Putting it together was quick and easy because I have a big stash of Art Parts.

What Are Art Parts?

Art Parts are individual elements that are made in advance so they can later be combined into a finished artwork. They’re different for everyone because everyone’s art process is different. They might be painted papers, gelatin prints, drawings, small stitched elements, stamped images, cut shapes, embellishments, or interesting leftovers.

They do not need to have a particular artwork destination when I make or save them. They simply need to hold some possibility and my storage of them needs to be organized enough to find them when I do need them.

The most important thing about Art Parts is not what they are. It is how they change the process of making art.

Making Art Parts: Embossing Leftover Paper Strips

I often use really nice watercolor paper and printmaking paper. But when I’m ready to frame or mat my artwork, I end up needing to cut off some of the paper. The narrow strips left behind seem too valuable to toss. But saving scraps is only useful if I eventually do something with them. Otherwise, I am simply moving little pieces of paper from one corner of the studio to another.

In the video below, I share one way that I turn those leftover strips into useful collage material by running them through embossing folders. The embossing transforms an awkward scrap into a textured element that I am genuinely excited to use.

Art Parts Reduce Decision Fatigure

People often tell me that I’m prolific — i.e. I make a lot of work in a short period of time. The secret to my success is a big stash of Art Parts! I don’t just have art supplies. I have prepared art supplies ready to go and this reduces the number of decisions I have to make at one time.

As you can see from the image above, the art supplies are scraps of paper that I need to think about how to use. The Art Parts, on the other hand, are ready to use. Here’s a quick list of the decisions/physical labor that has already happened to that bin of Art Parts:

• I located and set up my die cut machine.
• I located my embossing folders.
• I chose embossing folder designs I wanted to use.
• I cut and trimmed the paper scraps as necessary.
• I embossed the paper scraps.
• I put away my embossing folders.
• I put away my die cut machine.

It may seem silly at first, but that’s seven things I don’t have to do when I begin a mixed media collage. If every part of making mixed media collage has seven parts, you can imagine why it takes so long and feels so difficult. Whereas, when I begin with an Art Parts stash by my side, so much has already been prepared for me.

I often use cooking as a metaphor. We love bagged lettuce and already cut up veggies to speed up the process of making healthy food. Art Parts is the same concept. You’re taking ingredients (art supplies) that you know you’re going to use and preparing them ahead of time so that they’re ready to go when you need them! And unlike food, there’s no expiration date!

My mantra is “A stash is not automatically a system.” My goal is to create a collection that supports the way I work. My bin of embossed white paper is useful because I know why I made it and how I tend to use it. The pieces add texture without forcing a color decision, and they can be painted, printed, torn, cut, or used as they are. They have earned their place in my studio.

Learn the Complete Art Parts Framework

The embossed scraps in the video are one small example of Art Parts in action. In my online class, Art Parts: A Mixed Media Collage Framework, I teach the complete system.

We look at how to create and organize a useful collection of Art Parts, how to identify the elements that will work for your particular artistic style, and how to use those parts to build layered mixed media collages.

We also explore how Art Parts can help you move beyond your first idea, work more improvisationally, and make composition feel less overwhelming. The emphasis is not on copying a particular finished collage. It is on learning a flexible framework that you can continue to use with your own supplies, imagery, colors, and visual language.

The class contains 14 lessons and 13 step-by-step videos. All of the lessons are available as soon as you register, and you have indefinite access to the class. There is no required supply list because the goal is to make this system work with the materials you already enjoy using.

Learn more and register for Art Parts: A Mixed Media Collage Framework.

Thanks for stopping by!

More blog posts about Art Parts:

• How to Make Mixed Media Collage Easy: Art Parts Explained
• Making My Messy Collage Paper More Usable
• Studio Snippet #20: Black and White Collage Papers
• 100 Days of Art Parts: Days 21-41
• Studio Visit #11: Art Parts Embellishments for Mixed Media Collage
• Four Mixed Media Collages from Art Parts

The post How Art Parts Make Mixed Media Collage Easier appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

         

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For context, My Art Practice operates on a 3-month cycle, rather like a semester. Each cycle is themed around an idea or concept. This cycle’s theme was “Reading and Making Landscape.”

Art History

I shared two art history lessons this month. The first lesson was all about JMW Turner, one of the most influential landscape artists of the last century.

And then a lesson on Fauvism.

My favorite part of this lesson is that it included a great video that featured three artists trying to figure out how to make their own Fauvist artwork.

Art Techniques and Materials

I shared a lesson on how to make a single-pull gelatin printed landscape.

I shared FIVE lessons on watercolor.

Art Practice

My Art Practice has a Core Curriculum. (I know at least one of the accountability groups spent about a year working through the Core Curriculum together every week.)

Every cycle, I add a lesson to the Core Curriculum. During June I added two lessons to the Ideas section.

An important part of your art practice is evolution. Each cycle I share a lesson called, “The Re-Do,” which is about using old work in a new way. This cycle’s Re-Do was tied into the overall cycle theme.

Professional Skill

Each cycle there is a professional skill that is taught and then put into practice. Past topics have included photographing your artwork, writing an artist bio, and making short form videos for social media. This cycle we focused on titling artwork. In May I shared 3 lessons on titling artwork.

And then in June I held a live Zoom event where members could share and discuss the titles they chose after doing the exercises in the lesson. A number of things at MAP work in this two-part way: a written lesson followed by a live event to ensure questions are answered and learning really happens! Most months have 2-3 live events, included in the (at least) two new lessons every week!

Coaching and Mentoring and Community

There were two live coaching calls with me in June — each with a different flavor:

• Office Hours are just what you might imagine from a college campus. It’s an hour of time when you can drop by and ask questions about whatever you need a bit of help on. Technical, philosophical, and weird questions welcomed! Office Hours are held on Zoom and they are not recorded. It’s usually a very relaxed conversation and demo session.
• Group Coaching is a little bit more formal. Anyone in the community can submit work to be discussed during the session. We use a relaxed but formal methodology where the person who submitted the work should have a question in mind. Ex. “Does this feel cohesive?” “Do you think the stripes on the left are helping or hurting?” “Any ideas on how I can push this to be less realistic?” Etc. Then participants give feedback that is thoughtful, non-prescriptive, and focused on helping solve the problem. I also chime in! Coaching sessions are recorded and then erased after one year.

Both of these live online events are some of my favorites. They always leave me feeling inspired and excited! Whether you ask a question or submit work or not, attending these live events brings you into the community and the conversation. And of course, I don’t want to forget about all the chatter on the message boards, and weekly accountability group meetings. Lots of opportunities to be social if you want to.

Membership Info

There are two kinds of MAP membership. Full membership grants you access to everything on the site – all lessons and message boards and everything that has come before.

Technique Vault membership grants you access to a more limited selection, focused on art techniques and materials. But again, you get access to both new and archived lessons. (You can take a peek at the kinds of things that are available in this post.)

You can check out all the options HERE and do let me know if you have questions!

The post What Happened (June 2026) at My Art Practice appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

         

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The Key to Good Improvisation

Have you ever heard of the “yes and” theory of improvisation? It’s an improv comedy rule that when you’re improvising with a partner and they say something, you keep the ball rolling forward (yes and) rather than shutting it down. For instance, if I say, “Wow! That whale is huge!” You might say, “Yes, and it’s swimming this way!” This keeps the scene rolling forward. If instead you reply, “I don’t see a whale. I’m just in my car on the way to work,” it completely derails the scene.

The problem is that people who do improv comedy want to be funny. They want to be good. And so sometimes they get attached to an idea that they think will be funny or good and stop listening and paying attention to where the scene is going. Instead, they want to use their pre-thought up idea and the scene becomes not funny and not good.

Art making often follows the same trajectory. You have a pre-thought up idea and you just have to get to it no matter what. As a result, you don’t pay attention to what’s actually happening in the work and it usually ends up falling flat. Boo.

However, it is my sincere belief that if you use the “yes and” rule in your art making, you will go in interesting direction you never could have planned for!

Responding Rather Than Inventing

I prefer to work in a junque journal or a journal that I’ve taken the time to rough up. I hate a blank page waiting patiently for me to have a brilliant idea. For me, a blank page can feel like it is asking you to invent an entire world, whereas a page that already has something on it gives you a problem to solve. There is something to respond to and I love that. I need that!

In this video you’ll see that I start on a page that already has a lot of visual noise and then I make one decision, take a moment, and respond.

In my opinion, this is how to improvise in art. It’s not random. It’s thoughtful. It’s based on years of taking calculated risks. It’s saying, “yes and” to whatever happens in the process.

Ideas Worth Noting

Here are a few practical tips and ideas that I hope you take away from the video:

• You do not need to know what the finished artwork will look like before you begin. Make one decision, look at what changed, and then decide what to do next.
• An already-used surface can be easier to work on than a blank one. Existing color, collage, and marks give you something to respond to.
• Experience does not necessarily mean seeing the whole artwork in advance. It often means feeling more comfortable with uncertainty.
• Each new layer creates a new set of questions. Ask whether the work needs more contrast, depth, repetition, space, or movement.
• Repeating a shape at different sizes can create depth and help unify a composition.
• Grounding shapes can change how they read. A simple ground line or area can make floating elements feel like they belong in an environment.
• Materials should be chosen for what they do. Acrylic paint can cover and simplify, while crayon can add an immediate, physical line and move differently across the surface.
• Changing your mind is not separate from the art process. It is part of the process.
• A color does not have to be “bad” to need changing. It may simply be creating the wrong value, contrast, or emphasis.
• When something feels wrong, try to identify the actual problem instead of immediately calling it a mistake.
• Useful questions include: What is competing? What has disappeared? Where is my eye getting stuck? What needs to be repeated?
• New collage often looks disconnected at first. Repeating existing colors, marks, or materials over it can help integrate it into the rest of the work.
• Repetition is one of the simplest ways to create unity. You can repeat color, shape, line, texture, scale, or material.
• Art journals are valuable places to practice responding when things do not go as planned.
• Artistic control is not making everything happen exactly as imagined. It is being able to respond, adjust, and keep going.

Improvisation Needs to Be Practiced

As we already discussed, doing random things and hoping for the best is not improvisation. Viola Spolin put it best when she said, “Improvisation is the moment when planning and opportunity meet.”

Because the artwork is always going to do something you did not expect. The paint is going to dry darker or lighter than you thought it would. The print is going to land in a slightly strange place. The shape you thought would be subtle is suddenly going to become the loudest thing in the room. You are going to cover the part you liked best. You are going to add one tiny thing and somehow ruin the entire composition. Etc.

What has changed over time with education and experience is that I am less frightened by those moments because I have been there before. Many times. I know that an awkward stage is not necessarily the end. I know that one bad decision does not mean the entire piece is ruined. I know that there is more than one way forward. And I have confidence that, given time, I can figure it out.

That confidence is because I have practiced and practiced and practiced. I have read books, and gone to art history lectures, and visited museums and galleries, and done my best to grab every tool available to me in order to learn and practice. This is actually a big part of why I started My Art Practice. I kept meeting artists who knew how to follow a project but felt completely lost when their own artwork took an unexpected turn. They did not necessarily need one more set of instructions. They needed more ways to think, more things to try, and more confidence in their own decisions.

That is what I wanted My Art Practice to help people build. We learn techniques, of course. But we also study color, composition, materials, art history, habits, and decision-making because all of those things give you more options when you are standing in front of your own work thinking, “Well, now what?”

That ability to improvise is what I am really interested in. The more you know, the more choices you have: You are not improvising because you have no idea what you are doing. You are improvising because you have built up enough experience to respond. (I’ve written before about why improvisation in art is intentional rather than random.)

Art Journals are Awesome for Practicing Improvisation

I think art journals are particularly good places to practice improvisation. For me, because it’s a book, the stakes feel lower. I can take lots of risks and then turn the page. The important things to keep in mind are:

• A page can be visually successful and still teach me very little.
• A page can be awkward, overworked, or not quite resolved and teach me a tremendous amount.
• I learn nothing if I don’t take the time to think about both the process and product.
• Taking some notes is always a good idea, even if it feels like a pain at the time.

An Actionable Idea for You

The next time you get stuck in your artwork, try not to immediately ask, “How do I fix this?” Instead, ask: What changed?

Did the focal point disappear? Did one color become too dominant? Is the composition too heavy on one side? Does the new collage element look as though it has been dropped on top rather than integrated into the page?

“I hate it” is a real feeling, but it is not especially useful information. The more specific you can be about what is bothering you, the easier it becomes to imagine more than one response. And that, for me, is the real skill. Mistakes (otherwise known as creative opportunities) are inevitable. The skill is being willing to look at what is actually there, change your mind, and continue.

Thanks for stopping by!

The post Learning How to Improvise in Your Art appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

         

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What is Intaglio Printing?

Intaglio (pronounced in-tally-o) is one of those printmaking words that can sound intimidating until you understand what it actually means. At its simplest, intaglio is a printmaking process in which the ink sits down inside lines, grooves, scratches, or textures that have been carved, etched, or otherwise incised into a plate. The paper is pushed into those recessed areas, usually with the help of a press, and pulls the ink out. This is an intaglio print I made last year:

Intaglio is the Opposite of Relief Printing

In relief printing the raised surface prints and the carved-away areas stay blank. If you have ever carved a stamp or a linoleum block, you already understand relief printing. You roll ink across the top surface, and the raised parts touch the paper.

Intaglio works differently. You force ink into the grooves, wipe the surface clean, and then use pressure to transfer the ink from the grooves onto dampened paper. This is a Tetra Pak print being pulled:

Traditional Intaglio Processes

If you’ve been to a museum, you’ve seen an intaglio print. On the info card next to the art, you’ve probably seen the work defined by a slightly more exact methodology. Intaglio is a big blanket term that encompasses many kinds of printmaking. Traditional intaglio processes include engraving, etching, drypoint, aquatint, and mezzotint. Each method creates recessed marks in a different way. I’ll do a very bare bones explanation of each type:

Engraving uses a sharp tool to cut clean lines into a metal plate. Here’s an example of an engraving from Albrecht Durer (source):

Etching uses acid to bite lines into a plate that has been protected with a resist. This etching is by Käthe Kollwitz (image source):

Drypoint is made by scratching directly into the plate, leaving a burr that often creates a soft, velvety line. Here is an example from William Kentridge (image source):

Aquatint is used to create tone rather than line, which makes it possible to build areas of light and dark. Pablo Picasso was a master of the sugar-lift aquatint (image source):

In Conclusion: An Oversimplification of Intaglio

All of this is to say that when you hear the phrase “intaglio printing,” you can think: ink in the grooves. If you’d like to be notified when my online class on Tetra Pak printing is ready (I’m aiming for September 2026 and it will be a self-paced class with lifetime access), please join my email mailing list.

Thanks for stopping by!

The post Intaglio Printing Explained appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

         

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Collage Papers Don’t Always Go Together

One of the things I love about collage is also one of the things that can make it so tricky: every piece of paper has its own personality and sometimes the personalities clash.

As you can see from the bins full of collage paper below, some papers are quiet. Some are loud. Some have a strong pattern. Some have a subtle texture. Some are handmade and irregular. Some are commercial and crisp. They’re all different!

When you start putting a collage together, sometimes the papers don’t quite get along.

A Solution: Pattern Connection

When patterns don’t get along or an area of the artwork is reading in a highly fragmented way, I have several tricks that I use to force the collage papers to cohere and one of them is explained in this short video:

As you saw in the video, I am working on a landscape collage. The sky was bothering me. I had used several different collage papers, and one of them had these black linear marks running across it. That one piece of paper was calling too much attention to itself. The fix was wonderfully simple. I picked up a pencil and extended the lines from that paper onto the surrounding papers.

I did not cover anything up. I did not repaint the whole sky. I did not rip it apart and start over. I simply continued what was already there.

But, you can also place a new pattern over an area to unify it. And you saw evidence of that in the leafy stenciling at the bottom of the artwork:

I worked a bit more on this piece after I finished the video and here is the final version:

You can find it for sale in my online shop.

Why Pattern Helps Connect

Pattern is powerful because it can visually stitch separate pieces together. A repeated line, dot, shape, stenciled image, brushstroke, or printed motif can help a group of papers read as one larger unit. It works because the eye starts following the repeated mark instead of getting stuck on the edges of each paper. The pattern becomes a bridge. I use this idea constantly — like on almost every single piece I make. (Click on any image to make it larger.)

Just keep in mind that the goal is not to make your papers match each other. Matching can be boring. The goal is to create enough relationship between them that they feel intentional. That is such a big part of the fun of collage for me: making the pieces feel chosen rather than random.

Final Thought

So the next time a section of your collage feels unresolved, try this. Before you cover it up or tear it off, ask yourself: Is there a pattern here that I can repeat? Is there a line I can continue? Is there a shape I can echo? Is there a mark that could travel from one paper to the next?

You might be surprised by how little it takes. A few pencil lines can change the way an entire area reads. A small repeated mark can pull a messy section together. A pattern that starts in one place can become the thing that unifies the whole composition!

I’ve got lots of great tips and tricks for mixed media collage in my upcoming class, Mixed Media Collage Composition Intensive, at my home studio here in Watertown, MA in October 2026.

This class is appropriate for ALL LEVELS — beginner to advanced. There are just 4 seats left!

Thanks for stopping by!

The post A Simple Way to Unify Patterned Papers in Collage appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

          

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That sounds obvious, but I think a lot of us secretly hope that the goal is to make fewer and fewer mistakes until eventually we don’t make any at all. We imagine that experience will somehow lead us to a place where the paper never buckles, the composition never goes sideways, the color choices are always right, and every mark behaves exactly the way we imagined it would.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) that is not how art works.

The real skill is not avoiding mistakes. The real skill is learning what to do next.

In my own art practice, this has become one of the most important things I know how to do. I am not a person who makes perfect work from beginning to end. I make work that changes. I make work that gets interrupted, revised, covered, cut apart, layered, reworked, and sometimes completely transformed. A huge part of my practice is not about executing a perfect plan. It is about staying in conversation with the work long enough to find the next right move.

That is what fixing mistakes really is.

It is not a single trick. It is not a magic supply. It is not a quick rescue technique that works every time. It is a way of thinking.

Where to Start When Something Goes Wrong

When something goes wrong in an artwork, the first step is simply noticing what the actual problem is.

That may sound easy, but often we jump straight to “I hate this” or “I ruined it.” Those reactions are understandable, but they are not very useful. “I ruined it” doesn’t give you anywhere to go. “The contrast is too low,” “the paper buckled,” “this area feels empty,” or “this shape is distracting” gives you something to respond to.

The more specific you can be about the problem, the more options you have. This is something we do at group coaching at My Art Practice. It’s something I encourage my students to do in all of my classes. Identify the problem in order to solve it.

This is why proscriptive feedback is rarely useful, i.e. “You should put yellow there.” The real question is WHY do you feel like putting yellow there would help the composition? Find the underlying problem and then you can pick and choose the solution that works for you!

Sometimes the solution is to hide the problem. Sometimes it is to emphasize it. Sometimes it is to balance it with something elsewhere in the piece. Sometimes it is to add contrast, change the surface, introduce pattern, crop the artwork, cut it apart, or collage something over the top. And sometimes the first fix does not work, which is not a failure. It is simply more information and that is another important part of repair: the first solution is not always the final solution.

Using Mixed Media to Fix a Flawed Tetra Pak Print

In the video I’m sharing today, I worked on a Tetra Pak print with a very obvious flaw in the paper. My first attempt at fixing it helped me understand the piece better, but it didn’t solve the problem. In fact, it made another issue more obvious: the rest of the print suddenly felt too empty. So the repair became a series of decisions. I added watercolor to shift the contrast and mood. I used collage to activate the surface. I brought in artist crayons to add vibrancy and texture. The finished piece became much richer than the original print had been.

That is one of the gifts of mistakes. They force you to engage more deeply. Watch the video for more:

When everything goes smoothly, it is easy to stay on the surface of the process. But when something goes wrong, you have to ask better questions. What does this artwork need? What is already working? What can be sacrificed? What needs to be protected? What can I add that will make the problem feel intentional rather than accidental? These questions are where the real learning happens.

I also think fixing mistakes builds artistic confidence in a way that “successful” pieces sometimes do not. When you know that a mistake is not the end, you become more willing to take risks. You stop treating every mark as precious. You become braver with your materials because you trust your ability to respond. That trust is built over time, through practice, and through many imperfect pieces.

Mixed Media Gives so Many Options for Fixing Mistakes

One of the reasons I love mixed media is that it gives you options. If drawing doesn’t solve the problem, maybe paint will. If paint doesn’t solve it, maybe collage will. If collage feels too flat, maybe crayon, pencil, cutting, sanding, or sewing will help.

Each material gives you a different way to think, and sometimes the solution comes from switching languages. A mistake in one medium can become an invitation to another.

Final Thought

So the next time something goes wrong in your artwork, try not to rush to judgment. Before you decide that it is ruined, ask yourself what the real problem is. Then try one response. Not the perfect response. Not the final response. Just one response.

And then look again.

That looking again is the heart of an art practice. It is how we learn. It is how we grow. It is how a damaged print, a strange color choice, an awkward composition, or an unwanted mark can become the beginning of something better than what we originally imagined.

Mistakes are not interruptions to the art practice. They are the art practice!

Thanks for stopping by!

The post How to Fix Art Mistakes: The Overlooked Skill Every Artist Needs appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

         

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Five years after that, here are some art journal pages from 2012:

And another 5 years later, here are art journal pages from 2017:

Add 5 more years and these are from 2022:

Which brings us to today (2026), a jump of four years:

Watch the Video

In this video I walk you through one of my biggest art journal learnings: Don’t ignore or cover up things you dislike in your art journal! Learn how to improve your work through trial and experimentation!

Art Journaling Learnings for You

Here’s a quick list of the major points I’m trying to communicate in the video:

• Your art journal is a low-stakes place to practice problem solving. A page that is not working is not a failure. It is an opportunity to practice the same decision-making skills you need for larger, more emotionally loaded artwork.
• Start by naming what is and is not working. Before fixing anything, pause and ask: What do I like? What do I not like? What’s working? What’s not working? That gives you a practical path forward instead of just a vague feeling of dissatisfaction.
• Solve one problem first. You do not have to fix everything at once. In the video, the first major problem is the empty space. Choosing one problem gives you an entry point.
• Use your art journal to take risks. Adding a made-up chair, working around the steam, adding unexpected bananas, changing the background, and trying awkward color choices are all examples of small risks I took in the video. Those are risks that teach you something.
• A rough middle stage is normal. The page does not have to look good from the beginning. In fact, the messy middle is often where the real work happens.
• Your taste develops through repetition. You learn what you like by making lots and lots of art, not by thinking your way into a style.
• Mistakes teach you how your supplies behave. Wet paint versus dry paint, dragging black into color, layering opaque paint, using collage, wiping paint away — these are all technical lessons that come from doing.
• Color is something to explore, not master once and for all. There is a distinction between colors you personally like and colors that actually work together in a piece.
• Reflection turns the page into a lesson. Writing in a studio notebook — or any kind of notebook — is key. Making the page is one kind of learning, but taking notes helps you carry those lessons into future work, which leads me to…
• You cannot learn from your art journal if you do not pay attention. The big artist takeaway is not “make pretty pages.” It is: make the work, notice what happens, reflect on it, and build a creative practice from those observations.

Let me know if you have takeaways of your own!

Want More Art Journaling?

Be sure to visit the art journaling archives of this blog for literally hundreds of art journaling related posts and tutorials. And I have several online art journaling classes that you can take!

Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. My unexpected takeaway from putting together this post: Who knew that I was such a pink-loving person?!

The post Why Fixing Art Journal Pages Builds Creative Confidence appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

         

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What is Collagraph?

The word collagraph combines “collage” and “graph” (meaning to write or draw). A collagraph is a printmaking technique in which the printing plate is created by building up a textured surface (a collage) on a rigid support, rather than carving or etching into a plate. To make a collagraph plate, you start with a sturdy base such as mat board, cardboard, or acylic sheets. Then you glue materials onto the base to create textures and shapes. The resulting print captures the textures of whatever materials you’ve glued to the plate.

This is a collagraph plate I made (it’s designed to be an abstracted landscape):

And here is a print from that plate (you can find it in my online shop if you’d like it for your wall):

In the close up shots you can really see the amazing level of detail that’s possible with collagraphs!

This is not the same piece…

…but you can see how a simple frame really makes the collagraph “pop.”

In my opinion, collagraphs are a wonderful bridge between collage, drawing, painting, and printmaking — perfect for my mixed media loving heart.

What is Tetra Pak Printing?

Tetra Pak is a non-recyclable material often used for shelf stable liquids such as soup or juice or milk.

(As a side note, a year or so ago, I asked if any of my neighbors were willing to drop off their Tetra Pak cartons on my front porch and every few weeks I get a paper bag filled with empty containers that would otherwise end up in a landfill. It’s a win-win!)

A Tetra Pak carton is made of layers of paper, plastic, and aluminum. When you cut the carton open and lay it flat, the shiny interior surface can be used as a printing plate.

You can scratch and/or cut into the Tetra Pak to create your design, as well as cut around it to create a shaped plate.

The plate is then inked, wiped, and printed onto damp paper using an press or, in some cases, hand pressure. You can watch this short video I posted to instagram to see the process:

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A post shared by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer • Artist (@balzerdesigns)

Is Tetra Pak Printing Collagraph?

Kind of, but technically, no. Here’s the distinction (and it’s really about how the plate is made, rather than how you print it):

• Collagraph: You add materials to a plate to create texture. The plate is built up through collage. The texture comes from what’s glued onto the surface.
• Tetra Pak Printing: You draw, scratch, emboss, or incise into the surface. Ink settles into the scratched and embossed areas.

That said, there is some overlap. For an art history or printmaking purist, a Tetra Pak plate is not a collagraph. For practical purposes, however, you’ll hear it grouped with collagraphs because it’s a low-tech textured plate made from found materials.

Wrap Up

Let me know if you’d be interested in a class on either collagraph or tetra pak printing at home. Both are super fun and surprisingly doable in a home studio.

Thanks for stopping by!

The post Collagraph and Tetra Pak Printing appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

          

Comments

• […] currently working on an online class all about Tetra Pak ... by Intaglio Printing Explained - Balzer Designs Blog
• […] the video I’m sharing today, I worked on a Tetra Pak ... by How to Fix Art Mistakes: The Overlooked Skill Every Artist Needs - Balzer Designs Blog
• In reply to Jamila. Ha Ha! I totally hear you! Would you ... by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer
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• I’d love a class on making Collagraphs! by jill greenbaum
• A collagraph class would be very welcome. But a tetra pak ... by Jamila

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• What’s the best paint?
• What’s the best way to start?
• How do you know when your painting is done?
• What colors should I use?

Most of these questions don’t have a universal answer. It boils down to your personal preferences.

Why Personal Preference = Your Art Style

I think personal preference sometimes gets dismissed as unimportant. We treat it as if it’s arbitrary. As if our own intrinsic likes are somehow less valid than a technical rule or an expert opinion — i.e. “You’re supposed to do it this way.” However, I don’t think that’s true at all. My preferences shape almost every decision I make in the art process.

For instance:

• I prefer matte surfaces to glossy ones.
• I prefer high contrast artwork.
• I prefer artwork that shows evidence of the artist’s hand.
• I prefer a paintbrush with stiff bristles.
• I prefer an art process that balances planning and improvisation.
• I prefer vertical or square orientation in artwork rather than landscape.
• I prefer artwork with lots of movement.
• I prefer intense detail to wide open spaces in artwork.
• I prefer layered artwork.
• I prefer artwork that is emotional rather than intellectual.

None of those preferences are universal. None of them are “correct.” But taken together, they are a huge part of what makes my work look like my work, a.k.a. my style.

How to Begin?

If you don’t know where to start and you want some guidance, start with a trusted teacher, YouTuber, blogger, friend, etc. If you don’t already have a trusted source of advice (and everyone should have a few trusted sources because one person — even the greatest mentor on earth — can’t be everything to you), test out what a few different artists recommend or teach and see what resonates with you.

• Do you think the way they think?
• Does their energy inspire or confuse or intimidate you?
• Do you speak the same artistic language?
• Do they push you to grow or just tow you along in a safe space?
• Are their preferences similar to your preferences?

Group classes with lots of teachers are a great way to test this out. Also, asking other artists you know for recommendations can be a good place to start.

Once you have your favorite trusted sources, it’s easier to take recommendations on supplies or techniques or ideas without fear. But, keep in mind that recommendations are always a starting point, not a final answer. You have to figure out your own personal preferences in order to get to your own personal art style.

How to Determine Your Personal Preferences

How do you figure out what your preferences actually are?! Well, there’s no magic trick and there’s certainly no short cut. You simply need to make lots and lots and lots of work. And pay attention. Attention is key. Without noticing and reflecting, you’re simply making stuff. You’re not actually learning and purposely moving in a certain direction. Reflection is key to growth. This is a hill I’m willing to die on.

Beyond making lots of finished artwork as a method for establishing your personal preferences, testing materials and techniques is worthwhile and important work. (There’s a whole section on this blog about exploring art supplies.)

I think part of every art practice should be trying materials or techniques that other people swear by and discovering whether or not YOU like them. In other words, it requires gathering evidence. I think that’s one of the reasons I love swatching supplies, making charts, keeping studio notebooks, and repeating exercises.

I’m not looking for the right answer. I’m collecting information. I’m trying to better understand my own reactions.

• Do I like this?
• Do I dislike it?
• Why?

The older I get, the less interested I am in finding the best way to do something and the more interested I am in finding the way that works for me. Not because my way is better, but because it’s the best way for me at this moment. The last part of that sentence is important: at this moment. Personal preferences can and do change and that’s great. The key is to pay attention and adapt and adjust with thought and care.

An Example: Using a Chart to Determine Personal Preference

In this video, I walk you through a simple collage paper chart and why it’s something every collage artist should make because it helps you to establish your personal preferences:

Final Thought

Personal preference is one of the most valuable things an art practice can teach us. Not how to follow directions. Not how to replicate someone else’s results. But how to develop enough self-awareness to make choices that reflect our own tastes, interests, and curiosities. Expressing your personal preferences when you make art is one of the major ways that you make your artwork authentically yours!

Thanks for stopping by.

The post Finding Your Art Style is All About Establishing Your Personal Preferences appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

          

Comments

• In reply to Liz. You're too kind! Thank you! by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer
• Your wisdom so inspirational. Thank you Julie. by Liz
• In reply to Yvonne. Yay! Glad to hear it! by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer
• Hi Julie, Thank you for that great idea, I will definitely be ... by Yvonne

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Patchwork vs. Quilt

For the most part, the pieces in the exhibit were not quilts – strictly speaking. A quilt, by definition, is three layers: a top, batting, and backing. Many of these are only the top. In fact, they displayed a few of the patchwork pieces in clear cases in the middle of the room so that you could see the back and the front, as you can see below:

About Chinese Patchwork

Here’s a bit more information from the MFA’s website:

“In rural Chinese villages today, women are creating dynamic patchwork textiles, as their mothers and grandmothers did before them. This art form, which evolved from ancient Buddhist and Daoist customs of monks dressing in patched rags to project a sense of humility, is rooted in practicality, with the fabrics serving as bed and window covers, door curtains, and children’s clothing. The vibrant abstract compositions demonstrate creativity and fine artistic sensibilities that flourish far beyond the borders of established Chinese art canons.

This exhibition presents nearly 20 kaleidoscopic Chinese patchwork textiles, which are rarely seen outside the villages where they are made. The textiles, coming from the Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Gansu, and Shaanxi provinces, reveal a wide variety of compositions, patterns, and techniques, which reflect local styles and individual aesthetics alike. Visitors can explore the historical impacts on materials and designs, and discover the personal histories and artistic intuitions behind the works. Improvising with available cloth, riffing on patterns, and injecting their own creativity, the makers have produced stunning and inspiring imagery. Though viewers familiar with American quilt patterns may be surprised to notice many similar designs, these Chinese works represent a tradition all their own.”

This is a photo they had on the wall of a patchwork piece hanging in a doorway:

And here is an example of what it might look like with light streaming through when you’re inside:

A Peek at the Exhibit

Here’s a look at some of the patchwork pieces that I liked the most from the exhibit:

Final Thoughts

You might enjoy reading THIS article from the MFA’s website where the question of purposeful design is discussed a bit. The women who make these quilts are working improvisationally with intention.

Personally, I felt like the exhibit gave me permission. For many years, I’ve love piecing quilt tops but hated doing the actual quilting. In fact, I have several patchwork tops (like this one and this one) that I’ve wondered if I can simply stretch over some stretcher bars and call done. And I feel like after seeing this exhibit, that the answer is YES!

What do you think? Can patchwork be an art form all by itself without the quilting?

The post MFA Boston: Chinese Patchwork (Quilts) appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

         

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