[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Thursday, 2 September 1999 Volume 08 : Number 686 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Cucamongie@aol.com Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 09:44:02 EDT Subject: [Baren 5553] kento markings, etc Thanks Dave and others for the advice on dealing w/a small margin and the kento, well timed, as I'm dealing w/that situation right now -- I'll give these tips a try- as for the paper from Hiromi Paper, I'm trying some test proofs w/one of the kozo papers, which is quite reasonably priced at about $8 per sheet, and seems to be printing well, in a manner similar to the paper Nishinouchi, for those who are familiar w/that paper. Best wishes, Sarah ------------------------------ From: Ruth Leaf Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 08:14:32 -0700 Subject: [Baren 5554] Re: Baren Digest V8 #685 Has anyone heard of the artist Maseraal, I think that's how it's spelled. He did some books with no words only woodcuts. Very german expressionist. I saw one of the books years ago and would love to see more of them. Ruth ------------------------------ From: Bea Gold Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 09:39:40 -0700 Subject: [Baren 5555] Re: Baren Digest V8 #685 Ruth - It's Frans Masereel, I have two wonderful story books without words by him - one called Mein Stunden Buch with 165 woodblock prints and another called Die Idee with 83 prints. There is a preface in German by Thomas Mann and saying that the works are of the man and a quote by Walt Whitman " Belold! I do not give lectures, or a little charity: When I give, I give myself." I tried to find them on the internet with no luck. But you can come and see, anytime. Bea ------------------------------ From: Wanda Robertson Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 09:56:02 -0700 Subject: [Baren 5556] Re: kento markings, etc I, too, was glad for the hints about keeping ink off the margins of the paper - I tend to get a little carried away with the baren. Sarah, you had mentioned the nichi-nouchi paper to me in private & said that it was hard to get used to printing on it. Could you talk some more about that? I've been looking at my samples from McClain's and wondering about some of those wonderful papers to add to my stash. The paper I got from Graham is wonderful, but I am really intimidated to print with it! It's not "fear of white" but "fear of ruining"! Wanda ------------------------------ From: Wanda Robertson Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 10:04:44 -0700 Subject: [Baren 5557] Re:Books & Masereel Should have read *all* my mail before posting! Ah well - Yes, Ruth, I have a copy of one of those books: "Passionate Journey" a novel in 165 Woodcuts. Fascinating, how he manages to convey love, lonliness, curiosity and all emotions of humans in those simply cut black & white woodcuts. I think there's another one, but can't remember the name of it right now. Just checked the mail - Bea, does one book translate to " My Ideas" and the other to "My Study Book"? My translation skills are pretty creative, as can be attested by Maria. :-) Mine is translated to English Wanda ------------------------------ From: arafat alnaim Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 12:05:49 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Baren 5558] Re: Baren Digest V8 #685 Dear Ruth, I hope this information about Frans Masereel could be useful http://www.iisg.nl/exhibitions/art/maserleven.html Arafat ------------------------------ From: arafat alnaim Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 12:18:40 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Baren 5559] Re: Baren Digest V8 #685 Dear Ruth, again here are another nice links to some things about the Belgian artist Frans Masereel hope you enjoy them http://www.iisg.nl/exhibitions/art/maserleven.html http://graphicwitness.org/historic/fm.htm and here what he wrote on art http://graphicwitness.org/historic/fm3.htm http://www.art-ww1.com/trame/093text.html http://graphicwitness.org/historic/masereel.htm Arafat Al-naim P.s. I have alot of information about this artist I would be pleased to help you in any thing cocerening this. ------------------------------ From: Jack Reisland Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 11:03:32 +0000 Subject: [Baren 5562] Re: shark skin Graham, I received your sample of shark skin the other day (thank you) and have had some time to compare. Under my microscope, it is easy to tell why the sample you sent works much better than the skins that I have gotten here. The scales on yours are a little larger, but are very pointed, with sharp edges, while the scales on mine are rather round. I guess that the size of the shark does not correspond to the size of the scale. I would like to see, under magnification, one of your skins after it no longer works properly, to see what causes the failure. I have another piece in the freezer, and I will look at it carefully before I bother to complete the smell task of cleaning it. I was able to find Dave's pictures of the brush hairs, and can tell what the brush should look like (in theory), but until I actually have some experience -using- a properly prepared brush, I will not say that I know how it is -supposed- to work. Jack ------------------------------ From: Bea Gold Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 14:53:45 -0700 Subject: [Baren 5563] Re: Baren Digest V8 #685 Thankyou Arafat! Loved seeing the sites - I had looked before and found some I think he was my greatest influence besides Utamaro. Bea ------------------------------ From: Gary Luedtke Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 17:53:23 -0400 Subject: [Baren 5564] Re: shark skin Jack, After your mention of the sharkskin I looked at mine with a loop and assume it may be the same as yours. I got it in Hawaii several years ago. It appears like tiny gray diamond shape "scales" or hairs cut extremely short on a dark brown background, so that to stroke it one way with the hand produces no resistance, while going the other way produces only a barely noticeable resistance. Kind of has the feel of fine wet/dry sandpaper with a lot of grit gone. I too couldn't see how it would trim brush hairs off, must not be the right kind of shark. Or it came from the wrong place on the body of one. Or you really have to grind the brush into it. Are these actual "scales" or something more akin to fine and dense hair follicles, which grow out in a backward direction on the shark? I couldn't get a side view of the skin to tell. Maybe with a microscope you can get a better shot. Just curious. Gary ------------------------------ From: Jack Reisland Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 12:50:15 +0000 Subject: [Baren 5565] Re: shark skin Yes, that is the same as mine. These seem to be the kind of shark that is commercially fished here. I have a large piece of the skin that wrapped all the way from the top to the bottom of the shark, and it all looks the same under magnification. Those are indeed scales, and on Graham's shark skin, are very much more scale like, with sharp points all on one end. It sort of works if you grind it enough but it is, basically, just the wrong stuff. Perhaps I will, with my father-in-law's language skills, pursue Dave's source in Japan for the right skins and see what I find. Jack ------------------------------ From: Bea Gold Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 15:54:17 -0700 Subject: [Baren 5566] Re:Books & Masereel Wanda, My husband says that Mein Stunden Buch means a diary. Tell me about "Passionate Journey" , please. Bea ------------------------------ From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 18:23:32 -0500 Subject: [Baren 5567] Re: what's going on ? Does anyone knows of any exhibitions coming up that are looking for print entries ? There does not seem to be much info being passed around about this type of resources on Baren....usually we hear about it after someone enters it and sells a print or wins a prize.... Just wandering if anyone knows of anything coming up..... Thanks..... ------------------------------ From: Gary Luedtke Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 20:34:41 -0400 Subject: [Baren 5568] Re: what's going on ? charset=ISO-8859-1 Julio wrote that there isn't much pre-exhibit notification on Baren. What about a "Bulletin Board" feature on Baren that would cover that sort of thing? Could also include upcoming classes either Graham or April or anyone else may be giving. Could also include Baren members exhibit notices, or notices of other exhibits that might be of interest to the group which its diverse members might discover in their corners of the world. Could also be a "for sale or trade" section if members order too much paper or other items which they'd like to offer to other members. It could have it's own page which any member could submit items to or simply go to to see at a glance, without a separate posting to all Baren members. Anyone else think that's an idea? Gary ------------------------------ From: John Ryrie Date: Thu, 02 Sep 1999 10:54:12 +1000 Subject: [Baren 5569] Re:Masereel Dear Ruth I have some of the novels in woodcut they are Story Without Words The Idea The Sun (Redstone press-London) The City.(Dover NY) Landscapes and Visions (Schocken Books NY) A Passionate Journey (Dover London) and Das Werk (Zweitausendeins Germany) I also have the Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde illustrated by Masereel (Journyman London/Concord, Mass) and a big book titled Frans Masereel with hundreds of his woodcuts as well as some paintings and lithos. It is printed by (Thames and Hudson- London. ) Jan I won't be able to get to Freemantle my self, I have seen some of your work on the web is there anywhere in Melbourne that represents you? John Ryrie ------------------------------ From: Barbara Mason Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 18:00:52 -0700 Subject: [Baren 5570] Re: what's going on ? Gary, This is a great idea, but will it be a lot of extra work for Dave? Can we do it without taking any of his time? Barbara ------------------------------ From: Jack Reisland Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 16:07:29 +0000 Subject: [Baren 5571] Re: what's going on ? I too like this idea, it would divide up input into Baren in much the same way that After Five did, so that a person can more easily go to a specific section for the information that they are looking for. I also worry that Dave may not have the time to set up such a bulletin board system, he's got am awful lot of candles burning, or is it plates spinning, or...what's the right expression? Jack ------------------------------ From: Wanda Robertson Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 19:21:54 -0700 Subject: [Baren 5573] Re:Books & Masereel Wow! Sounds like John has a whole library of Masereel books. Do you like his work John? :-) Bea, Bookfinders has 3 book stores that have first editions of "Passionate Journey" at a hefty price of $75. each. Mine is just a paperback version that I found at our super book store- Powell's - for $7.95. It truly is a story told only in woodcuts with a 10 page intro by Thomas Mann. The woodcuts start off with the hero of the story taking a train ride to the big city - and it goes on from there through all kinds of situations and countries & winds up with him passing on in the woods & becoming a skeleton under a tree. I'm sure it is rife with all kinds of symbolism of which I am totally ignorant. I'm sure someone on this forum can decipher the symbolism much better. The woodcuts are almost crude in their simplicity - but convey emotions so well. Very strong composition, excellent balance of black & white. I particularly like his self-portrait in the front of this little book. Please tell your husband thanks for the translation! By the way, I love your woodcut of him on your new web page! I just finished a black & white of my husband yesterday. Told him I was going to turn him into a work of art. Heeheee! Sorry about the book, folks. Wanda ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V8 #686 ***************************