inspiration Archives - Page 2 of 26

Try something new or different

collage, drawings, inspiration, mark making, mixed media printmaking / Linda Germain / May 31, 2023

I have been making painted pages and collages lately. It is a bit new and different for me.

Experimenting with a new technique or material can breathe new life into your art making practice. It might be a great way to stimulate ideas for your next series or project.

Or you could find a way to integrate new skills into your traditional practice.

Are you inspired by images that you see online? Ask yourself what is the quality that you admire and then see if there is a way to bring that quality into your work.

It could be:

the subject matter
the shape, color or simplicity or
the medium or format

I encourage you today play with something new or different and then notice if it stimulates something in your practice.

An art class is one way to try something new, check out the current workshops and see if any are a good fit for you.

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Find things that feel good

inspiration, mark making / Linda Germain / May 23, 2023

Lately, I have been noticing and choosing habits and tools that feel good. For example, I have experimented with different book forms for my sketchbook. And the one that suits my approach to sketch booking is a soft cover coptic stitch 4.5″ x 6″.

This book is:

small enough to carry on my daily walks
flexible and can be folded to lie flat on any page
expands a bit to accommodate some collage

I have been looking for soft drawing tools that make strong marks with not too much pressure required.

I found:

a black gel pen at the dollar tree store that flows smoothly and is water resistant
black sharpie gives a bolder line with little effort
Crayola watercolor pencil is easy to make marks with
China markers require a little more effort but I like the water resistant quality

I am trying on the daily practice of drawing enso, Zen circles, the meditative circle drawing in a single exhale. I like the idea of connecting with my breath. Now, I have a lot of black circles, so I have been playing with adding color for fun. I experimented with different brushes, to find one that felt good in my hand and created an expressive line.

Even trying out new habits is a way of finding ways to feel good. I often start a method, and then tweak it to my liking. That is why I am playing with adding color to my Ensos.

I encourage you to look at your mark making tools and habits and ask:

Does this feel good? Can I do this with ease? And find little things that work for you.

Sometimes an art class can stimulate new habits, if that interests you then check out the current online art classes.

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Inspiration and action

inspiration / Linda Germain / April 3, 2023

I think creating takes both inspiration and action.

It is important to give yourself time for each. This might take a little patience.

I sometimes have an internal conflict when I am in inspiration mode and really want to be in action mode. Or the other way around. This is when I try to pause and remind myself to give me time and space.

On the inspiration end, I

Take walks in the woods
Browse Pinterest and
Go to Museums or galleries

To get into action mode, I

Set up my studio space ahead of time
Use a 20 minute timer
Do daily mark making

In between inspiration and action, I think there is an incubation period. This is the magical time when ideas develop into expression. You may not know how the evolution happens, but at some point marks, images and ideas seem to fall into place.

I encourage you to notice your cycle of making. This noticing helps me go with the flow in those quiet times of incubation.

Coming soon, the Torn Trees Workshop. It is an online mixed media class. We will use gelatin printmaking, collage and mark making to build abstract forests. Get all the details on the workshop page.

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Get closer

inspiration, mixed media printmaking / Linda Germain / March 28, 2023

On my daily walks, I often take a few steps off the path to get closer to a tree, some moss, or a branch.

I think, if I pause and really notice nature it will give me ideas for my art making.

I often have my phone available to take pictures. I want to remember the colors, texture and mood that I am feeling. Sometimes I can capture the moment, but often the photo is lacking.

So I decided to savor the time in the woods and not to worry about bringing it back to the studio. The daily walk can inform my mark making rather than be a photographic reference.

Getting super close to textures and patterns turns the everyday into abstraction. This can spark creative ideas. These ideas don’t have to be literal or linear.

That is where I got the idea to create the mixed media class, Torn Trees. After being surrounded be trees on my walks, decided to play with printing some. My first inspiration was the tall pine trees with nubby branches that stand on the hill by the lake.

These abstract tree prints are about using shape, line and texture to create a feel of the forest. I suggest that you get closer to nature in your day and see what it does for your creativity.

If you would like to play with printing, collaging and drawing to make abstract forests, then check out the details on the Torn Trees Workshop page.

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5 helpful printmaking posts

gelatin print tips, inspiration / Linda Germain / September 16, 2022

I wanted to share a few posts that I think will help your gelatin printmaking process.

1. Printmaking and papers

Paper choice is very important. Choose papers that support your creative spirit. More details here

2. Value Matters

A range of value from very light to very dark is often overlooked. Color is so exciting, but value matters more. Read more and think about your prints.

3. Tweak your found stencils

I love using found weeds as masking stencil and sometimes I have to give them a haircut to get the delicate impressions that I like. Read more about preparing found stencils here.

4. Three uses for glycerin

Glycerin can be hard to find, but I have found it very useful in the water based printmaking process. Get the details here.

5. “Save” that gelatin print

In this post I share 3 ways that I use imperfect prints. Enjoy!

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