[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Tuesday, 6 April 1999 Volume 07 : Number 517 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Tue, 06 Apr 1999 09:21:03 -0400 Subject: [Baren 3865] Re: Baren Digest V7 #516 Jeanne said: > Next year I want to take Aprils workshop. As I live on the East Coast it > should be an easy travel. It would have been nice to have a fellow Barener > to learn with though! Maybe by next year things will be settled down more here and I can go too, Jeanne. *** I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who gets to the server for Marco's website. I tried everything under the sun to find Marco's site there and couldn't. Dave said something about some orange lettering that leads one to Marco's site, but none of that worked for me. What's the secret? Gayle ------------------------------ From: Gary Luedtke Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 10:45:11 -0400 Subject: [Baren 3868] Re: videotapes Several questions, Jack, I'd just like to double check and be sure I ordered a video from you. Dave, Jack, and any others who may know............ What is the interplay of paper discoloration and pigment lightfastness over time? How can you tell which is which? I have several prints which are obviously "sunstained" in the sense that the paper has gotten darker in the exposed area of the print, but not in what had been under a frame. How can you tell if the pigment is not holding up or if it's the paper discoloring underneath? Do pigments which are not lightfast, simply fade, or do they change color as well? Dave, you have talked about the beauty of the paper being 99.99% of the beauty of the print, as it shows through the pigment in most cases, and illuminates it from within. What actually deteriorates the quality of the paper, sunlight or exposure? I know sunlight tends to break down most pigments, as well as having an effect on paper. I imagine also, however, that exposure to the environmental elements can also have a degrading effect. For example, it is said that the ancient ruins in Greece are deteriorating faster from smog than ever before. Not wind, rain, or sun, just pollution. This must have an effect on paper artwork as well, does it not? In this case, wouldn't protecting artwork behind glass perhaps extend the life of a print? Just curious. Gary ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 09:09:23 -0700 Subject: [Baren 3869] Jake's tool list. I changed the subject heading because I felt 'Jake's tool' was kinda, well you know. >Jacob wrote: > > Anyone interested in posting a suggested "professional" level tool >> list and more important, where to buy? I have all that Scotish (the Brewes) blood in me and I don't agree that you should go and get tools from, as Dave suggested..... >Head over to a craft shop (there must be such a >place _somewhere_ near where you are that has general purpose >woodcarving tools) and look at some of the knives, chisels, and gouges. I have tried tools that were Swiss and German made and they don't work nearly as well as the tools made in Japan for the Hanga process. You will save money in the long run by purchasing the proper set of tools. This statement is based on the supposition that you are going to be somewhat dedicated to this sport and get a lot of use of them. If you buy cheap you will become frustrated as they do not function as well as the real thingies. There are only about 6 tools you need to get started and after that you may wish to add different sizes of the same shapes for convenience. I am in the process of putting together a materials list for the folks who will be attending the workshop here and will be glad to forward this on to you. It will be available in about a week. I am getting price for these and it may be worth it to buy through my friend Noboru Sawai. Seven years ago, on the second day of a workshop with Noboru Sawai I knew the direction and I purchased professional tools, even though he offered the non professional at good savings. Never regretted that move. Graham ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 09:20:32 -0700 Subject: [Baren 3870] Re: videotapes Gary wrote.... > What is the interplay of paper discoloration and pigment lightfastness >over time? How can you tell which is which? Are you putting your prints on a wall where sunlite can reach them? The Hosho paper turns yellow when exposed to the sun just like almost all papers. All Pigments fade when exposed to sunlite. Some do change colour. For instance Prussian Blue. There is a government agency in Canada that will test material for a price. Do you have anything like that in the States.?? Graham ------------------------------ From: Cucamongie@aol.com Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 12:23:50 EDT Subject: [Baren 3871] chop stuff hi all - I recently bought from an ebay.com auction a lovely Japanese woodblock print of a macaque (snow monkey) - the seller didn't know who the artist is (not that I really care in a way, I just love the print!), all she knew was that it was probably done in the early 20th century! but I was curious - if I sent a scan of the chop would any of you be able to decipher it? thanks best regards, Sarah ------------------------------ From: Wanda Robertson Date: Tue, 06 Apr 1999 10:04:49 -0700 Subject: [Baren 3872] Re: Window of Opportunity James, this is a beautiful print of yours. Is it someone near and dear to you? Or just the average beautiful girl? I hope the show has good attendance. I too, would like to know what tools are everyone's favorite. I have 3 tools from McClain's that I really like, but want to add more a few at a time. Wanda ------------------------------ From: Jacob Roquet Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 13:27:26 -0400 Subject: [Baren 3873] Re: Jake's tool list. Graham wrote: >You will save money in the long run by purchasing the proper set of tools. Thanks Graham for the info. I agree with you. I always prefer to buy the best I can afford. That's tools AND Bourbon! I await your list and will buy them from your friend as well. Just include addresses and phone numbers when you post your list. Jake ------------------------------ From: Jean Eger Date: Tue, 06 Apr 1999 08:28:46 -0700 Subject: [Baren 3874] Re: Baren Digest V7 #516 Eureka! I finally reached Marco's site. It's at http://www.slip.net/~mmflavio/ The prints are very beautiful and dramatic. Jean Eger ------------------------------ From: Gary Luedtke Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 15:52:23 -0400 Subject: [Baren 3875] Re: videotapes Graham wrote, >Are you putting your prints on a wall where sunlite can reach them? No, no, no, Graham. I do not display anything where direct sunlight can rest on it. Just wondered which was more harmful, light or air? ( like city smog). Looking at some old prints that have a border of fresher looking color around it from having been framed, I don't know if the print was actually put in the sunlight, or whether the exposure to ambient light and room air had that effect. Gary ------------------------------ From: Jack Reisland Date: Tue, 06 Apr 1999 10:09:37 +0000 Subject: [Baren 3876] Re: Jake's tool list. Graham Scholes wrote: > I am in the process of putting together a materials list for the folks who > will be attending the workshop here and will be glad to forward this on to > you. I too would be interested in your list and the supplier that you have. When you have it ready, please post it here for all to see. Jack Reisland ------------------------------ From: Jack Reisland Date: Tue, 06 Apr 1999 10:24:26 +0000 Subject: [Baren 3877] Re: videotapes Gary Luedtke wrote: > Jack, I'd just like to double check and be sure I ordered a video from you. ...Here is the current list of those that have ordered to purchase: Ray Hudson Sarah Hauser Ray Esposito John Amoss Lynita Shimizu Andrea Rich Gayle Wohlken Julio Rodriguez Gary Luedtke Phil Bivins Maria Arango James Mundie Daniel Kelly Bea Gold B Hearn E.B. Atwood Jeanne N. Chase April Vollmer Wanda Robertson I. Williams Jean Eger ...And to borrow: Agatha Smith If you think you should be on the list, but do not find your name, go on over to the sign up at http://www.woodblock.com/forum/video.html and sign up. Please do so as soon as possible, as I will be cutting off the sign up pretty soon. I am duplicating them now, but want to be able to have a known quantity to finish. Jack Reisland ------------------------------ From: "Jeanne N. Chase" Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 16:42:28 -0400 Subject: [Baren 3878] Re: videotapes Dear Jack Thank you for all the trouble you are going through to get all of those wonderful tapes to us.. We all give you lots of hoorahs. I, for one can hardly wait. It is like the wait that I had for the first print exchange which was well worth the wait. Jeanne ------------------------------ From: Michael Schneider Date: Tue, 06 Apr 1999 22:59:58 +0200 Subject: [Baren 3879] Re: chop stuff Sarah wrote: > I recently bought from an ebay.com auction a lovely Japanese > woodblock print If you send the scan quickly I might be able to ask Hideharu Mishio a friend and woodblockprinter from Japan who is staying with me here to find out the Kanji reading of the names on your print. michael ------------------------------ From: Jack Reisland Date: Tue, 06 Apr 1999 11:17:30 +0000 Subject: [Baren 3880] Re: videotapes Gary Luedtke wrote: > What is the interplay of paper discoloration and pigment lightfastness > over time? Such a question! Years of research have been done on these questions, and whole books and studies published. I'll try to give the short answer. Light as a form of energy can act in two ways on both paper and pigments. The first is by directly breaking down the molecule, this is known as photolysis. The power of light to break down molecules in inversely proportional to its wavelength. The shortest wavelengths are the most powerful, and ultraviolet light the most powerful of all. The second is in combination with the environment of the material, including water vapour and oxygen. These two, in combination with light, form substances that age both the paper and pigments. This is known as photo-oxidation. The light energy necessary for this kind of degradation is much lower than for photolysis, so while the removal of ultraviolet radiation by filters is always advised, it must be pointed out that this will not stop many kinds of photo-oxidation. Therefore the reduction of the total intensity of the light on the surface of the print is important to reduce the degradation of the print. The interaction of paper degradation and pigment fading is a function of the qualities of the paper used, and the kind of pigments on the print, and to a lesser degree some variables such as the sizing and any binders used. The only way to tell the degree of paper degradation or pigment fading is to be able to compare the print to one that has been printed at the same time, and then protected from light. If you are able to determine the paper that the print is printed on, you may be able to get some idea of the amount of "yellowing" by comparing it to a new sheet of the same paper. Also, some pigments do indeed turn different colors as they are subjected to light. You must remember that many ink colors are a mixture of different pigments, and those pigments fade at different rates, thereby skewing the tone of the ink as it fades. There is also the possibility that some combinations of pigments can react with each other as they age. Also, some pigments, especially some composed of less stable metal oxides, change colors or oxidize as they age, but these are less in use today for this very reason. The effect of pollution that you mentioned is generally one of the pollution combining with humidity or rain to form acid, the familiar "acid rain", which eats up marble and limestone on contact, making it porous, which makes it vulnerable to freezing and thawing and all sorts of other damaging actions. Fortunately, this is not so much of a problem with prints, although dust settling on a print over a long time can get imbedded in the paper fibers and stain it. This, however, is so much slower that photo-oxidization, that it is usually a little too late to worry about. So, what to do? It would seem that the best bet is to leave them in the dark, except that they are then more vulnerable to mildew foxing and insect damage. Actually, the process that David has suggested is the best treatment of prints. Leave them in an acid free box, to be taken out for viewing (and careful examination for any damage) fairly often. If you choose to hang them, use ultra-violet blocking glass (that preferably does not touch the print), hang them out of direct or bright light, and limit the time that you have them out and framed. OK, so that wasn't very short, but you should see the long answer! Jack Reisland ------------------------------ From: BHearn2001@aol.com Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 17:45:12 EDT Subject: [Baren 3881] Re: Baren Digest V7 #516 Somebody wrote: >senior members of the Baren? Hi I am a senior member of Baren and am interested in more information re Mass Senior Elderhostel in August. I am a new mbr of Baren and am really enjoying learning more about various printmakers and their life journeys. ------------------------------ From: BHearn2001@aol.com Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 17:50:47 EDT Subject: [Baren 3882] Re: Baren Digest V7 #515 How do you access the encyclopedia? ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 15:10:57 -0700 Subject: [Baren 3884] Re: Baren Digest V7 #515 >How do you access the encyclopedia? This will take you to where you want to go http://www.woodblock.com/ and if that is not satisfying try this http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/index.html and you will be there. Enjoy Graham ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V7 #517 ***************************