handmade books Archives - Page 2 of 5

Books a good way to show off your monoprints

artist book, handmade books, mixed media printmaking / Linda Germain / July 9, 2021

If you are an experimental monotype printmaker like me, then you probably have a lot of prints and papers with potential.

The books above are bound in the manner of Japanese Stab binding. This form works well with a soft cover and hard back, and a long landscape style format. We will learn this book form in the Mixed Media Retreat.

Accordion style books are great for display.

I think the natural evolution is to start making books with some of those prints. Things you could make with your prints:

book covers
end pages
whole bound book of prints
spine covers

Pamphlet stitch binding easy and useful.

If you are curious to get started with some simple book forms, then check out the details, of the online Mixed Media Retreat. We will learn 6 book forms and several layering techniques that will put your prints to good use.

Soft cover coptic binding is great for books that open flat.

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The woods as my inspiration

handmade books, mixed media printmaking, stencils / Linda Germain / April 12, 2021

I have been taking daily walks in the woods by the lake. I take photos but they don’t really capture the connection that I feel.

Yesterday, I decided to play with printing trees with torn paper stencils and the gelatin plate. Torn paper has a wonderful ragged and organic edge.

I wanted to create an abstract and somewhat natural feel to the printed woods scapes.

I experimented with speedball water based block printing ink and a little bit of acrylic. The first impression gave me the very dark background with white tree shapes. The second impression produced lovely light spot trees, similar to a birch tree.

I was having fun, but I wanted to create more range of value and some darker tree shapes. The printing session was a bit up and down with being pleased with the prints and being frustrated. That is usual for me.

I printed a second day and was pleased with some of the prints. I glued several into an accordion book and then did some collage and doodling.

Even though they are just torn paper stencils, I think I will save them for another day of printing.

Check out current classes.

Happy Printing!

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Re-work the ashes of 2020

handmade books, mixed media printmaking / Linda Germain / January 2, 2021

In the last post, I did an exercise to release the troubles of 2020 and create new opportunity for 2021.

I took plenty of time and played with the ashes and bits of paper that remained.

They were delicate, fragile and kind of beautiful.

I dumped out the ashes and considered the possibilities.

I thought about:

Using the ash like charcoal
Mixing it with a medium like paint
Nourishing a potted plant

But I found the bits of paper that survived the burn to be the most interesting. So I glued them into a small accordion book and began to respond.

I took several days to live with the materials. I added:

smudges and scribbles
tea stains
bold words and light marks

I think I created a little book of celebration and hope.

I hope you get the chance to do a similar celebration of letting go and looking to the future.

One way to welcome the new year is to join us in the 100 Print Project. It is an online gelatin printmaking class that encourages:

working with lots of transparent layers
pulling 100’s of impressions
developing you design and composition skills.

Read the details on the 100 Print Project workshop page.

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Dare to draw

handmade books / Linda Germain / March 19, 2020

I think it takes great bravery to draw “badly”. Sometimes I feel brave and sometimes I don’t. The only way that I become better at drawing is to draw more.

trace monoprint by linda germain — Line drawing trace monoprint

I doodle in notebooks. Sometimes, I do little quick sketches on index cards. And I am often surprised at how these little stolen moments of drawing pay off.

As a mixed media printmaker drawing helps me to create expressive and personal tools and images. I have learned to love my wobbly lines and perfectly imperfect images.

Once in a while I will go to a drop in figure drawing session. And I usually end up with a couple of line drawings that I can use in my printmaking or book making project. The images above are trace monoprints, one on rusted paper and the other with added pastels.

I love how I can take a sketch and:

create a matrix for a trace monoprint
burn an eZscreen for screen printing
make a stencil for gelatin printmaking

This ability to use a drawing as a tool for printmaking helps me to like drawing a little bit more.

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sliding fee for Workshops @ Haystack Mountain School

2010, artist book, handmade books, haystack / Linda Germain / April 22, 2012

Fantastic news…….. Maine Craft Association event at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is available to everyone at at sliding fee. Check out the courses here. The director Lisa Adkins just told me that the sliding fee is available to anyone who needs it. Contact Lisa for the details at ladkins@mainecrafts.org I am teaching the Gelatin Prints and Books workshop. If you have any questions about my workshop feel free to email may me.

How can I explain Haystack?

Awesome space for creation,
on the edge of the atlantic ocean,
simple beauty,
artists haven, home, community
pure, clean health food
international school of crafts
place to live, eat and work your passion

To see some images of Haystack go to their flickr account

I hope you can join me up there, May 10th -13th, 2012.

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