Print Inktober 2022: Days 1-9

September was a month of feeling really burned out.  I put my all into The Artful Holiday Class and I needed a nap when it was over.  I was so burned out that I seriously considered not doing #PrintInktober this year, but then I remembered what I tell so many of my students: the way to get rid of a creative block is to make art.  For me, it's true.  The habit of making art -- the ritual of making art -- reminds me why I looooove to make art.  

In case you don't know, #PrintInktober — is the annual printmaking adventure I started in 2018.  The challenge is open to everyone.  Here are the basics:

• Create and post one print each day in October.
• Use the hashtag #printinktober when you post.
• Any stamp/block can be used – foam, silicone, rubber, hand carved, lino, whatever you want!
• Any ink can be used – screenprinting ink, marker ink, stamping ink, printing ink, etc.
• You can use the list of prompts, if you’d like.  Or not.
• MOST IMPORTANTLY: Have fun and don’t worry if you miss a day (or more). The point of the challenge is to get those stamps out of storage and into use!!

This year, I've set an additional challenge for myself to focus on the technique of chine-collé.  Chine-collé roughly translates from French as “chine”= tissue, and “collé” = glue or paste. The word chine is used because the thin paper that printmakers traditionally used for this process, was imported to Europe from China, India and Japan.  It's a wonderful way to add color and pattern to your prints.  Here's what I've made so far (for each pieces, you will see a still photo and a video embedded from instagram):

I was interested to see how many people really liked the black ink on black paper option.

If you're interested in learning how to do chine-collé you have many options:

• YouTube has lots of free videos.
• Google chine-collé and you'll find blog posts galore on how to do this technique.
• I have a lesson on chine-collé in both the #PrintInktober class and the #CarveDecember class.
• I am teaching a live online chine-collé Zoom class on November 11, 2022.

I hope you'll give #PrintInktober a try.  It's never too late to jump in and stamp on something!