Inspired to make relief stamp – Matisse

inspiration / /

matisseMatisse started out as a lawyer too.  Maybe that is one reason I feel connected to him/his work.

I love the free hand cut shapes of his later work. His simple and yet powerful line drawing give me hope too.  I have to remind myself to look for inspiration from the masters.  When I look for inspiration, I flip through books for a feeling, a connection an emotion.  It is not really something verbal or even visually.  It is what happens beyond those senses.   Then I have to do something!  Take Action.

 

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Mixing up art making skills

mixed media printmaking / /

linda-germain_IMG_4656-Edit-2

Do you have art habits or rituals that keep you going?  Are they related to the art that you make?  

I do morning pages as described by Julia Cameron in the Artists Way.  I try to do them everyday. I generally don’t look at them again and often just toss them away after a few years.  

Today I did my 3 hand written pages on top of some monotype prints.  I think that I will layer over them, we will see.

Happy Printing.

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Let it Snow

stencils, video / /

Easy 6 point Snowflake from Linda Germain on Vimeo.

Snow and I have an every changing relationship.  For years, I was a ski pro and was out on the slopes every day from November to April.

Now that I am in the city, it is hard crusty stuff that takes up my parking space.  However, as I type this teeny, tiny flakes are falling outside my window, and I kinda like them.

What do you think snowflakes as stencils or decoration—–hmmm?  Well a friend of mine, Sandra Golbert, taught me how to cut the 6 pointed snowflake, and I made a quick video of the process.  I did not know that real snowflakes have 6 points and not 8.  Some true flake-lovers get quite annoyed by the 8 point “flake.”

It is easy to cut the 8 point flake because it is easy to fold the paper into quarters.  The magic trick to the 6 point snowflake is accurately folding the paper into thirds.

Grab some copy paper and scissors, watch the video and Make it snow!

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Start with what you already know

inspiration / /

I am a teacher at heart.  I was given the opportunity to observe a teaching situation with my young nephew just a few days ago.  screen print and gelatin print by linda germain

The 7 year old wanted to draw a complex six armed surfing buddha.  He was used to having a tracing template at school.  And he wanted it to be “perfect” the first time.

Hmm how to help him?  I gathered the right tools, pencil and a soft eraser and lots of practice paper.  Then we broke the drawing down into shapes that he already knows, circles, smiley faces, triangles, sloping lines and more triangles.

I was able to see his drawing technique transform right before my eyes in just minutes!  At first he tried to draw the whole image from memory. Then as we drew the circles and smiley faces and triangles, he started to look at the picture for reference.

I told him we would transform the circles into “wave hands later.”  He was willing to wait and trust that he could do a rough drawing and transform it as he went along.

When you learn a new skill do you:

  • gather the right tools
  • lots of practice materials
  • start with what you already know
  • listen to a gentle teacher
  • willing to be imperfect

I suggest you give yourself these gifts the next time you set out to learn a new skill.

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