inspiration

I have been keeping busy with a variety of printing, drawing and collage projects. Enjoy some studio wall shots.

I am having a lot of fun making these 2″ thumbnail, collage gelatin prints. I think they will end up being pages of a book.

These thumbnail landscapes worked up really nicely.

I find these are great skill builders for enhancing design skills. And they are fast and satisfying.

This is a collage of the different types of textured marks that I use in gelatin printmaking.

This was a really fun and confidence building exercise in painting watercolor figures, with just a few strokes.

I am playing with some different book forms, drum leaf, stab binding and staggered fold.

I am totally seeing landscapes and skies with new eyes. I can see why they are such a popular subject matter. I get new inspiration everyday.

I played with patterns and painting a couple of angels for the holiday.

One day I made a couple of collages with minimal paper.

Playing with a few sketches inspired by my Panera coffee cup.

I think the idea is to listen to your hunches, inklings and idea and act on them, even if you think you are not ready or not good enough.

Just play with printmaking and more!

Join me in an online class soon. Check out the current online printmaking workshops.

I think as artists we see things differently.

Even when I see shapes and shadows and try to capture the energy with my camera, sometimes it does not translate.

I have learned to let go of that gap and do what I can with what I have.

Maybe the experience in the present moment is all I will get. Maybe my job is to help other have those experiences. Hmmmm?

That is why I love to teach gelatin printmaking to folks from all over the world. If you would like to experience the joys of printmaking without a press then check out the current online workshops.

Do you let yourself play each day?

It was Carl Jung who said, “The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.”

As artists we are always creating. I think incorporating some play into our practice feeds new life into our art.

Today I was prompted to play, based on a Pinterest image, by Michele Cooper.

She shares a video on how to make 6 stroke figures.

I use Pinterest to share my gelatin plate monotype prints and to save inspiration and ideas.

Click on the image and hop over to my collection of boards, gelatin prints and printmaking tools. Be careful! It is easy to lose track of time when you start browsing.

I challenge you to find one bit of inspiration and then take immediate action. PLAY!

If you would like to play with gelatin printmaking in the new year then join us in Make Monotypes, the online gelatin printmaking class.

This is a 4 week printmaking class the explores all the major skills to make beautiful gelatin plate monotype prints.

Read all the details on the workshop page and join us. Class starts Jan 7th, 2019.

I think as artists we can forget how brave we are!

More quotes from Matisse can be found here.

So I encourage you to recognize how brave you are today! Take stock and make a list of your brave actions:

I am a brave artist when I:

1. suspend self judgement
2. put my work out there
3. ask for a sale
4. am willing to make ugly prints
5. set it aside and come back with fresh eyes
6. tear it up and repurpose a piece
7. take a class in a new media
8. combine techniques in my own way

Come on make your list!

 

 

Sometimes ideas and inspiration just come you. Use your phone to capture those thoughts.

The easiest way to capture ideas is to take a picture. Even if it is not a beautiful photo is can capture the essence as a reference for a stencil or a painting or art process.

Another way I use my phone is to write a note to myself. Then I can come back to the notes later.

A third way that I save inspiration is to record sounds. Sometimes I just want remember that feeling that is created by the crashing waves or babbling brook.

Then turn that inspiration into art making action.