inspiration Archives - Page 8 of 27

Go back to your sketchbook

artist book, inspiration, relief prints / Linda Germain / August 30, 2021

I have been using a sketchbook a lot more in the past year. It is quite satisfying to fill one up.

Sometimes I get too focused on finishing up a sketchbook. They end up on a shelf or in a box.

Then I remembered that they can be used as source material for more drawings and prints. So this may be obvious to you, but it is a new idea for me, to use the original sketches as reference to make more drawings.

So get out some of those old sketchbooks and draw! Some of these doodles and drawings make even inspire printing plates or stencils. Keep it fun!

If you are interested in relief printing with foam plates, then check out the details on the workshop page and join us in the Soft Plate Relief Printing class. This online class starts soon.

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Shadow and shapes for drawing

inspiration, masking stencils, tools / Linda Germain / August 27, 2021

You know that part of my practice is to go to the woods for inspiration. I love to capture cast shadows and use them as a drawing reference.

Using the photo as reference seems to help me to see shapes instead of leaves and branches.

I do the outline drawing one day and come back and fill the shadow shape in with black paint on another day.

I hope this inspired you to look for shadow shapes to draw. Sometimes I have to take a lot of shadow pictures before I get one that is good for reference. Got to love our phones and digital cameras.

Sometimes I use shadow shapes to make stencils for gelatin printmaking.

Happy Printing!

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Circle back to the woods

fabric prints, foam plate printmaking, inspiration, mark making tools / Linda Germain / August 12, 2021

I stopped walking in the woods for the last few weeks, because I found a tick attached to my neck and I had stayed on the trail.

But today, I went back to my old trail in the woods by the lake and was so supported by the energy of the place. I had let that little bug, fear and frustration stop me from going on my “healing” walks.

I shared the trail with a big dear and a quiet blue heron and plenty of shadows.

I bring that good energy back to the studio and get more done.

I always find tools and inspiration in the woods. Different seasons offer different tools. Currently I am looking for strong twigs and weeds to use in the soft plate relief class, starting soon.

This is a low tech way to make relief style plates without needing to carve your design. You can use the process to print on paper or fabric.

Check out the details on the printmaking workshop page. And start collecting tools and inspiration!

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Trust yourself – Make Marks

artist book, drawings, inspiration / Linda Germain / July 26, 2021

Sometimes, I just have to begin and trust that the path will evolve.

I do this “just begin” thing a lot, and I am still surprised when magic happens, things work out and I make something that I like or learn from.

I keep it simple to begin:

take a photo
go for a walk
clean my work bench for 20 minutes
make some doodles

So I say try it, and see what happens. I think it helps to let go of any demands that it work out and just explore the present moment.

Before you know it you may have a whole collection of art work! Check out the current online class offerings

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Use your paper scraps

collage, inspiration, relief prints / Linda Germain / June 8, 2021

I trim a lot of paper and usually have a lot of scraps of the same size.

I use these paper trimmings to make:

small books
cards
to do list papers

My everyday print paper is Pacon heavyweight drawing paper, 90lb. I like to buy the ream 12″ x 18″. Then I can cut some common sizes that are easy to frame.

Most recently I have been making a daily collage with odd scraps in the recycle bin. I pull out 5 pieces of paper and give myself 15 minutes to make a collage.