artist book

Consider not knowing – OK

artist book, mixed media printmaking / /

Often I like to know how things are going to play out.

  • How the impression will print
  • How the marks will work together
  • How the colors will combine

black out poem

But this wanting to know ahead of time can stifle creative exploration. So I try to remind myself to:

“Let go and see what happens. It is only a piece of paper.”

gelatin monotype

When I can suspend the need to know and embrace the attitude of play, then new ideas often show up. It can take some time and warm up exercises to move beyond the need to know. That is one reason that I love the gelatin printmaking process. It is easy to grab:

  • a couple of stencils
  • stamping tools and
  • a stack of paper and start printing.

The feedback I get is immediate and I can quickly adjust my approach to change the results. I say if I get 2 out of 10 prints that I like then that is a success.

artist book

What about you? Do you allow yourself the space and time to venture into the unknown? Try it out next printing session and see what happens.

enzo in artist book

Check out the self study workshops that are available now. And jump into creating and not knowing.

Consider not knowing – OK Read More »

Layers of marks – a story

artist book, inspiration, mark making, mark making tools / /

I like to make marks with:

  • stamping tools and the gelatin plate. The details can be amazing.
  • a pencil/crayon and my non-dominate hand.  The line can be raw and authentic.
  • small hand made stamps. The patterns can be very stabilizing.

mark making tools

I combine these and a few other mark making techniques to make visual story books.

mixed media artist book

If you are curious about this approach to art making, then check out the details of the upcoming class Make Marks + Books.

mark making into books

This 7 lesson class is about exploring mark making and using a few simple printmaking techniques to make artist books.  We will use a non-linear approach to layering and responding to the images. It is intuitive and yet guided by design principles, like variety and repetition.

art books with mark making and printmaking

Join me in the online class – Make Marks + Books. Give yourself the gift of time to explore.

Layers of marks – a story Read More »

Looking at Faces

artist book, drawings / /

I have been playing with quick sketches of faces.

loose portrait sketch

I think my seeing is improving. I am starting to see the different shapes that the facial features can take.stylized portrait

I practice my “seeing” the shape of eyes, nose and mouth, as I watch videos and talk to people. I am enjoying this relaxed way of learning.

crayon and watercolor portrait

I have been exploring different drawing materials. My current favorites:

  • Gray crayola crayon
  • Prang watercolors
  • Black gel penportrait with crayon and watercolor

I like to work in 2 or 3 small notebooks at one time. That way the watercolors have time to dry. I have bound a bunch of Enso’s that I did earlier this year. I was wondering what I was going to do with all those zen circles.

zen circles - enso

They are painted on 90 lb. drawing paper and the paper is a little warped, but I was still pretty successful in using the double fan glue binding to hold 20 pages together.

If you have a lot of single sheet papers that you would like to bind into a book, then check out the class Bound Prints. I teach you how to use the glue based, double fan binding.

artist book

Enjoy!

Looking at Faces Read More »

Tiny house collage with book pages

altered books, artist book, book arts / /

I wanted to share a quick little collage project that I did with the margins of old book pages. This is a fun thing to make when you are stopped and don’t know where to begin.

tiny house collage

Materials needed:

  • Book pages with various shades of white and yellow
  • Glue and scissors
  • Colored paper or book cloth
  • Pencil, pen or markers

I am sure you have most of these supplies in your studio. Watch the video and build a village!

If you would like to explore more ways to use books in your art practice, then check out the online course, Books as ART Materials. Class starts soon.

Tiny house collage with book pages Read More »

Binding prints into books

artist book, book arts, handmade books / /

I have so many gelatin prints, and I am always looking for ways to use them. For the past few months I have been using lots of prints to make small soft cover journals.

piles of gelatin prints

I have experimented with using a print every other page and also made books with just a few prints and more blank pages.

handmade gratitude journal

I used a few as a gratitude journal.

tiny handmade sketchbook

And another as a tiny sketchbook.

My nephew used his to practice his Japanese.

double fan bound note book

I did make a few with hardcovers. The hardcover does elevate the feel of the journal and is good if I am making a more precious book of prints.

handmade books with double fan binding

I like this book form because:

  • It is great for single sheet prints
  • It can be used for prints with inky/messy backside
  • It opens pretty flat
  • I can use up a lot of prints

If you would like to explore this book form, then join us in the online Bound Prints Workshop. Get all the details and register here.

Binding prints into books Read More »