inspiration

Simple does not mean easy or boring

inspiration / /

Simple is not necessarily easy or uninteresting. I think of these qualities:

  • clear
  • honed to the essentials
  • free from ornamentation
  • readily understood/admired

gelatin print by linda germain

Often it is challenging to hone something down to its essential elements and still maintain meaning. In gelatin printmaking there is so much excitement, energy and possibility that it can be hard to embrace the less is more idea.

print with grasses linda germain

I offer you this challenge to gain clarity and insight into your printmaking style try one of these ideas:

  • Use 3 or less stencils
  • Print with blue/black ink
  • Try to include light whites and dark blacks in your prints

gel print monotype linda germain

You may notice that you resist these boundaries. That could be a good thing. Or you could create a boundary of your own and see what insights evolve.

If you would like the structure of a class to help you simplify your gelatin printmaking then check out the details of the online class.

speedball water soluble block printing ink for gelatin printmaking

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Capture some shadow shapes

drawings, inspiration, stencils / /

I take a daily walk in the woods along the lake and often see things that I want to use in my art making practice. It can be anything from weeds, leaves and sticks or inspiration for landscapes.

inspiration from the lake for landscapes

Those tangible things can be directly used in the gelatin printmaking process. I thinned down a tiny sprig of pine needles to make the prints below.

use found plants to make gelatin prints

I have been collecting more fleeting inspiration in the form of cast shadows. The sun needs to be strong and calm winds help.

cast shadows great for drawing

The bright sun simplifies the plants into shapes, and then I can more easily draw the leafy image. I does help to try to take the photo in the same angle and orientation that you want to draw it. Flipping in a photo program seemed off balance or wonky.

silhouette cast shadows

It can be very satisfying to do a few of these cast shadow drawing and fill them in with black ink or paint.

blurry pictures leave room for interpretation

Blurry pictures create room for interpretation. I notice that leaves are all different shapes and when a few group together they make even weirder shapes.

photograph shadows

The great thing about capturing shadows is that they don’t take up any studio space. And I always leave a few images on my phone, so I always have something as a drawing reference.

shadows and drawing practice

I encourage you to start to notice cast shadows and bring them back to your studio.

capturing cast shadows

One bright sunny day, in the studio, I tried casting some shadows and capturing them at the same time. I could have used another hand, but I love the shapes created. I may not have seen them by looking at the real branch.

Enjoy!

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Just gently begin

handmade books, inspiration / /

Art making ideas and inspiration come and go. Sometimes, I get stuck with either no ideas or too many ideas. That is when I remind myself to just start somewhere.

Gelatin Prints by linda germain

And usually quite quickly I am immersed in art making of some sort.

idea generator

I wrote potential art making habits on slips of paper and put them in a bowl. So if I am particularly stopped, I can just pick a slip and get started.

Somethings I wrote were:

  • Draw a selfie contour line image
  • Cut a found word poem
  • Stamp a whole page pattern
  • Paint big water color circles
  • Cut pages for my next sketchbook

sketchbooks by Linda Germain

I have found a sketchbook format that I really like and I have been filling up the pages of these handmade books since last August. I have captured my feelings and activities quite nicely.

I like this soft cover coptic stitch book because it lies flat and is very easy to work in. I can fold it back on itself to get the pages flat, unlike a hard cover book.

books by Linda Germain

A few gentle ways that I have begun lately:

  • Make quick folded books with scrap papers
  • Test out new book forms
  • Gelatin print on 6″ x 6″ paper with limited supplies
  • Experiment with drum leaf binding
  • Try out Andy Warhol’s blotted line monotype process
  • Watch a how to tutorial and actually do it!

I hope I have given you some ideas on how to keep the creativity flowing. If you need the recipe to make the glycerin and gelatin plate for printmaking you can get it here.

Happy printing and playing!

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What will you nourish in 2022?

collage, drawings, inspiration / /

Some folks pick an inspirational word at the beginning of the new year. I have never really done it before, but for some reason the word nourish is in my head these past few days.

nourish yourself

Nourish has a warm comforting feeling.

If you look it up in the dictionary, you will find it means:

  • to nurture, to rear
  • to promote the growth of
  • to furnish or sustain with nutriment
  • to feed, maintain or support

Whether we realize it or not we are most likely nourishing something. It might be kids, or health or our art practice.

sketchbook linda germain

I am encouraged to look more closely at what I am doing to nourish my body, mind and soul. Nourish seems to be compassionate, caring and wise.

be nourished by nature

Three ways I am planning to nourish my life:

  1. Eat more whole clean food and listen to the feedback from my body.
  2. Gently let go of stuff in my car, home and studio, so my space is comfort.
  3. Give myself more time each day to play at making marks.

The caring and supportive sense I get from the word nourish makes me feel excited to “feed” myself and grow healthier and happier with these activities. I don’t feel burdened by these “goals.”

I encourage you to try on the idea of nourishing yourself. What small change could you make to feel stronger, safer, or more nurtured?

Maybe join us in Creating Habits, the online class that explores a bit of drawing, collage and sketchbooking. Class starts January 7, 2022. Read all the details on the workshop page.

sketchbooks linda germain

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Keep your hands and eyes moving

drawings, inspiration, mark making / /

As I prepare for the upcoming class, Creating Habits I am beginning to realized that much of my art making is about getting my hands and eye to work together to create an image.phone photo reference for drawing

We often take these two functions for granted. That is until we start to lose the abilities of either one.

draw tools on desk

I am learning to appreciate what I can do and to realize it is a daily process to keep and build my seeing and drawing skills. I have to keep it fun.

look up into the trees

3 ways to build my seeing skills

  1. Look at things from a different perspective – like upside down
  2. Pause and notice what is above or below
  3. Take a lot of pictures of things I like from different angles

funky hand drawn fonts

3 ways to build my hand coordination

  1. Look closely and “draw” a new font
  2. Do hand yoga – gently appreciate the movements
  3. Play with loosely holding pens and brushes at a distance

I encourage you to notice and appreciate your hands and eyes and to celebrate your abilities.

If you are interested in exploring hand/eye skills more deeply, then check out the current workshops.

Enjoy!

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