[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Sunday, 31 January 1999 Volume 06 : Number 429 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: mkrieger@mb.sympatico.ca Date: Sat, 30 Jan 1999 08:29:50 -0600 Subject: [Baren 2837] RE Plywood Brenda asked: >Can I cut plywood with an electric jig saw without it splintering? Lots of good suggestions have been posted already. I do an end run around this by having the plywood sheet cut to size at the place I buy the wood. They have professional quality equipment with experienced operators that reliably cut things square and they only charge 25 cents a cut. It is worth it to me. It just requires a little forethought on block sizes. >I rubbed the surface of the block hard with a rag but was horrified to find >tiny little splinters all over my (new!) roller. They seemed quite soft and >didn't damage it but I'd like to get rid of them on the next block without >getting rid of the grain. I've had this problem too. It sounds as if you are using a very soft wood with a loose grain. Indeed quite a different meterial from the boxwood endgrain blocks. I find it helps to use a stiff brush to remove the loose fibres. If I want to enhance the grain I sometimes use a wire suede brush to do this. The grain pattern will not brush away evenly as the wood differs in hardness as well as in color between the summer and fall growth. Once you start printing the ink will start to seal the wood surface. You can speed this up by rubbing the block before printing with a inky rag. Instead of the splinters coming off on the roller, they stick to the rag. Or try sealing the block with varnish or shellac before printing as some of the other baren members do. Let us know how you make out and what you discover. Mary Krieger Winnipeg, Manitoba ------------------------------ From: mkrieger@mb.sympatico.ca Date: Sat, 30 Jan 1999 08:57:24 -0600 Subject: [Baren 2838] re PanAm Competition - print size Graham questioned the size restriction on the Pan Am competition that the Manitoba Printmakers Association is sponsoring. Yes indeed 11 x 14 is pretty small compared to what is generally produced for gallery viewing. The primary reason for the size restriction is a practical one. Limiting the size to one that can be mailed flat easily makes it easier for us - the receiving organization - to handle the prints that arrive. No trying to flatten delicate prints that have been rolled for too long. No trying to figure out where to put unframed works that are larger than any of the tables we have. This is the first time that we have tried such a venture - so we are trying not to bite off more than we can chew. The size limitation is as an opportunity to minimize the risk to the artists participating as well. Some competitions use slides to pre jury and then request the actual works. We decided against this for two reasons - the benefits of jurying original work directly and avoiding the additional costs and work of a two step process. We are very excited about seeing the work that is submitted and look forward to sharing it with the people of Winnipeg and the visitors we expect for the Pan Am games this summer. I hope that some of you will consider submitting work. Mary Krieger Winnipeg MB ------------------------------ From: "Ray Esposito" Date: Sat, 30 Jan 1999 10:30:06 -0500 Subject: [Baren 2839] I'm Baccck - Baren After Five Intro I have a lot to talk about having been laid up with nothing to do but read messages. But I want to limit this post to Baren After Five. Isn't Dave's idea for Baren After Five a great one? I am also excited about his plans for the future of Baren by creating "sister" lists as the forum grows. Is it any wonder why Baren is the BEST forum on the Internet? As moderator I wanted to give you some of my thoughts concerning Baren After Five. Just consider it like you would your local hang-out. Conversations on almost any subject can be discussed. Personally I plan on leaving politics, religion and sex out of it but that is for me only. All of the subjects Dave wrote about are ones I want to hear about. I am sure all of you are anxious to hear about my heart attack. (Yeah, sure) :-)>. Contrary to a comment from Dave, I did not attack any nurses. They were too fast. While laid up I went over the posts and the long discussion on books would have been perfect for Baren After Five. My role? Just consider me the bartender. When you need a shoulder to cry on or someone to ptich a fit at, I'm the one. When things get too out of hand, I will step in and when things get too quiet, I may even stir things up. For the most part I am only a participant. There are no rules other than common sense and common courtesy. I am sure the "techies" will be pleased with some of the more personal and subjective matter being moved. But beware, all of the joking around and barbs will not be eliminated. As Dave wrote, nothing in this area should change. Leave an opening and I, and I am sure Graham, will jump in. When Graham writes "200 hundred", it is almost impossible not to comment with a sarcasm and to NOT comment on Gary's last post about Graham would give me a fourth heart attack. But if we keep the gibes to the low friendly level they have been and move the rest of the non-woodworking "stuff" to Baren After Five, we will continue to have the finest forum on the net. So come along. Join in. The beer is cold, the bartender old and the conversation bold. My word - that is almost poetic. I think I found our motto!!!) Cheers Ray ------------------------------ From: "Ray Esposito" Date: Sat, 30 Jan 1999 11:04:51 -0500 Subject: [Baren 2840] welcom I want to welcome all of the many new members to Baren. I will not name you all for fear of missing someone. Please join in and give up your opinions, ideas and let us learn from your experience. If you are new to woodcut, this is the place to learn. Don't let the old experienced hands scare you as almost all are willing and excited about helping you. Many of us are brand new to woodcut and I guarantee you, you cannot ask any silly questions because I have asked them all already. (And gotten some silly answers back. :-)>) And don't let the stories you have heard about me scare you. Even if based a little on fact, they are mostly lies spread by Graham to try to get everyone to forget he is just an old cooger who has lived in the snow too long. And OF COURSE, sign up for Baren After Five and join in on the fun. Cheers Ray ------------------------------ Subject: [Baren 2841] ------------------------------ From: Jean Eger Date: Sat, 30 Jan 1999 09:33:36 -0800 Subject: [Baren 2842] Re: Baren Digest V6 #428 Hi Dave, I saw (and used) the address in your web site to post to Baren-after-five (BAF), but I didn't see where to subscribe to it. Are we automatically subscribed? BAF is a great idea. Now even the most timid of us can join the woodblock discussion group, while those who love to argue can gravitate to BAF. Jean ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Sat, 30 Jan 1999 09:46:22 -0800 Subject: [Baren 2843] Re: re PanAm Competition - print size Mary wrote.... >Yes indeed 11 x 14 is pretty small compared to what is generally >produced for gallery viewing. I always allow a generous border on my work so make this request. Consider making the size an image size. This still won't result in huge units to handle. and certainly withing snail mail size. >I hope that some of you will consider submitting work. Would love to, but ...... Graham ------------------------------ Subject: [Baren 2844] Message duplicated in error ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Sat, 30 Jan 1999 10:00:34 -0800 Subject: [Baren 2845] Re: welcom Ray wrote.... >And don't let the stories you have heard about me scare you. Even if based >a little on fact, they are mostly lies spread by Graham to try to get >everyone to forget he is just an old cooger who has lived in the snow too >long. Ah ha......that is definitly a gotcha....... We don't get snow in Victoria, unless you consider an 1" once each winter mixed with about 4 mornings of frost. Regards, Graham If all of the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting ?! ------------------------------ From: "Ray Esposito" Date: Sat, 30 Jan 1999 13:19:55 -0500 Subject: [Baren 2846] Re: Baren Digest V6 #428 Jean wrote: >I saw (and used) the address in your web site to post to Baren-after-five >(BAF), but I didn't see where to subscribe to it. Are we automatically >subscribed? Since it is early morning in Toyko, I will respond for Dave. To subscribe just got to the web site http://www.woodblock.com/forum/index.html and follow the instructions for subscribing to Baren After Five. It is a simple "fill in the form" procedure. As to arguing, that will not stop as Dave pointed out. Just that most of it and the non-woodblock arguing will be on BA5. Graham and I will still be watching, and watching, and ..... :-)> Cheers Ray ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V6 #429 ***************************