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

Baren Digest              Thursday, 5 August 1999      Volume 08 : Number 650


----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Cucamongie@aol.com
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 09:14:29 EDT
Subject: [Baren 5154] stuff=20

Hi folks - sometimes it takes me a while to get around to checking other 
people's websites as my monitor at home isn't very good, so I try to sneak my 
internet viewing in at work - at any rate, last night I got a chance to look 
at Andy English's work - very cool!  I especially love the hedgehog & the 
penguin.  Lezle, can you post the website address (or send it to me in 
private email) where I can view your work, I seem to have missed that posting.
I have to put in another vote for the more expensive tools, I have a couple 
of non-Japanese tools and I hardly use them anymore - they seem so crude in 
comparison.  I also have some cheaper Japanese tools and some more expensive 
ones, and the expensive ones are soooo much better!  Better to get a few of 
the really good tools & gradually work your way up as you get money together 
- that's what I've done & it's definitely worth it.
best to all,
Sarah

------------------------------

From: Gayle Wohlken <blueman@nacs.net>
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 09:18:10 -0400
Subject: [Baren 5155] Re: Baren Digest V8 #649=20

Greg said:
> Gayle: I spent a night in Kluj, Transylvania, last week, and fortunately did not
> see any of your friends.

Have you checked your neck very carefully? :-)

* * *

Graham, I checked your tools page and find you recommend a v-cutter.
Dave doesn't use one.  So, how do you use yours?

Gayle

------------------------------

From: SylTaylor@aol.com
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 10:15:18 EDT
Subject: [Baren 5156] Re: print-quilt

Bea wrote:
>  What kind of ink?  Black or colors? Abstract or realistic impressions? 
 
Loads of fun!  I definitely want to do more of these.  I used black relief 
(oil) ink. The images are realistic...things like checking the placenta, 
palpating the fetus, expressing breast milk, crowning, and homebirth. A 
couple recipes used by midwives, lots of garlic, and more--14 different 
images.  I've been trying to get some photos. I had no way to hang it 
properly so I had my very accommodating husband stand on a stepstool and hold 
it out in front of him.  I'm afraid all the photos will show a tuft of grey 
hair poking out of the top of the quilt. Back to the drawing board on that 
one.
For most of the images, I also did an edition on paper. 
Well, I'm leaving Northern Ireland tomorrow for America.  Better start 
packing.
Cheers,
Sylvia

------------------------------

From: Gabrielle Gagnon <estampe@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 07:19:16 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 5157] New member

Hi.
I am a new member of Baren and this is my first presence here on the
forum. I started doing woodblock prints when I was in Art school in the
late 70s and have been back to it full time for the last 4 years after
a few years of tapestry. I live near Montreal, Quebec and I am French
speaking. By the way, y a-t-il des membres de Baren qui parlent
Francais? Since I am still not fluent in English, my husband must help
me with the writing.

 I use oil-based printing inks and a press. I have a question regarding
paper. I presently use BFK Rives paper but I find that I lose a lot of
details, specially the grain of the wood when I compare with my trials
on newsprint or masa paper. The masa is interesting, but I find it too
thin.

I have a web site that my son created for me. If interested you can go
and see it at :

http://members.xoom.com/gagn_prints/

Thanks,

Gabrielle Gagnon

------------------------------

From: "Horacio" <horacio@centroin.com.br>
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 11:25:02 -0300
Subject: [Baren 5158] Re: Penny Wise  ???? 

As cutting tools are the subject that excite the Baren forum at the moment,
I ask your permission to tell you, mainly for the beginners, my personal
experience.
Around 1984, I - an amateur printmaker - went to an exhibition in Museu de
Belas Artes do Rio de Janeiro to watch the woodcuts of Mr. Rubem Grilo.
I used to admire his high political and beautiful prints published in the
Brazilian press.
In the museum IÕve got astonished and amazed with the power and quality of
his superb prints. Specially, the way he cut the wood, with so precise
details that people even thought that was not woodcut but end grain wood
engraving. A real virtuoso! I thought in Mozart.
So I approached him and asked what magical tools he use? I had to buy some,
no matter the price! His answer surprised (and disappointed) me:  He used
the same  tools that I used to work with (gauges and knives, a set of 6 or 5
tools priced the equivalent to US$10.00 easily found in the market). He told
me that at the beginning he used to cut the wood with shaving blades.
I joint to one of his workshops and he shown me how to prepare, sharp,
handle the tools and the wood. How to cut with the right (not  too much)
strength, how to understand and respect the wood fibers direction etc. I had
the opportunity to watch him working in his atelier. It is not necessary to
say that my own printmaking jumped in quality (with the same tools) and my
pleasure to make prints increased significantly. After that I begun to
participate of exhibitions.
I will try to resume for the beginners some the lessons that I learnt: [1]
Do not expect that a magical tool will work for you by itself. [2] Do not
upgrade your tool before you get the most of it. [3] If you blame your tool
for your difficulties you will not grow as a printmaker. [4] The print maker
and the tool must be a unique entity like the famous Zen archer. [5] You
must develop a relationship with the tool in such a way that the tool is
part of you, while cutting you don't think about the tool in the same way
you donÕt think about your hand. [6] Finally, when cutting, never be in a
hurry to finish, be patient and calm.
Sorry for this overdose of words. I hope you understand my English and my
point of view.  Hor‡cio, from Rio / Brazil.
<http://www.analisevital.com.br/xilograv.htm>
P.S. Unfortunately, Mr Rubem Grilo doesnÕt have a web page (and I think he
donÕt want to have one). I will ask his permission to include samples of his
work in my page.  Maybe next week.

------------------------------

From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@home.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 07:41:52 -0800
Subject: [Baren 5159] Re: Baren Digest V8 #649

Gayle wrote:
>Graham, I checked your tools page and find you recommend a v-cutter.
>Dave doesn't use one.  So, how do you use yours?

Gayle,
On the page you looked at ---
http://www.members.home.net/gscholes/Materials.html
it is not a recommendation as much as it is just included in the list of
tools available.

I have one size and have used the 5.4 mm on one print.
Go to the Fragility page....I found it useful for the branches.....not the
trunks.....a "to" did that job.
http://www.members.home.net/gscholes/fragility.html
So why would I buy a $64.00 tool just for one print....
Well.......maybe someday I will use it again.....
I just picked up the 1.5 mm size.......
Well.......maybe someday I will use it.


If you go to this site you will see how I rate the tools as to the importance.
This was put together to help Pete with his limited budget.

http://www.members.home.net/gscholes/us-materials.html

Hope this helps.

Graham

ps.
You should know I'm a junky for tools and brushes.  I have lost count.

------------------------------

From: Barbara Mason <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 08:26:35 -0700
Subject: [Baren 5160] Welcome Gabrielle=

Welcome Gabrielle,
My husband and I were in Montreal in May. I wish I could have met you.
You work is wonderful. I also use BKF paper, but have not used it for
woodcut. One of our "master printers" suggested soaking BFK, then
running it through the press, then drying it, then soaking again and
printing. I have not tried this, but I think he was printing with water
based inks. This would definitely change the paper.

We went to le Guilde Graphique and enjoyed all the prints, but I did not
see any woodcuts. Did I overlook your work? You will enjoy the Baren.

Barbara Mason
Portland, Oregon

------------------------------

From: "Jean Eger" <jeaneger@LanMinds.Com>
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 00:57:40 +0900
Subject: [Baren 5161]

Graham,

You know all about my tool sharpening woes.  I am getting better at it, but
it is still frustrating.  I went to Hida to have one particular tool
sharpened and ended up buying a bunch of power grip knives because they were
so cheap.  I do indeed have some fairly expensive Japanese tools (to me, $28
for a knife is expensive).  They are wonderful knives, especially the
gouges.  I can sharpen those all right, especially using the "mud" stone
that Dave pointed out in one of his one point lessons.  The V veiners are
where I need help.  The power grip V-veiners are so cheap, I could use it
and just throw it away and get a new one when it gets dull.

I looked at your excellent sharpening page, but haven't had a chance to try
it yet.  This week I am teaching vacation bible school, so next week, it's
back to the woodblock salt mines.  Today we are making paper.  That will be
a lot of fun.  It is so easy that even the little kids can do it.  And
people at all ages are enchanted with the results.  I got so enthused when I
first learned it that I made a whole bunch of molds and deckles, which have
been sitting in the closet for about 4 years.  I was getting ready to
construct a huge screen and tub when I got sidetracked, thank goodness, to
something else.

Right now I wish I could find someone who would help me set up an
electro-etch setup.  I will probably electrocute myself doing it.  Please
send me an e-mail (jeaneger@lanminds.com) if you know how to do this.
THanks.

Jean Eer
http://users.lanminds.com/~jeaneger

------------------------------

From: amoss@mindspring.com (John Amoss)
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 12:30:01 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Baren 5162] exchange #2 update 

Hello all-
This is an update concerning the recent Baren Exchange #2:

I have finally been able to sit back and relax as most of the exchange packages
have left my hands. As my family and I are moving at the same time, boxes
are my life.
Warning to all participants: if you receive a missing box of boy's
underwear, please tell me! :~)

Despite that, the exchange from my viewpoint was an outstanding success. I
thoroughly enjoyed prying open the boxes as they arrived revealing many
wonderful surprises from both veterans and new members.

As soon as he receives his set, Dave Bull will enlarge the exchange #2 site
to include pages devoted to each print. This will include a scan of each
work along with the artist's comments and other interesting features (who
knows what Dave will come up with next)?

I feel like this exchange will never be really "over". Beyond the giving
and receiving of the prints, the ripples of information and shared
experience will continue indefinitely.

Thanks to all who has and will participate.

- -John "Pac-Man" Amoss

------------------------------

From: "John/Michelle Morrell" <jmorrell@ptialaska.net>
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 10:48:38 -0800
Subject: [Baren 5164] Resingrave, Woodblocks 

Just finished reading 2 weeks of Barens and thought I might add the
following.

Recently was proofing a Resingrave block and being in a hurry, used water
based ink--as the clean up is so much easier--and found that I liked the way
it printed with the water based ink better than the oil.  Also, McClain's is
carrying Resintaglio now, and I ordered some out of curiosity.  The thinness
of the "plates" perplexes me as I feel I should mount it on a backer of some
sort to get it more toward type high, never having done intaglio.  The
option of not doing color reversals, or having what you cut out being what
is dark, is also intriguing, and of course you don't have to got through the
toxic acid bath, sawdust bed misery of normal intaglio printing.
Unfortunatey I am all packed to move next month and will have to wait to
experiment.   Maybe someone else has been playing with these "plates" and
would like to comment.

Also, Arafat, we have found locally that if you very carefully use the
synthetic wall repair compound (spackle) that is available nowadays you can
repair minor mistakes in your end grain blocks.    This beats recarving an
entire block!

Cheers,
Michelle Morrell

------------------------------

From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 08:08:49 +0900
Subject: [Baren 5165] Re: exchange #2 update 

Pack-Man wrote, re Exchange #2
> As soon as he receives his set, Dave Bull will enlarge the exchange #2 site
> to include pages devoted to each print. This will include a scan of each
> work along with the artist's comments ...

I've already received some information from many of the exchange
participants, but not from everyone ...  Any of you who have comments,
explanations, or etc. that you would like to appear on 'your' page in
the Exchange web site section, please send them to me
(davebull@woodblock.com) fairly soon, so that I can add them to the
pages that I am now constructing.

***

Gabrielle wrote:
> I am a new member of Baren and this is my first presence here on the
> forum.

Hello again Gabrielle!  

(Again, because I first met Gabrielle when she dropped by my place here
in Tokyo a while ago ...   Anybody else coming over soon?)

***

Horacio wrote:
> I will try to resume for the beginners some the lessons that I learnt:

Very interesting points Horacio, and ones that rang very true for me.
Although I can't disagree with those who say that good tools are
important, I think that good woodcuts can be made with tools you find
'around the house' - there is _no_ reason to be held back for financial
reasons.

At first go with what you've got, and when you're more experienced,
'move up' to better tools - only then will you understand what you
should be looking for ...

Graham, you said you are a 'tool junkie' but I bet you've got nothing on
Gosho-san, the baren maker (and printmaker) who lives near me here.
Last time I was over at his place, he showed me some of the new
additions to his tool boxes.  Just how many printmaking tools does he
have?  Well with _no exaggeration_ I have to add that one has to turn
sideways and sidle down the hallways in his house, because of all the
boxes of printmaking stuff stacked up everywhere ...

Another 'junkie'?  Yep, and he cheerfully admits it - if it's for
printmaking, he's got to have it!

Dave

------------------------------

From: Gregory Robison <grobison@swiftuganda.com>
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 13:35:10 +0300
Subject: [Baren 5167] Re: New member

Kampala, 5 August 1999

Chere Gabrielle:   Je ne sais pas si nous sommes nombreux, mais la
francophonie est presente!  Bienvenue!

Gregory Robison

------------------------------

From: John Ryrie <j.ryrie@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au>
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 21:29:27 +1000
Subject: [Baren 5168] Re: New member

hi Gabrielle and welcome,
I done know about the paper I have always found BFK to be good for most types
of printing.     A Japanese paper could be better for the work you are doing.
I wasn't going to talk about tools again but I found Horiacio's comets
interesting.  Munakata Shiko used exclusively the cheapest tools that were
available to him as dose one of my teacers who was a close frend of Munakata,
Tate Adams.  Ernest Barlak used a pen knife and the lids of cigar boxes and
Gauguin used something similar.  I my self have become very fussy about tools 
but all my early work was done using cheep tools.  as for the shape and size
that is experience. I have about 15 tools that I use and about 50 that I
don't.  The tools that I use would be the wrong ones for another woodcutter as
theirs would be to me.

John Ryrie

------------------------------

End of Baren Digest V8 #650
***************************