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

Baren Digest                Monday, 31 May 1999        Volume 07 : Number 579

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From: Barbara Mason <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Sun, 30 May 1999 06:50:38 -0700
Subject: [Baren 4477] Re: introducing

Arye wrote:
> My name is Arye Saar, and I'm a kibbutz member from Israel. 

Welcome to the Baren! Your work looks very strong and energetic, the prints
on the web were quite small, can we somehow see them in a larger size? I
couldn't get them to go larger. Good work, keep printing. The Friends of
the Gilkey Center of the Portland Art Museum in connection with the Pacific
Northwest College of Art will host a symposium and print show sometime in
the fall of 2000. We expect printmakers from all over the world to come
(maybe September of October). As I get more information I will post it,
come to Portland and see us.
Barbara

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From: judy mensch <mensch@interport.net>
Date: Sun, 30 May 1999 10:43:05 -0500
Subject: [Baren 4478] Re: Baren Digest V7 #574

Jean:
I got a copy of the On the Edge of the Century brochure from the
Berkeley Art Center.  The show looks really interesting and it was fun
to see your name listed. I also know Jos Sances through a friend of mine
who lives in Berkeley.  I liked your thank you print very much.
Judy

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From: SylTaylor@aol.com
Date: Sun, 30 May 1999 14:01:02 EDT
Subject: [Baren 4479] Re: Let me introduce...

Dear Baron Members,

I have been listening in on and enjoying the Baron dialogue for a couple
weeks.  I am a printmaker currently living in Northern Ireland. I'm in a US
graduate program to get my MFA.  I'm originally from New York State, but that
was a long time ago...  I work in printmaking and ceramics, although my focus
lately has been printmaking. My favourite technique has been linocut, but I
also do some intaglio and lithography. Recently, I took a workshop course on
reduction woodblock technique and loved it.  So, now I want to learn all that
I can about woodblock printmaking! 

The program I am in requires some pretty serious examination (and subsequent
fluency) in the area of postmodernism.  I'm struggling with some of this
pressure to give my work a social-political voice or at least context in the
post-modern world.  It's hard to defend flowers, for example, although they
find their way into my prints now and again...

I am working in a lovely, friendly and well-organized, print studio North of
Belfast.  I've become spoiled--where else are you served tea and biscuits
while printmaking? 

Cheers,
Sylvia Taylor

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From: "Gregory D. Valentine" <gvalen@linfield.edu>
Date: Sun, 30 May 1999 14:42:09 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 4480] new friends

  I just wanted to say hello to all the new printmakers in our circle,
especially to the members outside N. America: Horatio, Arye and Sylvia
(Did I miss anyone? nor to slight the long-term members, this applies to
you, too.) This makes the web such an exciting and vibrant place for
artistic exchange; each of us can have contact with people working, within
the same technique, but from different historic, cultural and geographic
perspectives, and in different styles.  I'm thrilled and delighted. Welcome. 

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From: Barbara Mason <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Sun, 30 May 1999 21:01:31 -0700
Subject: [Baren 4481] Welcome

Hi Sylvia and welcome to the Baren. This is a most interesting group,
soometimes more active than others but always helpful with technical
stuff.
How do you like Ireland? We have some friends from Ireland, the man
makes the traditional Irish willow baskets and thinks there are very few
if any people left who make them.
Best Regards,
Barbara

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From: SylTaylor@aol.com
Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 05:01:00 EDT
Subject: [Baren 4482] Re: wood question

Hi Everyone,  Thanks for the welcomes!  I have a quick question.  What is the
best way to go about getting wood for the woodblocks?  The wood I have been
using is a mystery. (I got some extra from the reduction woodblock course I
took)  It's plywood with (I think) a cedar veneer.  It's OK but tends to
splinter some. So, if I go to a lumber yard, what would I ask for? 

Barbara, I have not seen any willow basket makers at all--they sound lovely
though! Ireland is great. Living here has not been easy though.  (I'm
wondering about your e mail protocols for things like this...should I write
about this in the after 5 mail?)

All The Best, 
Sylvia

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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 18:07:23 +0900
Subject: [Baren 4483] Re: new friends

Greg wrote:
>  I just wanted to say hello to all the new printmakers in our circle,
> especially to the members outside N. America ...

Yes, I've been delinquent in welcoming new members recently ...  Thanks
Greg for the friendly gesture ...

Speaking of new members, we have an amazing number of them recently -
looking at the list of names on the server I see dozens that I don't
recognize:
Fred, David, Juris, Bobbie, Arafat, Tom, Lezle, _two_ Richard Cs, Pat,
Hans, Brian, Sarah, William, Riri, Stephanie, Frank ...

There are even names on the participation sheet for Exchange #3 that I
don't know!  Hopefully some of you will speak up and let us know about
your printmaking activities ...

(Note for new members: the 'Who is Baren' page is available for any
member who would like to show their prints to the group.  Contact me to
see how we can get your prints up there!)

***

I'm just finished the most recent of my surimono prints, and am trying
to make a promise to myself that I'll cut down the number of colours on
the next few.  I _do_ like making prints, but not to the extent that I
have to erase everything else in my life to get them done! 

This most recent print had 15 impressions, not so many actually, but
four of them were gradations, and I still find those difficult to do
evenly and smoothly.  And trying to get 200+ copies all exactly alike is
still a challenge ...

The print was the third in this year's album:
http://woodblock.com/surimono/1999/1999album.html

***

New member Sylvia wrote:
> I'm struggling with some of this pressure to give my work a
> social-political voice or at least context in the
> post-modern world.  It's hard to defend flowers, for example ...

Well plenty of people are not so worried about 'context'.  You won't
ever find prints that contain less 'social comment' than mine, and yet
they seem to be finding a good audience.  I think there is plenty of
room for 'stopping and smelling the flowers', as they say ...

Although now that I come to think of it - that print I just finished
_could_ in a sense be taken as quite discriminatory.  Any 'grey power'
advocates out there?

Dave

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End of Baren Digest V7 #579
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