[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking.

Baren Digest               Tuesday, 23 June 1998       Volume 03 : Number 191

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From: Jean Eger <jeaneger@LanMinds.Com>
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 09:50:03 -0700
Subject: [Baren 975] Re:Carmine and book review 

Dear Baren,

Dave, I will try the Procion dye experiment again with Carmine to see if
that was the dye that reacted badly with gum arabic.  It sounds like the
right color.  I thought perhaps it depended on what kind of gum arabic that
was used--the dark heavy kind that is used for lithography, or the wimpy
kind that is sold in arts and crafts stores.  The color varies, like the
color of beer.

Right now I am fighting off an infection, so everything is taking twice as
long as it should.  This is the story of my life, nothing new, so nothing
to get worried about.

Hurrah for the excellent book review by Ray.  Ray, you have inspired me.  I
think that writing a book review is something I could do fairly well, in
contrast to my lack of technical ability in actualy woodcutting. I could
write up some of the books I own and put it on my own web site as well as
Baren, as long as that's all right with Dave, of course.  

Jean

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From: jimandkatemundie@juno.com (James G Mundie)
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 14:45:14 -0400
Subject: [Baren 976] Re: Baren Digest V3 #190 

Gayle wrote:
>... regarding the Osorio prints:
>http://www.the-forum.com/art/osorio.htm
  
>Am I to understand there is only one of each print available?   

I just spoke to the vendor, and yes, they unfortunately has only one copy
of each print shown.  The prints were part of a folio without text called
_Carnaval de Huejotzingo_.

>It wasn't mentioned what kind of paper these are printed on.  Do
>you have any inside information, since you have already inquired?

I was too excited by the bargain to inquire further.  Not good business
sense, perhaps...  The print I bought should arrive in a few days.  I'll
give you more info when I have print in hand.

***

Graham wrote:
>To James.
>The print you sent is more a wood engraving print ....Is it not?

It is not. [the print to which Graham refers is "Variation on a Chinese
Lion for Phil Bivins"]

>Those fine lines on the dog are positive shapes and to my eye must 
>have been acheived by scratching the block and then when printing using@the 
>same technique as required to print an etching.....Right?  

Wrong.  It was all acheived in relief on the plank, rolled up with a
brayer and spooned onto dry paper.  I must say that I'm delighted you are
trying to find a more complicated way!

Sla/n go tamall,
James Mundie, Philadelphia USA

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From: amoss@mindspring.com (John Amoss)
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 22:02:13 +0300
Subject: [Baren 977] skin scrounging 

Hello y'all,
I recently took a mini-vacation to the coast of Georgia (about 12 mi. south
of Savannah). Eventhough the mercury was in the low100s, I managed to talk
my wife into stopping by a university-run facility appropriately called the
Bamboo Farm. Much to my delight, I found a 75-yr.-old grove of giant
Japanese timber bamboo. There were piles of the sheaths similar to what I
had received from McClain's, but without the $8 price tag. After asking
permission, they allowed me to take what I wanted. I got about 50 good
ones, or at least they looked like they were in good shape.
Question is: has anyone scrounged their own skins? Should I flatten them or
leave them curled? Dave, (et al.) how do you "save your skins"?
In the meantime I will store my "trove" in a damp place per Bill Paden's
advice.

Thanks to all!
- -john

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From: Becky or Roger Ball <beckorro@inquo.net>
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 22:08:58 -0600
Subject: [Baren 978] new stuff 

Hello all,

New art and a few new woodcut scans at:
www.inquo.net/~beckorro/woodcut/latest.htm

Comments, insults, etc always welcome.

The best to you,
- -Roger

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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 16:49:25 +0900
Subject: [Baren 979] Re: skin scrounging 

OK ... I'm supposed to be printing ... but this one was too interesting
to let go by ...

John wrote:
> ... I found a 75-yr.-old grove of giant
> Japanese timber bamboo.   etc.

As soon as I read this, I got on the phone to Mr. Kaneko, owner of
'Kaneko Shoten', the shop that supplies all the bamboo for printers here
in Tokyo, to see what he had to say.

There are hundreds of different bamboos out there, most of them
completely unsuitable for our use.  Going by your basic description
(size, geographical location, climate, etc.) he thinks that you may
indeed have stumbled across a grove of 'madake', the bamboo that best
suits baren covering.  (It's no good for making the coil inside the
baren - for that they use the 'shira-dake' ...)

He offered a few pointers:

1) Scoop 'em up _right away_ after they've fallen off.  Once they've
been on the ground for a day or so, they are greatly weakened, and will
rot and crumble easily in storage.  Head out there on a windy day in
June/July for best selection ...

2) Leave them rolled up.

3) Discard any that are obviously damp to the point of starting to 
decay...   Lay the rest out on a table or someplace where they can dry out
completely, not bunched up together ...  Turn them over now and then so
all surfaces have a chance to dry out.  

4) Once they are completely dry, then collect them together in bundles
of a few dozen or so, wrap the bundle completely in newspaper, and
_loosely_ tie with string.

5) Store the bundles standing upright in a cool and dry room.  Don't
even think about wrapping them in plastic, or keeping them near
moisture.  A place with good air circulation is best.

6) They will last easily for a year, and longer if you're lucky.

7) Remember that not _every_ one you pick up will turn out to be
suitable.  Many will be too thick, some will be too thin, a lot of them
will have splits or abrasions.  He figured that they get only 1 or 2%
out of each batch that they receive.  (This isn't as bad as it sounds
for their business, as most of their trade is for supplying food
wrappers.  But they always pick out the prime stuff for the printmakers
first.)

That's it ... straight from the horse's mouth ...   (For those who
haven't seen it yet, there is a story about Kaneko Shoten in the
Encyclopedia, in the 'Personal Face of Printmaking' section ...)

He also added some comments that I had already heard - that this year is
not expected to be a 'good year' for bamboo for us.  The usual pattern,
according to him, was alternating between good and bad years ... and
this year is a 'down' year.  But that's _our_ climate here in Japan. 
Where Georgia might be in such a cycle is anybody's guess ...

John, let us know how you make out with this, please!

Dave

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End of Baren Digest V3 #191
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