inspiration

Go with the Flow

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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.

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Are you a Brave printmaker?

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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.

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Does your printing process change with the seasons?

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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.

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5 Topics Tackled in Make Monotypes – Ecourse

2010, inspiration / /

Take a look at your current printmaking process, and decide if you will benefit from any of the approaches below.

Gel Prints on paper by linda germain
Gelatin Prints on the shelf by linda germain

This will be the last session of Make Monotypes for this year.  So ask yourself if you would like to:

  1. Gain a creative boost by being part of a global network of printmakers
  2. Identify and create new mark making tools
  3. Embrace a daily practice and make time for your art
  4. Create prints with multiple layers and colors
  5. Finish and frame a few amazing monotype prints

Mark your calendar for August 10th and join the next session of Make Monotypes.

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3 ways to use Cast Shadows in Art making

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Shadows to inspire printmaking tools by linda germain
These shadows were created with strong sunlight – Linda Germain

The beauty of shadows is that they are simplified, powerful shapes.  All of the distracting details are gone. Three quick uses for shadow shapes.

  1. As you can see from the images above, a photo of a shadow can be simple art all on it’s own.
  2. The shadow could be traced and cut into a masking stencil for creating Monotype prints.
  3. Or you could use shadows as a source of inspiration for drawings and for compositional ideas.  Seeing shadows can pull you into the present moment and your surroundings.  That awareness is a great tool to have at your disposal.

If you would like to explore adding shadow shapes and masking stencils to monotype printmaking on the glycerin and gelatin plate, then join me in the an online class.

Masking stencils inspired by cast shadows - linda germain
Left masking stencil and right inspiration for future stencils

 

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