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This course is for you if...
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You've wanted to try printmaking for a while...
but never quite knew where to start.
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You find geometry to be fascinating
 and would like to combine it with art.
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You have an inordinate fondness for bugs and plants,
and want to honor them in your own artwork.
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You learn art best at your own pace
in the comfort and convenience of your own home.
⌠GETTING STARTED
Yes, you are an artist.
Creating Art is within reach! With practice, patience and guidance from me, you will be feeding your inner artist and blockprinting tessellations before you know it. Youâll skim over many of the frustrations and speedbumps of first time printmakers because I will be there to give you tips and advice, based on my own printmaking years of trial and error! It will be like taking a shortcut to the Fun Part of block printing.
Even with loads of experience, I and my fellow printmakers still mis-register blocks, smudge ink, and print things upside down. It is all a part of the nature of printmaking: itâs handmade and things can get messy - we just donât show you those parts on social media! The truth is, weâre all human and like you, still learning⌠and like you - we all started at the very beginning. A very good place to start :)
Give yourself permission to take a dive into art! Take the time to explore, and to print without pressure. Learning and growing with a new art form will make your brain happy, keep your hands busy, and your heart full.
⌠MEET YOUR TEACHER
Hey there, I'm Jen.
It's great to meet you!
Iâm a printmaker, clay artist and illustrator. And a total nature geek. I have geek status in insects, tidepool life and mammal skulls, and Iâm working on achieving geek levels of gardening, rocks and cephalopods. Unsurprisingly, my artistic inspiration stems from nature, especially local California native species that I can observe firsthand. My artworks pay tribute to biodiversity, especially that of overlooked and underappreciated, yet absolutely fascinating animals.
Iâve focused on the medium of printmaking for the last decade, after developing my aesthetic skills as an illustrator and photographer. I have a background in science illustration, and was formally trained in (ant behavior!) biology research, and so it is a no-brainer to combine the disciplines of art and natural sciences in this course that I am so excited to share with you!
During the pandemic years, I watched my daughterâs first grade teacher work hard to keep the attention of 6 year olds during Zoom school. I volunteered to teach the kids an animal drawing class once a week, and that was a hit! I uncovered a personal fulfillment in teaching, and now I find much joy in guiding students of all ages in their creative journeys.
I believe art is for everyone, and that everyone can benefit from creating art. I understand that it can be hard to tap into your art potential, so Iâm here to make blockprinting accessible!
Sign up, and I'll be with you at every stage of the process, sketch, carve, ink, print.
⌠IN THIS COURSE
You will learn how to:
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Blockprint with confidence
Learn to carve designs on rubber block, and how to ink and press blocks for successful prints using inkpad ink.
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Print beautiful tessellations
Using modular sets of your own hand carved blocks, creating patterns based on registration, repetition and rotation.
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Design your own blocks
Learn how to sketch from specimens and visual resources, and how to translate your drawing into a design for block prints
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A Unique set of prints
to bring joy to your own home or to gift to others, and the potential with your blocks to print endlessly more!
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⌠INSIDE THE COURSE
9 modules ¡ 7+ hours ¡ 50+ lessons
Go through it in order, since each module builds on the last, or skip straight to whatever you need a refresher on. Everything's filmed close-up in HD, you can slow playback down or speed it up, and you keep access for good. I'm in the student community too, so if you ask something, you're getting an answer from an actual person, me, not a bot.
Module 1:
Welcome to Printmaking
An introduction to printmaking and what makes it such an enjoyable medium to work with. I'll share how I came to printmaking through my backgrounds in science and art, why I love working with natural forms, and what you'll learn throughout the course.
Module 2:
Tools and Materials
Letâs get to know the materials and tools used in block printing. You'll learn about carving blocks, gouges, inks, paper, barens, and the other essentials you'll need, along with tips on choosing supplies that work well for beginners.
Module 3:
Practice Blocks
Weâre excited to block print, so letâs jump right into carving and printing! With a specially designed set of block print templates, you'll get practice and gain confidence in carving skills. Using your unique collection of square-shaped blocks, youâll be printing tessellations right away.
Module 4:
Mushrooms
Starting with mushroom designs, weâll begin carving with more care and learn how to tessellate shapes based on the equilateral triangle. Weâll be adding a second color to prints, and learn to make and use vignette stencils. Youâll design your first block!
Module 5:
Moths and Moons
Repeating patterns can seem complicated at first, but they're surprisingly approachable once you understand the process. Using isometric paper, you'll design a tessellating block inspired by botanical or insect subjects while learning how positive and negative space work in printmaking.
Module 6:Â
Flora and Fauna
Use your new skills to design flower, leaf and bug blocks! Moths, beetles, isopods - itâs up to you. Not ready to design yet, but want to print? Iâll provide partial and full templates to support you for whatever stage youâre at. Weâll experiment with irregular-shaped blocks and non-repetitive patterns to build pictorial compositions.
Module 7:
Big scale printing
and Trouble Shooting
You now have a set of modular tessellating blocks and print experience under your belt. Time to scale up and think big! Weâll also review trouble areas when it comes to the process.
Module 8:Â
Where to find InspirationÂ
Need a creative spark? Iâll share the places and resources I turn to when I need inspiration for creating new designs.
Module 9:
Final Words and Bonus MaterialsÂ
Congratulations! A look back at what youâve accomplished, and letâs discuss where you can take your printmaking in the future.
âŚTHE BIGGER PICTURE
This course is not just about making art - itâs also about celebrating the awesomeness of nature
Not only will you learn printmaking skills, but weâll closely observe details in nature along the way. My background as a science illustrator will permeate all my lessons. Weâll notice the small details that make organisms unique and capture those details in our block designs. Once those blocks are carved, weâll explore how those naturally occurring patterns take on their own life as they tessellate!
By the end, you'll be able to sketch a subject, turn it into a tessellating block, carve it cleanly, and pull prints that actually tile. And if something goes wrong along the way, which it probably will at some point, I'll help you figure out why. Youâll have 5 final art + many blockes carved for your future practice.Â
⌠the complete packageÂ
Included you will get:
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Learn at your own pace
Learn whenever it suits you. Pause, rewind, and draw at your own pace, no schedule, no pressure.
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Access for life
Come back to any lesson, any time, at no extra cost.
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A community of fellow printers
a private space to share your bugs and botanicals, ask questions, and swap troubleshooting tips.
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My direct support
I'm active in that same community, and I answer messages myself.
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⌠INSIDE THE PLATFORM
One place for the whole experience
Every lesson is filmed close-up, so you can actually see what my hands are doing with the tools, block and ink at each step. Pause when you need to, rewatch the parts that trip you up, and move at whatever pace works for you.
The comments under each lesson will evolve into a creative community of supportive participants, with students posting their progress, asking questions, and helping each other out.
At its core, this is a learn-by-doing course. Your skills, and your own library of tessellating blocks, build up one module at a time.
A few extras, for free
I'm adding free bonus materials to support your carving journey.
My go-to supplies
A curated shopping list of exactly the recommended tools and materials I use and recommend, so you can skip the guesswork and start carving right away.Â
(value:Â $19)Â FREE
 Carve-ready templates
Printable, ready-to-trace designs for every block in the course. Perfect for anyone who wants to jump straight to carving without sketching from scratch.
(value:Â $19)Â FREE
Registrations are closing soon!
START LEARNING TESSELLATION BLOCK PRINTING TODAY
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⌠GET IMMIDIATE ACCESS TO BUGS & BOTANICALS - Tessellation Block Printing
Two options to pay
Same content, same community, same support from me. Whether you pay in full or split it across four months. In both cases, you will have immediate access to the course!  The price displayed below is in US Dollars, but you can pay withÂ
ANY currency.
Because you were on the waiting list, you get a $100 discount as a thank-you for being here!
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⌠my guarantee to you
If it's not right for you, say so.
 Within your first 14 days, if this course isn't working for you, I'll refund it in full. No explanation required. You should get your money back if the course isnât a good fit.
⌠FAQ
