artist book

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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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.

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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 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.

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