inspiration Archives - Page 9 of 26

How do you make your Marks?

inspiration / Linda Germain / November 30, 2020

There are lots of ways to make marks.

Consider these questions in relation to how you approach mark making in your art work.

Do you like to make quick or slow lines?
Would you say your line is confident or cautious?
Are you planning marks or playfully making marks?
Is it all about the process of making or the product you make?
Do you prefer realistic or abstract?

There is no right answer. But it may be helpful to identify the approach and qualities that you prefer to use in your art making.

I like to make quick lines with confidence. I am usually all about a playful process of discovery that is mostly abstract with a bit of realism.

This helps me understand my default approach to mark making. And I know that if I can add some planning, or think about the end product or some slow lines to my project, it will expand my skills and expression.

Some of my favorite mark makers:

Action paintings of Jackson Pollock
Cy Twombly’s huge scribble paintings
Ellsworth Kelly’s plant drawings

If you would like to explore your mark making skills check out the current classes being offered.

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Draw that Tree

inspiration / Linda Germain / November 13, 2020

Have you heard of forest bathing? It is a thing. Check it out.

My daily woods walks give me peace of mind. I often notice a solo tree deep in the woods.

This connection to nature is essential to my well being. Today, I thought let’s try to draw one of those trees that catch my attention.

The challenge was intended to be fun and informative.

I really looked at the tree and tried to capture the way the branches drooped and the spaces between them. I tried pen, charcoal, watercolor and pastels. It was a process of looking and making marks in response to the tree.

I encourage you to try walking in the woods and then draw a tree. Maybe it will inspire your art making process. More inspiring ideas.

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Look Back with Curiosity

inspiration / Linda Germain / October 26, 2020

I take a lot of photos. I use my phone and download them to my computer. I use Lightroom to index them.

Captured these red berries and the family beach cottage as the season was coming to a close.

There can be 5,000 to 7,000 photos a year. Most of them are of my printmaking and the process and its inspiration.

Smiles came to my face when I remembered the trail ride we took about a year ago.

So to scan through last year’s images is kind of like a visual diary. It is fun and informative and I encourage you to give it a try.

Happy Halloween shopping with Mario and Luigi.

MORE of when I looked back over this year:

I made a lot of drum leaf bound books last year.

I explored mountainous layers and hand stamping with wood type.

I got addicted to playing with clay!

I went to the beach in the late fall for fresh sea air, maybe I could do that now.

We had some early December snow. Capturing Shadows.

I played with hand written fonts.

I hope the look back lifts you up.

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Inspired by books

altered books, inspiration / Linda Germain / June 11, 2020

I love the last day of a library book sale. That’s when I can get a big bag of old books for just a few dollars. These are books that nobody wants, so they are perfect for art projects.

So I approach the book sale and hunt with thoughts like these:

Do judge a book by its cover
- cloth or paper
- color
- size
- embossed design
- plain, words or illustration
Inside pages are not about the story but –
- strength of the page
- color of the paper
- how does it “feel”
- what language, music or illustrations
The Spine and the End Pages can be the most exciting parts
- texture of the materials
- personal notes and marks that record history

After you have played with taking a few books apart, then you might come up with a wish list for your next book sale.

My old book wish list:

Large cloth covered children’s book – for the cloth and book board
Hard covered books with yellow, orange or cream colored cloth – for the colors
Any book with embossed designs or text – for the rubbings

When I look at old books, I am thinking about design ideas like:

color
line
texture

If you want to play with using old books in your art practice, then join us in the online class, Book as ART Materials. Class starts soon. READ all the detail on the workshop page.

The lessons include:

black out poems
large diptych and collage
book forms

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Ways to motivate

inspiration / Linda Germain / June 2, 2020

I have to breathe fresh energy into my practice every day. Things that help:

Get Outside

Today, I walked my usual woods walk, but I started from a different point and it changed the experience. I also allowed myself to photograph shadow in the path.

I am hoping that these shadow photos inspire:

stencils
drawings, doodles and
books

Take a Class

This always gets my creative juices flowing. Recently, I took the Make It Move class with Kara Kramer and Carla Sonheim Presents. We played with making simple animations. It was fun and got me excited about playing with colorful paper.

This is one of my short animations:

If you can’t take a class, find a YouTube video and try a new skill or technique. Pick something that you would not normally do.

Clear Your Design Wall

Every so often I take all the art work off my studio wall. It is like a fresh start. Then I can pick new inspiration to pin up.

Then slowly add bits of inspiration or new work.

MORE ways to energize your practice:

Make a mess
Use old tools in a new way
Purge unloved work
Play new kind of music
Move your workbench

Hope you are happily creating in your studio space!

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