[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Thursday, 18 February 1999 Volume 06 : Number 451 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Ray Esposito" Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 08:38:33 -0500 Subject: [Baren 3087] Re: new member, I hope! Graham wrote: >Are you not afraid that it will rust to bits in the humid air of the north west? >Maybe it should be given a home in a warm friendly studio in Sidney BC for >a short while. Crass, how crass!!!!! Common sense says it will rust just as fast in BC. Everyone knows that the air in the Mid-Atlantic states is perfect for preserving a press and the Eastern Shore of Maryland is the perfect spot because the air from the Atlantic Ocean clashes with the air from the Chesapeake bouncing back leaving Snow Hill free of humidity in a sea of tranquility. (Ain't this a blast? Here we are fighing over a press that is not on the market. I loovvvvve it? Greg, you have joined a weird group but you knew that didn't you?) Cheers Ray ------------------------------ From: "Ray Esposito" Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 08:42:39 -0500 Subject: [Baren 3088] Re: Gift ... Dave wrote: >if I wanted one of the others, it was mine for the taking ... Dave This only reenforces the fact that you are fully accepted among the craftsmen and printmakers in Japen. This is not only a great find and gift but I think it is the highest honor you could be paid. Congratulations. >And I suppose one day it'll be _my_ turn, to try and figure out what to >do with all these tools and blocks here ... If you need any suggestions I know a cheapskate from British Columbia who will jump to the front of the line. :-)) Cheers Ray ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 23:09:58 +0900 Subject: [Baren 3089] Re: Gift ... I earlier wrote: > >And I suppose one day it'll be _my_ turn, to try and figure out what to > >do with all these tools and blocks here ... Ray replied: > If you need any suggestions I know a cheapskate from British Columbia who > will jump to the front of the line. :-)) Ray, with all due respect for the gentleman you mention, I rather suspect that by the time _my time_ comes, he probably won't be in contention ... Dave ------------------------------ From: "Ray Esposito" Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 09:38:16 -0500 Subject: [Baren 3090] Re: Gift ... >Ray, with all due respect for the gentleman you mention, I rather >suspect that by the time _my time_ comes, he probably won't be in >contention ... Dave You don't know this guy. For a good set of tools he will hang on for one day longer than you. :-)) Cheers and again, congratulations for all your success. Ray ------------------------------ From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 10:09:32 -0500 Subject: [Baren 3091] Re: Baren Digest V6 #450 Welcome to Baren, Benny. I like your painting, "Moonlit" since I'm a moon watcher. * * * * Could I ask a dumb question? Why do people want to use a press for woodblock prints? Is it because of the number of prints one wants to make? I think half the joy is in hand burnishing. * * * * Dave, I think the new introductory page to woodblock.com is helpful. I found my way around very well when using it. Also, Dave, the gift of Shimano-san's atedai must feel like a gift from the gods. Gayle Wohlken ------------------------------ From: Jacob Roquet Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 10:20:07 -0500 Subject: [Baren 3092] new member, I hope! Forget the Eastern Shore... it needs to come to North Carolina. John Moss can drive up here and use it as well. (Ray, you can come to as long as you behave.) I have many other presses and I will take better care of it than the others. Even though the cost for Greg to ship it to me will be higher, he will know it is in better hands and well worth his extra cost. I believe there is nothing finer than to throw a man's own words back at him. Greg, I use your quote in the previous art pricing post: Uganda Greg wrote: "The market neither knows nor cares what it cost you, the producer..." Greg, just give me your credit card number and I'll take care of all the details. :-) Regards, Jake ------------------------------ From: "Ray Esposito" Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 10:33:43 -0500 Subject: [Baren 3093] Re: Baren Digest V6 #450 >Could I ask a dumb question? Why do people >want to use a press for woodblock prints? Is it >because of the number of prints one wants to make? >I think half the joy is in hand burnishing. Gayle First of all, there are no dumb questions on Baren. They are reserved for BA5 where the Father Abbot can understand them. :-)). As to the question at hand (no pun intended) I use a press for woodblock. The reason is simple. I have severe arthritis in my hands. Using a baren, even for five minutes causes great pain. Even the simple act of writing is difficult. I use a fountain pen because the ink flows easier than a ballpoint and is less stressful on my hands but even there, after ten minutes or so I have to stop writing. I would love to use a baren and learn to use it well but my hands simply "freeze up" too quickly to allow me to do so. For me personally, and I can only speak for myself, it makes no sense to work on a print with a baren for five minutes, then have to wait fifteen minutes before the pain goes away so I can work on the print for another five. I can think of one other reason. If you are into letterpress, some artists like to include type with the woodblock and it is much easier to do this on a press. Fortunately, I do not have arthritis of the fingers or I would really be in trouble. (Graham...beat you to it.) :-)) Perhaps others have different reasons for using a press but those would be mine. I hope this helps answer your question. Cheers Ray ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 07:51:56 -0800 Subject: [Baren 3094] Re: Gift ... Ray wrote.... >If you need any suggestions I know a cheapskate from British Columbia who >will jump to the front of the line. :-)) In Canada we call it economic-skate .(<; Graham ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 08:11:39 -0800 Subject: [Baren 3095] Re: Gift ... Dave wrote: >Ray, with all due respect for the gentleman you mention, I rather >suspect that by the time _my time_ comes, he probably won't be in >contention ... By golly this economicskate guy would come back from the grave for those tools. Congrates on the gift Dave. Graham ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 08:19:42 -0800 Subject: [Baren 3096] Baren page layout. Works well and is easier to navigate. Graham Now if we can format Ray this server will be humming. ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 08:23:05 -0800 Subject: [Baren 3097] pronounce atedai How do you pronounce that....? Ate day? Ate die? Aty day? Graham ------------------------------ From: ArtSpot@aol.com Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 11:36:40 EST Subject: [Baren 3098] Re: hand vs press Hi Gayle & Friends. (some of whom made me laugh) Well, I have a coupla reasons for wanting to use a press. Time is one of the issues. Then there's the rich black areas and the paper that my current series is on - -- Rives BFK. These pieces, part of the "Alaska Journey" series of paintings and prints, are all on that paper. In combination with those images is the "Words Project". This is the story of my dog, Spot, being checked out by free ranging Indian horses in Canada. The story is on 11 inch tall, various width deckle edged Rives BFK paper with hand cut lettering done in words and phrases. It is designed to go either on one wall or to lead the view around the gallery of imagery. I was supposed to have a show of this work but the venue cancelled due to budget. Still, I am determined to show it somewhere! Lastly, I am highly allergic to turps. So my larger prints are pulled by Linda Lee Boyd. I do a hand printed BAT but you know, I'd really prefer to run them myself someday... and the ability to see what comes up myself would sure be great. Are you bored yet? Sorry! Thanks for the compliment! ArtSpot Out BA at Omebase ------------------------------ From: James G Mundie Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 11:40:39 -0500 Subject: [Baren 3099] Dave's "new" atedai Dave wrote: > if I wanted one of the others, it was mine for the taking ... You'd better learn to use it properly or generations of block-planers will be haunting your apartment... ("Booooo! Gaijin, why do mangle that board? Boooo!") Although, if you're lucky, maybe you will tick them off so much that they will step in and give you lessons! :-) Seriously, what an honor to inherit such a wonderful tool! Mise le meas, James Mundie, Philadelphia USA ------------------------------ From: Gary Luedtke Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 17:33:29 -0500 Subject: [Baren 3100] Atedai Dave, This sounds like quite an honor, to have been given this piece of traditional block making equipment, and of course I have some questions about it. By the look of the photo you referred us to, I think what you are talking about is the slab of wood apparently resting on the floor, is that right? Can you further describe it? What kind of wood is it? How thick is it? Is it oiled or treated to prevent it from cracking over the years? How is it used? How do you pronounce that? Is it perfectly flat itself? How are the blocks to be planed down, held down on the slab for working? Are there any requirements for Atedai's? Are they slabs of wood not suitable for blocks them- selves and so taken in for a work surface, or is there a quality to a slab which is sought for in Atedai's? Just curious. Gary ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 07:48:05 +0900 Subject: [Baren 3101] Re: pronounce Graham wrote: > atedai How do you pronounce that....? It's four (short) syllables: Ah teh (easy for Canadians, eh?) dah ee *** Today is a bit of a turning point for me here. I've spent the month since the end of the exhibition digging out from under the mountain of stuff that hit me - printing up extra copies of nine of the poets' prints to make up enough for full sets, and then doing the first two of the next 'edition' (It'll be two a month for five years). I did them in groups all together, doing all the key blocks first, then the reds, then the browns, etc. There were woodblocks all over the place - absolute chaos. But yesterday afternoon Ichikawa-san, the lady who does my packing and shipping, came over with her truck and took two loads of stuff away. The storage cases are being delivered to her place by the case maker this morning, and the rest is all in her hands. This afternoon, I'll do the layout of the next newsletter, and then, with the 'decks clear', it's on to the new series - a couple of weeks later than I had planned. I'll spend this evening drawing the hanshita and getting the tools ready, and then tomorrow morning will start carving (if I remember how to hold the knife!) Dave ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 08:01:02 +0900 Subject: [Baren 3102] Re: Atedai Gary asked a question (or two) about the atedai: At the moment, I have to 'pass' on these questions. So far, all I know about this tool is what I have seen when watching him use it. After I get a chance to inspect it and fondle it a bit, I'll tell you more. I should have chosen a better picture though. Here is one taken in late November, about two months before he passed away. http://www.woodblock.com/forum/archives/vol06/extras/shimano.jpg (That's vol as in volume) Dave ------------------------------ From: Mariten@aol.com Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 23:24:04 EST Subject: [Baren 3103] Re: mounting on silk From Maria in LV Jack asked: >Is your plan to then frame it under glass, or mount it like an Oriental scroll? You seem like the right guy to ask! >...also forgot to ask, what is the nature of the silk? Is it attached to > a paper back, or just loose fabric? How heavy a weave is it?" I purchased a couple of yards of fine, light weight silk, but I saw some heavier stuff if it will make it easier. I will buy whatever it takes! The print itself is 23x17, the Owara mulberry paper is lightweight, although I also made some prints on BFK and Niggedden. I was thinking mounting one print for this show like an Oriental scroll because the Japanese paper/black ink combination is so beautiful just like it is, without glass in front of it. Later I may have to frame it under glass so the fine desert dust doesn't attach itself to the print. If you have suggestions on both (paper back for under-glass mounting and loose silk for unobstructed viewing) I would be most grateful. Thanks, Maria ------------------------------ From: Mariten@aol.com Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 23:30:23 EST Subject: [Baren 3104] Re: cut & paste job still open? Dave, I may have some time this weekend to edit/splice the q&a exchange you needed for the Encyclopedia. Can you re-send me the instructions off-line if you still need that done? Maria in LV ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V6 #451 ***************************