[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Wednesday, 21 July 1999 Volume 08 : Number 635 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 09:22:27 -0800 Subject: [Baren 5011] Re: baren cover Dave wrote.... >It involves stretching the softened bamboo under your two hands ... >pushing in opposite directions ... The splitting is so hard to avoid when stretching with your hands. I prefer the technique illustrated in the second image on 'Tie the Baren' page... http://www.members.home.net/gscholes/Tiebaren.html where using a blunt smooth instrument you burnish back and forth which will achieve expansion results as well as smoothing down the ribs. It is important to have a well dampened sheath. Graham ------------------------------ From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 12:27:50 -0400 Subject: [Baren 5012] Re: Baren Digest V8 #634 Welcome Amanda. So, Graham, when I'm cutting slightly toward the "To" line, I'm doing this with short scooping strokes of the tool starting away from the line and coming toward it at a slight angle. I think one of my problems has been to not get that angle just right when I do the "To"-cut line. Maybe there's not enough of a slant away from it. I'm going to work really hard at this. Dave, I have consulted the encylcopedia, by the way and have studied what you have to say about cutting. I'm still confused on tools, though. There seems to be two kinds of bull nosed chisels? One with a short handle and one with a long. I have the kind with the long handle and it's a biggie to try and maneuver. Gayle ------------------------------ From: BHearn2001@aol.com Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 13:39:13 EDT Subject: [Baren 5013] Re: Mary Krieger Your work is lovely. Enjoyed viewing it very much. barbara hearn ------------------------------ From: Wanda Robertson Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 11:27:12 -0700 Subject: [Baren 5014] Re: Baumann & Krieger I just went to look at the Gustave Baumann prints on-line. These are wonderful! So much inspiration here. Now I'm off to find a book on Gustave Baumann..... If you haven't looked yet - go and be inspired! Mary, your color woodcuts are superb! You have really captured the movement of clouds, and air and warmth, and the feeling of those places. Thanks Sheryl - for the Baumann info! Wanda ------------------------------ From: "Jean Eger" Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 03:47:14 +0900 Subject: [Baren 5015] Welcome Amanda, Glad that you're here. This forum is very inspiring. I joined right after leaving school. I have made several woodcuts that I probably wouldn't have attempted without the prodding and guidance of the members here. Keep coming back. It works! Jean Eger http://users.lanminds.com/~jeaneger ------------------------------ From: Sherpsm@aol.com Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 17:31:43 EDT Subject: [Baren 5016] Re: Baumann & Krieger Wanda A few book notes if anyone is looking -- The Bauman books I know: Gustave Bauman Nearer to Art by:Martin F. Krause, Madeline Carol Yurtseven, David Acton; Museum of New Mexico Press - Santa Fe 1993 Hand of a Craftsman The Woodcut Technique of Gustave Bauman; David Acton Museum of New Mexico Press 1996 Both of these books are hardcover, beautiful color images of Baumans work. Both were over $40.00 There is also a very nice exibition catalogue with color images. It was published by the Denver Art Museum; Gustave Bauman Woodblock Prints form the Holme Roberts & Owen Collection, Denver Art Museum April 20 - June 9, 1991. Bauman's work is stunning and expensive. The price I believe is due to the collection fever of pieces from the American Arts & Crafts Movement in which Bauman's work is often placed. IF anyone is looking for another great book on a woodblock artist search out "The Tranquility and the Turbulance The Life and Work of Walter J. Phillips". by Roger H.Boulet; M.B.Loates Publishing. Now this can be an expensive book - but I perfer a Phillips to a Bauman print. Joe ------------------------------ From: April Vollmer/John Yamaguchi Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 19:01:44 -0400 Subject: [Baren 5017] Side stretch Dave, What is the Japanese word for the bamboo sheath? I can't imagine stretching it sideways! It is so easy to split! I measured them dry, before dampening. We dipped them in water to get them wet all over, then wrapped in a damp towel for 45 minutes or so. Is this long enough? the weather was VERY humid, I'm sure that helps. And Mary, love your images! how big are your editions? Oil base, right? Thanks for the link. April Vollmer ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 08:42:07 +0900 Subject: [Baren 5018] Re: Baumann & Krieger Joe wrote: > If anyone is looking for another great book on a woodblock artist search out > "The Tranquility and the Turbulance The Life and Work of Walter J. Phillips". > by Roger H.Boulet; M.B.Loates Publishing. This is indeed a wonderful book, and I add my recommendation to Joe's. But if you're doing a search for it on the various book services, it would be better to use the title: "The Tranquility and the Turbulence" ... *** Graham wrote, re baren skin tying: > The splitting is so hard to avoid when stretching with your hands. > I prefer the technique illustrated in the second image on 'Tie the Baren' > page... > http://www.members.home.net/gscholes/Tiebaren.html where using a blunt > smooth instrument you burnish back and forth which will achieve expansion > results as well as smoothing down the ribs. I do _both_ Graham - first stretching the sheath wider with my hands, then rubbing the inside (I use a smooth black stone), then vigorously on the outside to 'kill' the ribs ... *** Gayle wrote: > There seems to be two kinds of bull nosed chisels? One with a short > handle and one with a long. I have the kind with the long handle and > it's a biggie to try and maneuver. There _are_ two common types, one with a long white handle, with the blade buried inside it, and the other with the shorter two-piece handle, that opens to allow the blade to be adjusted or replaced. It is only the two-piece type that is used in the _traditional_ field here - I don't have any of the long-handled models in my toolbox. I don't have a clue how you would hold such a (to me) unwieldy tool! *** Mary posted: > http://www.mts.net/~mkrieger/colour.htm Very pleasant prints! I (we?) had no idea you were doing colour work. All we've seen so far are your black & white prints ... I'm looking forward to seeing which type your exchange contribution is ... *** For those who have been wondering about the progress of the Exchange ... John Amoss is now near the final stages of wrapping up [Exchange #2]. The deadline passed a short time ago, and he is in the process of corralling the final straggler or two. The cases have also not yet arrived at his home, but should be there shortly. So it shouldn't be long now ... And of course, as soon as I receive my own copy of the folio, I will scan them and let you know where they can be seen. And a reminder that there are now only five spots left in Exchange #3 ... http://woodblock.com/forum/exchange_sign-up.html Dave ------------------------------ From: Mary Krieger Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 18:38:05 -0700 Subject: [Baren 5019] Mary's edition size April wrote: > And Mary, love your images! how big are your editions? Oil base, right? > Thanks for the link. Thanks very much for the encouragement everyone. These are indeed oil base. These particular prints had very small editions. I was working in reduction, cutting away between colours, and was having a lot of spoilage due to registration problems. I learnt quite a bit doing them. I used a similar technique in the print that I did for Exchange #2, but had no spoilage due to registration - a combination of the experience built up from the big ones, some handy hints from baren and plain old good luck. ------------------------------ From: Barbara Mason Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 17:04:22 -0700 Subject: [Baren 5020] Re: Baumann & Krieger I double Wanda's appreciation. The Bauman prints were great (did you see those prices? Only dead people's work is worth so much!) and Mary, your woodcuts are an inspiration. Barbara ------------------------------ From: Gary Luedtke Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 21:13:43 -0400 Subject: [Baren 5021] Re: Baumann & Krieger Joe noted, >The Tranquility and the Turbulance The Life and Work of Walter J. >Phillips" by Roger H.Boulet; M.B.Loates Publishing. Now this can be an >expensive book - but I perfer a Phillips to a Bauman print." Nothing against Gustave Baumann, but I agree with Joe. Incidentally, on the Baumann exhibit they had a print from 1906 and another from 1966, not that it's impossible for someone to create prints over a span of 60 years, just seems incredible. Was that right? Joe, if you find that book on Walter Phillips for sale, let me know if there's an extra, I'd like to pick it up too. I found it on interlibrary loan a few years ago, and it is a great book, but I have never seen it anywhere for sale. I guess it never really occurred to me to search for it on the net I just assumed it was unavailable. But one must not assume things too quickly, eh, Graham? By the way, Graham, your exhibit will be alongside Walter Phillips' prints, do you suppose they will have any books such as "Tranquility and Turbulence" available at the show? Will Roger Boulet be attending? Another question for Graham. Is your Lighthouse Series concluded now that you are doing the Symphony prints? I think I mentioned this once before, but will again. I think your Lighthouse Series would make a fine book also. Now a question for Dave. This could be posted privately, but the answers may be of interest to others. I think most if not all of you print your own works, whereas Dave has always carved and printed other artists for the most part. Your Hyakunin Issu series was by a single artist, but now your Surimono are by different artists. What are you able to sense, Dave, about these artists? I know that because they probably had other carvers and printers doing their designs, the artist's styles may be camouflaged amonst the styles of the carver and printer, but as you do all of these, are you able to pick out their contributions, or is it impossible to tell whether it is the carvers style of line, or the artists? Do you get any sense of their individual style coming through? I know that by carving the blocks and printing them, you will get much closer to that work than anyone ever will just looking at them. Have you gotten any new sense of respect or lost any for these artists once you begin to dissect their work in order to recreate it? Gary ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 11:49:01 +0900 Subject: [Baren 5022] Re: Questions ... April wrote: > Dave, What is the Japanese word for the bamboo sheath? It is known as 'takenokawa' (literally 'skin of the bamboo') > I can't imagine > stretching it sideways! It is so easy to split! It is indeed, but this is a very important step if you want to end up with a cover that is as tight as possible. > We dipped them in water to get them wet all over, then > wrapped in a damp towel for 45 minutes or so. Is this long enough? When I need to recover the baren, I pull off the old one, then grab a new piece of bamboo (dry) from my stock, take it to the shower and run water over it while I am unrolling it. (If you unroll it dry, it tends to split easily). After about a minute of being held under the running water, I bring it back to my bench and start processing. A few minutes later, it's done, and I set it aside to dry out ... usually about twenty minutes or so (obviously this depends on the weather). It's then back to work ... But I should add that I've watched Matsuzaki-san do this - all without leaving his cross-legged sitting position at his workbench. Moistening (with his 'mizubake'), stretching, cutting, tying .... And it was so tight that he could start printing right away, without needing to let it dry at all. The whole process didn't take more than five or six minutes - - no exaggeration ... *** Gary wrote: > Now a question for Dave. 'a' question? > Your Hyakunin Issu series was by a single artist, but now > your Surimono are by different artists. What are you able to sense, Dave, > about these artists? This is a very big question, one that is close to the core of the traditional carver's skill, but I suspect that my answer may not be so satisfactory to you, a designer ... First, please remember that this business of carving many different people's images is relatively new to me. Other than little things here and there just fooling around, this year is the first time that I have seriously taken on such jobs. I'm still very much in an exploratory, learning 'mode' with this. > Do you get any > sense of their individual style coming through? I can't say 'individual' style as much as the general styles that were commonly used in each era. The four prints that are done so far in this year's series http://woodblock.com/surimono/1999/1999album.html have all needed a very different approach to the carving, but I don't think this was quite so much due to the individual artists, as to the general way that prints were made in those different eras. For example, the Sukenobu print was very much the same type of print that I had been making for ten years - if I was only able to look at a small area of the print, I would not have been able to tell you who it was by. I can't honestly say that those were 'Sukenobu' lines ... they were just generic ukiyo-e lines typical of that era. But I can't discard completely the personal styles of the artists - the Hokusai print in that series is a good example. _Those_ lines could not have been drawn by anybody else. Show me a square centimetre of a print like that, and I can tell you who it was by! > I know that by carving > the blocks and printing them, you will get much closer to that work than > anyone ever will just looking at them. This is very much true. In the case of the Shunsho series I did, I discovered so many 'secrets' in that set of 100 prints, that I could write a good thick book about it. (Wouldn't be of too much interest to most people, though ...) So yes, if I keep up with this sort of varied work, I guess I'll develop a pretty good 'feeling' for just what woodblock prints are all about. Anytime I've talked to people about this sort of thing at the exhibitions, the comment sometimes comes back that I should make my _own_ designs. Well, that's a nifty idea - to combine this deep knowledge of the craft and the traditions, with a modern artistic viewpoint; what incredible prints I could make! But there's only one problem ... and when you see the Exchange #2 with a D Bull 'original' in it, you'll understand why I have chosen to make a living making reproductions of _other_ people's prints! Dave ------------------------------ From: Maria Arango Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 20:54:52 -0700 Subject: [Baren 5023] Re: New member Welcome Amanda! For the rest of the Baren, Amanda will soon be seen in my Invited Artist page. I will be off for a while but will catch up when I get back. Off to cool Colorado for a few, then on to Kansas (I will wave, Gary). Maria ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 21:59:40 -0800 Subject: [Baren 5024] Re: Baumann & Krieger Joe wrote.... >IF anyone is looking for another great book on a woodblock artist search out >"The Tranquility and the Turbulance The Life and Work of Walter J. Phillips This indeed is a lovely book.... now out of print. Loates Publishing is belly up. You might be interested to know that Bernie Loates is brother to famous Canadian wild life artist Glenn Loates. Bernie was known for tons and I mean tons of limited editions that were sold as fine art original lithographs and other catch phrases that dubed the buyer about reproductions. That part of the business is also belly up. Back to the book.....it was issued at about $125 and has never lost its value at the second hand level. I keep looking for one and have hopes of someone coming to me at my upcoming exihibition at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and asking if I would like a copy. Dream on Scholes dream on....... Cheers, Graham ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 22:35:26 -0800 Subject: [Baren 5025] Re: Baumann & Krieger Gary wrote.... > By the way, Graham, your exhibit will be >alongside Walter Phillips' prints, do you suppose they will have any books >such as "Tranquility and Turbulence" available at the show? Will Roger >Boulet be attending? The book is out of print and very difficult to find secondary market copies. Don't think Roger will be there ..... but one never knows. I have talked to him about the show. He didn't show any interest about four months ago. He lives in Kelowna which is interior BC about 8 hours drive away. >Another question for Graham. Is your Lighthouse Series concluded now that >you are doing the Symphony prints? Still working on the lighthouses..... about a year to finish them off. >I think your Lighthouse Series would make a fine book Yes I probably would.... I have some plans to do this along with a documentary video. Nothing is carved in stone ..... we shall see when I get the project finished. Graham ------------------------------ From: Wanda Robertson Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 23:35:38 -0700 Subject: [Baren 5026] Tranquility & Turbulence If anyone is interested - there are 3 copies of "Tranquility & Turbulence" listed with ABE books. Here's the blurb on them. Pretty steep prices, how bad do you want it? ABE's URL is: http://whipper.abebooks.com/ Enjoy! Wanda 1. Boulet, Roger The Tranquility and the Turbulence M.B. Loates US$100.00 Please contact Schooner Books Ltd. for more information about purchasing this book. 2. BOULET, Roger H. The Tranquility And The Turbulence US$200 Please contact D & E LAKE LTD. (ABAC/ILAB) for more information about purchasing this book. 3. Boulet, Roger H. The Tranquility and The Turbulence US$160.00 Please contact Acadia Art & Rare Books. Est. 1931 for more information about purchasing this book. ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V8 #635 ***************************