some of the places that I have enjoyed:

Check your local art schools for more options.

 

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Make a brown bag book

artist book, book arts, handmade books, inspiration, mark making, techniques / /

Today, I had the urge to make a brown bag book. I share with you my process so you can make some too.

brown bag art book

  • First I took the bag apart, so it was one flat sheet.
  • Then I ironed out the wrinkles
  • Painted white gesso over the store advertising
  • Added some bold black india ink marks
  • Cut into long 10″ strips (final size 6″ x 9″)

rough cut book pages

book pages

  • The cut the long 10″ strip into 6″ x 9″ sheets
  • Fold each in half and stack inside each other to make a single signature
  • Clip together and punch 3 holes in the spine
  • Follow video instructions to sew together

A couple of extra tips:

  1. It is ok if the pages are not perfectly the same
  2. Make sure your holes are big enough for easier sewing
  3. You can choose how you stack your sheets so you create a blank page spread and then a painted spread. Play with how you stack the sheets together to create a book that suits your style.
  4. Press with heavy weight to get it to lay flat

I hope you enjoy the process as much as I did. Check out the self study classes available now.

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