inspiration

Printmaking – Use What You Have

inspiration, monotype print / /
Peace Love and Joy thermofax screen print with hand coloring by linda germain
Pause and Consider

Happy Friday!

You are busy! So a quick thought to give you a little Peace, Love or Joy!

Use What You Have………

Pause for a moment, You may find that you already have what its takes and you do not have to run somewhere to get something.

You probably have:

  • an idea to solve the challenge
  • a special skill to get the job done
  • a unique perspective that could change the mood

I “use what I have” all the time:

  • Printmaking tools, and techniques
  • Problem solving with folks
  • Coming up with new ideas
  • or just fixing dinner

Enjoy!

 

 

Printmaking – Use What You Have Read More »

How do you track your Ideas?

inspiration / /
Use Idea boards to create and capture inspiration
Idea boards to create and capture those moments

Ok, I admit I just took a Creative Live course with Megan Auman about Pinterest.

So I am guessing that a lot of folks use pin boards and Pinterest to keep track of ideas and inspiration.

There must be some other folks who love paper, pictures and real pushpins.

Do you:

  • collect postcards from museums
  • create dream boards
  • cut out magazine pictures
  • spread them out to see or
  • organize them in a book or binder?

What do you do when you are walking and you have a great idea for your next series of prints?

Do you talk to your smart phone, write it down or hope you will remember it?

Need a printmaking workshop? Check out the current online classes.

How do you track your Ideas? Read More »

Go with the Flow

inspiration / /
looking out the studio window - heavy rain - linda germain
What do you do with heavy rain?

Heavy wind and rain here at my studio. Click below and enjoy a minute of “rain in the drain”

Flow is important to me when I making monoprints. Flow is:

  • effortless
  • steady
  • beyond though control
  • usually allows for results that exceed thought
Make gel Monoprints on fabric with Linda Germain
Make gelatin Monotype prints on fabric with Linda Germain

I have discovered that gelatin printing monotypes on fabric has a very different flow for me as compared to gel printing on paper. I have noticed:

  • transfer of ink is different
  • hand pressure is different
  • brayer care is different
  • potential marks are different
  • impressions are different
  • time management is different

As I walked through the rain this morning, I was very aware that the street was the same but different. It was covered with a thin sheet of ice and that required:

  • awareness
  • adaptation
  • patience and
  • adjustment of expectations.

I think that when I apply those attitudes to making monoprints, then I have more success. What do you think?

Explore making gelatin plate monotype prints on fabric with me and an international group of artists. Read the details and register for the online printmaking class today.

Go with the Flow Read More »

Are you a Brave printmaker?

inspiration / /
Could fearless experimentation in your artmaking lead to extraordinary results?
Could fearless experimentation in your printmaking lead to extraordinary results?

Fearless experimentation can lead to extraordinary results.

That is a motto I try to live by. What do you think? Is it a way of thinking that would inspire you to take action around the things that you are passionate about?

They say success is based on lots of failures. So why am I so afraid to fail, make mistakes and look bad?

Hmmmm? There are areas of my life where it is easier for me to “fail”.  Printmaking is one of those areas. I am willing to take risks and make mistakes.

I think this willingness to experiment in my printmaking has lead to some pretty fantastic results.

If you would like some support in becoming a fearless printmaker, then join us in the next session of Make Monotypes – the Focus on Fiber edition. We will be working with ink, fabric and the homemade glycerin and gelatin plate.

Early Bird Registration opens Nov 14th and class starts Jan. 12th.

Join the special interest list below.

Are you a Brave printmaker? Read More »

Does your printing process change with the seasons?

inspiration / /

I have noticed that I do more printing with grasses in the fall, use Daniel Smith inks in the summer, need to clean my studio in the spring and use photo imagery in winter.

seasonal inspiration for printmaking with linda germain
Seasonal challenges of printmaking without a press

Summer:

  • Heat can dry up printing inks and the gelatin plate
  • Time – Do I go to the beach or play with the kids or print?
  • Fresh air means a great time to work outside and use those “toxic” inks

Fall:

  • Back to School – time to take a class and learn from others
  • Grasses are delicate but strong at this time of year – good for “stencils”
  • Orange, black and brown show up in my prints

Winter:

  • Cold temperatures can harden the gelatin plate and stiffen ink
  • Snow storms and short days mean it is a great time to connect with others in an online class
  • Minimal landscape inspires me to work with black and blue ink only

Spring:

  • Hope of all things fresh and new
  • Too early for tender grasses
  • But just the right time to purge the studio

Once I realized there was a flow to my printmaking, I could accept the limitations and embrace the opportunities that each season presents.  What about you? Share your seasonal wisdom in the comments below.

Does your printing process change with the seasons? Read More »