monotype print

I love text as texture.

I love handwriting that draws the viewer in closer to the art work.

I love finding my own meaning in the everyday.

I have collected old books for several years. Some of them are beautiful and precious to me. Some of the books have interesting scribbles or marks from former reader. Some have become art and art materials.

I am sharing my ideas on how to use old books as art and art material in the online class – Books as ART Materials. Class starts Friday, so if you are interested in using some old books to make new stuff, then check out the details and join us today.

One thing you can do with old books it create black out or white out poems.

I use the word poem loosely. I like to go through pages and circle words that jump out at me. Then the “poem” makes sense to me, even if it is on a subconscious level.

I love to use the blacking out lines to create patterns, shapes and values. Again it is a meditative process, where I allow the finished product to evolve.

If you would like to explore black out poems and other ways to use books as ART material, then click here to read the details about the online workshop, Books as ART Materials. 

As I am preparing my new class, Book as ART Materials, I am discovering new sources for old and unwanted books.

Independent Used Book Sellers

These local book sellers often have boxes of books that are too old to sell or otherwise headed for the recycle bin.

I found 2 kind book sellers who were willing to let me take books from there recycle pile.

Never 2 Many books – 58 Pulaski St. Peabody, MA – I found a box full of old books that I can use for book making art projects – Thank YOU!

Well Read Books  – Rte 125, Plaistow, NH – Offered me to look through and take some of the books that were on the way to the book recycling project Rolling Thunder

I know that most of my readers do not live close to these book sellers, but I bet that you have similar types of bookstores in your area.

It makes it a lot easier to cut up a book if you got it for free or very inexpensively.

Some good sources for nearly free old books:

1. Yard Sales
2. Friends garages and basements
3. Small independent used book sellers
4. Local libraries

What to look for in an old book?

• Cool covers
• Interesting End pages
• Old notes
• Fades pages
• Drawings, music, foreign language
• Embossed words or designs

Click here to read more about the Books as ART Materials workshop here on the information page.

I love finding old books at library sales.

I think of old books as fodder for art making. I can use:

• The pages for black out poems
• The covers for journals
• Pages for printing surfaces

BE brave and make something from a book!

I look for covers that talk to me, pages with words that jump out at me and subjects that catch my eye.

I am excited to share that I am working on a new class that will be all about repurposing old books and less than perfect prints into beautiful pieces of art.

Stay on the mailing list to find out about the details of this course that will run in July.

I love my course Make Monotypes because I can help artists from all over the world to explore gelatin printmaking.

But I am happy to share that my students are loving the class just as much as I am. For example:

One student’s experience in Make Monotypes – I wanted to take this class for quite a while, but as I had already experimented a fair bit with a gel plate, I wasn’t sure how much I’d learn.

My friend, a bookbinding instructor took the class a while back, and spoke very highly of it. She really enjoyed it and learned a lot. And I had seen some of her prints that she incorporated into her bookmaking projects.

I’m very glad I took the course – it was exactly what I wanted- it encouraged me to use my own images and experiment with found objects and stencils/masks I created myself.

So many other books, videos and blog posts focused on use of commercial stencils and other products.  I really appreciate that this course focuses on finding or making one’s own tools!

Gerry McG.

This gelatin printmaking course is the foundation of my approach to printmaking without a press. The gelatin plate is unique:

• The malleable plate is able to hold delicate details.
• These details can be transferred to paper with mere hand pressure
• The process is immediate and does not require lots of planning.
• Gelatin printing is low tech and not-toxic
• It is the best of printing without a press

Read more details about the printmaking course and join us today. This is the only time that I will be offering the course this year.