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

Baren Digest            Wednesday, 29 September 1999    Volume 08 : Number 722

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From: Gayle Wohlken <blueman@nacs.net>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 09:26:01 -0400
Subject: [Baren 6013] Re: Baren Digest V8 #721 

Julio, I know what you mean by heavy (the Vandercook 2).
I had a Vandercook 4 moved to my cellar and it took four
men (the thing weighs, according to the book that came 
with it,  1,100 pounds.  Bed size is 15" by 24".  

Did you get a book with yours that tells how to care for it?

If not, I could photo copy some of this and mail it to you.
 Let me know off forum and I'll get right to it.

* * *
I've been studying how to do trees at night (for my exchange
print--the moonshadows idea).  This is the hardest part of
the print for me.  Barbara gave me an idea about two shades
of black (a warm and a cool).  Any other ideas?  Also shapes for
night are baffling.  I've been going out and looking at trees at
night to see what they do.  

Gayle

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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 23:41:12 +0900
Subject: [Baren 6014] Events ... 

Events, events ...   You want events?  We got events ...  Only problem
is ... they're all on the same weekend ...

Our New York friends are of course opening their show at the Manhattan
Graphics Center on the 9th.

Meantime, over in Woodstock, at Bailey's Field, Matt Brown is doing
another of his craft shows on the 9th and 10th.

And as a sort of last minute addition, there is going to be a little
'woodblock' get-together on the morning of Friday the 8th.  This will be
at Matt's place in Lyme NH (Send me an off-list request if you need
directions.).  

For a long time I've been interested in meeting Matt and seeing how he 
works, and this will be my chance.  I'll be dropping in to 'visit' with him, 
and we're going to be throwing around a few blocks and barens ...

See you there?

Dave

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@home.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 09:45:54 -0700
Subject: [Baren 6016] Re: Baren Digest V8 #721 

Gayle wrote....
>I've been studying how to do trees at night (for my exchange
>print--the moonshadows idea).  This is the hardest part of
>the print for me.  Barbara gave me an idea about two shades
>of black (a warm and a cool).  Any other ideas?

<Also shapes for night are baffling.

Close your eyes and you will pretty well see what your looking for.

> I've been going out and looking at trees at night to see what they do.

Hummmmm..... Sans the binoculars I hope........
Please when you find out tell us.  But keep it clean eh  ......

Graham

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From: "Gregory D. Valentine" <gvalen@linfield.edu>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 13:44:36 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 6017] Re: Julio's got another press 

Julio wrote;
> it took three guys and a forklift with a boom to get it
>into my car . . .

Is your vehicle now a dedicated mobile platform for
the press, or, how did you get it OUT?   --GV

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From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 16:40:27 -0500
Subject: [Baren 6018] Re: Julio's got another press 

Well Gregory......you  have to remember us Bareners are very creative
people......I might have exagerated the weight of the Vandercook #2 a little bit
(maybe 400 lbs ?)........the guys at the printing place used a forklift to bring
the whole thing (press on base cabinet on top of pallet) down the elevator to
the loading dock. The loading dock is about 4 & 1/2 feet off the ground so they
used a boom to first "drop" the roller assembly into the trunk of my Pontiac
Bonnie.  Then they used the boom again to drop the frame into the trunk besides
the roller.   I am going back for the cabinet at a later date.

When I got home.....it was obvious I was not going to be able to lift these
monsters out of the trunk by myself w/o some creative brainstorming.  I backed
the rear of the car into my garage, positioned an old fashioned large metal
typing desk (the one with the rollers on the legs) next to the trunk and was
able to lift (actually drop!) enough of the frame unto the typing desk to
counter balance the whole thing and then swing the whole thing out of my car w/o
minimun lifting. Then I just rolled the frame into the garage corner to await
the arrival of the base cabinet. With the adrenalin pumping I geared (no pun
intended!) for the task of lifting the heavy roller assembly out of the
trunk....to my surprise it came apart into pieces....left side assembly rollers,
right side and the large roller itself....this was easier than I had
imagined.....

Now the press is waiting for the base.....maybe tomorrow.....for reassembly!

Julio.

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@home.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 15:07:32 -0700
Subject: [Baren 6019] Julio's got another press 

>Julio-- ". . . it took three guys and a forklift with a boom to get it
>into my car . . ."

Ok so where did you put it?.......
On the hood like a hunter carries his trophy?
On the roof like a boat?
In the trunk......

Just how big is this car and what shape is it now!!!!!

Graham

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@home.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 15:25:46 -0700
Subject: [Baren 6020] Re: new book 

Andrea Rich wrote....
>I just recieved an e-mail from an editor of Lark Books.  They are
>publishing a book on relief printing and are interested in using contempory
>art work.  The editor has asked me to pass on this information to baren
>members.

I just received the same announcement directly from Lark Books.

They got the name right.....Lark Books.

Suggesting that there is no fee to participate is an insult to the artist
intelligents.
You get full credit..... well whoopy do......

Sorry guys but, when I dealt with Watson Guptill they paid me to use my work
I got a small royalty on every book published. That is the way it should be.
This outfit is taking advantage and luring artists with the age old ploy of
"you will get exposure".

I have never found exposure particularly tasty served on a plate
nor does the bankmanager deal in this kind of currency.

I have an expression......
IF YOU WANT EXPOSURE..... dress in a top coat and go down to the main
street in your city/town and flash showing amoung other thinks the little
picture up did on you belly.
Tell the papers ahead of time and you will be on the front page.
NOW THAT'S EXPOSURE.......

Graham

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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 08:33:22 +0900
Subject: [Baren 6021] Re: new book 

Graham wrote: 
> This outfit is taking advantage and luring artists with 
> the age old ploy of "you will get exposure".

This morning I received a 'Reply' from the publisher to Graham's
comments (he had sent her a CC of his posting). Although Ms. Smith is
not a member of this forum, I felt her response should be included as
part of this dialogue ...

***

Dear Mr. Scholes,

While I respect your choice to disregard our call for art,
I would ask that you learn more about the nature of our
company and books before accusing us of "taking advantage"
of artists. I have worked on several books here at Lark,
and it has been my experience that there are thousands of
artists who ENJOY contributing to our books FOR THE
EXPOSURE or merely because it demonstrates their support
for the subject matter. While we would love to be able to
pay all of the artists that we choose to include in our
books, the fact of the matter is we don't have the budget
for it. We do pay for images when they are used as
supplements here and there, but it is not possible when we
are talking about an entire gallery. We could do a book on
printmaking that focuses only on the author's creations
and techniques (and it would be much cheaper to produce),
but we choose to use this as an opportunity to showcase
the works of other contemporary artisans as well. You will
find this difficult to believe, but we include gallery
sections in our books because we perceive it as an
opportunity to SUPPORT those artists who are selected and
to increase general interest in the genre which will
ultimately benefit artists, professors, galleries, and
others associated with the subject.

I invite any questions you may have.

With best intentions,

Heather Smith

***

Dave

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@home.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 16:52:41 -0700
Subject: [Baren 6022] Re: new book 

Dear Heather Smith,

Allow my to ask one question.
Do you give your books away free.?

I remind all Bareners that the copyright law protects you and if you go
with this deal??, make sure you do not give any body carte blanche. Get a
signed contract dotting all the i's and crossing the t's.  Above all limit
the number of impressions or books they can use your work for free.....
In this way, when you find out just how much exposure you get, then you can
decide if it is worth giving away the work for a phrase.

I have been published in books and magazines and have only accepted on the
bases of something tangible in return.  As artists you have to assess what
that is and if it will buy a pair of shoes or whatever.

 Remember the street corner suggestion.

Graham

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From: amoss@mindspring.com (John Amoss)
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 21:35:29 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Baren 6023] re: new book 

Graham-
you wrote:
>dress in a top coat and go down to the main street in your city/town and
>flash >showing amoung other thinks the little picture up did on you belly.

Now I know where the clear plastic raincoat rumor got started... guess it works!

- -----

But seriously- You're not the only one here with experience in publishing.

I am familiar with your logic (I think): give them an inch..., an artist
deserves the fruits of his/her labor, etc. I agree in most intrances BUT...
this seems like VERY VERY small potatoes.

Consider:

(1) The title: "Relief Printmaking"- boy, THAT'S sure to shoot up to #1 in
the NY Times best seller list. We could all retire with a bit o' action!

- --------

>Sorry guys but, when I dealt with Watson Guptill they paid me to use my
>work I got a small royalty on every book published.

(2) This seems to be a collection of many different artists rather than
your "Watercolor and How" (a great book by the way) in which you did almost
ALL the work. In the Lark Book's case, how would anyone divide the
customary 4.5% royalties among 100-plus artists?
Would this book become published if artists demanded a flat fee? I really
don't know, but my guess is probably not. As you said, they do not give the
book away. Lark Books hopes to make a profit of course- but this can be a
difficult thing for small publishers to do now-adays with 60% volume
discounts from Barnes & Noble, Borders and the like.

- ---------

>something tangible in return

(3) BUT there IS a tangible result and that is a book promoting the art of
woodblock.


I think that there are precious few ways that people can come together to
promote something bigger than themselves.

My opinions (no fee charged at this time).

- -John Amoss

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From: Vollmer/Yamaguchi <jy6@columbia.edu>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 22:45:45 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Baren 6024] Oops! 

Sorry, the hanga printer who had worked at Pyramid Atlantic in the past was
Akira Kurosaki, not Hiroshi Yoshida! Oops! Not having met either gentleman,
I have trouble keeping the names straight!

Their work is clearer to me than their personalities. Yoshida (and later
his son and grandson) did sensitive landscape scenes. Kurosaki's work is
abstract, with areas of intense color bokashi. Right? Thank you for
straightening the kinks in my memory!

April Vollmer

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From: viscult@mich1.telmex.net.mx
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 23:12:50 -0500
Subject: [Baren 6026] Re: On India prints 

John,
...The Bhavan International Biennal  of Prints is dew in November 1999. 
 the address is: Roopankar, Museum of Fine Arts, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, India 
I don't have any Internet info about it.... 

Did you write o'ready to India to get more info. about the Intl. Graphic show?
Does any one has more information about it?

Best wishes,

juan Guerrero, Mexico

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@home.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 22:11:45 -0700
Subject: [Baren 6027] Re: new book 

John wrote....
>Now I know where the clear plastic raincoat rumor got started... guess it
>works!

Gawd I have been found out......

>(1) The title: "Relief Printmaking"- boy, THAT'S sure to shoot up to #1 in
>the NY Times best seller list. We could all retire with a bit o' action!

Ya you got a point.  I guess I get a little hyper when I see publishers
ducking out of paying us our worth with the all to often exposure ploy.  I
did not comment about the bit about " merely because it
demonstrates their support for the subject matter."  .......  really.
If they pay would that mean support would be not be as prevalent?

>(2) This seems to be a collection of many different artists rather than
>your "Watercolor and How" (a great book by the way) in which you did almost
>ALL the work. In the Lark Book's case, how would anyone divide the
>customary 4.5% royalties among 100-plus artists?

I didn't clearify that my work was used in two books
that had about 25 artists in each, involved that demonstrated each artists
work.
So it is fairly close to the situation that Lark Books are endeavouring.
We got 1.5% royalty fee on the whse price.  Not much but they did honour
the artists worth.

Go cautiously

Graham

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From: "Philip Smith" <smithart@pacifier.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 22:38:26 -0700
Subject: [Baren 6028] Re: new book 

 Graham,.....I've been selling illustrations to publishers for almost 40
years,....payment is the best part of the game,....if one wants to give
their stuff away to a publisher as Heather Smith suggest,...in this case her
company,...she is playing on the artists vanity,...I would suggest a "token"
payment of say $100 per artist for say the reproduction of two photos of
that artist works,...it would cover the artists expenses and some of their
time,....like any other business,...art is a business as well,...if one is
happy sitting in a closet somewhere chopping wood in to minute little
pieces,....then don't take Graham's view,.... give all of your stuff
away,.....after all, this book may not be on the best sellers list as
someone suggested,....but Lark books is in the business of making
money,.....and the more money they can make the better,....Philip

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From: Bella1yopp@aol.com
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 01:37:15 EDT
Subject: [Baren 6029] Fwd: Attn: Lee Green: 2000 Hand Pulled Prints 

Attn 
Baren Members,
I know some of you wanted information on juried shows, here is one I received 
info about.
- -Amanda Yopp
Tucson, AZ

***

HAND-PULLED
PRINTS VIII

STONEMETAL PRESS' EIGHTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION

PARCHMAN-STREMMEL GALLERIES
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
APRIL 2000

CALL FOR ENTRIES

INTRODUCTION
    Stonemetal Press is a non-profit community press establishes to provide 
artists the facilities for creating their own hand-pulled prints.
    Hand-Pulled Prints VIII is a competitive juried show held to support the 
efforts of individuals creating artist produced prints using a wide variety 
of processes. 

December18, 1999 is the deadline for HPP.
JUROR
    Kent Rush is a renowned printmaker who was honored by a retrospective at 
the McNay Art Museum in 1998. Mr. Rush is a currently a professor of 
printmaking at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

MEDIA eligibility and specifications
    All work must by shipped by UPS, Fed Ex, or U.S. Mail. Work shipped from 
outside the U.S. by UPS is subject to custom brokerage charges. These charges 
must be prepaid by the artist.
PRINTS: All prints must be original in design and hand-pulled by the artist. 
Dimensions of framed artwork may not exceed 48" in any direction. Limit of 
three entries per artist. Judging will be by slide only. One slide per print.
    BOOKS: All books must be original in design and hand made and assembled 
by the artist. Collaborative pieces are not eligible. Dimensions may not 
exceed 24" in any direction. Limit of three entries per artist. Judging will 
be by slide only. Two slides per book; one of the cover and one detail of 
sample book.
    Entries in either category must not have been a previous juried show in 
San Antonio, Texas.

CALENDAR
Dec. 18, 1999 Postmark deadline
Jan. 10, 2000 Notification of acceptance
March 2000 Accepted work received
April 2000 Exhibition in conjunction with Printmaking Month in San Antonio

PRESENTATION FOR JUROR

        All slides must be labeled with information that corresponds to that 
given on the entry form. Please refer to the slide example. Slides of 
unaccepted work will be returned if a #10 self-addressed, stamped envelope is 
included with the entry. Utmost care will be taken in handling all submitted 
slide entries however; Stonemetal Press will not be responsible for loss or 
damage to slides.

    Artists selected in the slide jury will be invited to submit actual works 
for the exhibition. Work must be the same work as depicted in slides. Prints 
must be available for exhibition and sale. Information on the shipping of 
artwork will be mailed to those accepted.
    No glass slides will be accepted.
    Slides of accepted artwork will become the property of Stonemetal Press.

SALES
    This competition and exhibition is the major fundraiser for Stonemetal 
Press. Therefore, the sale of prints in the exhibition will be promoted. A 
50% commission will be retained on any work sold from the exhibition. This 
will be shared by Stonemetal Press and the gallery.

AWARDS
    The juror will choose Best of Show, First Place, Second Place and Third 
Place. Honorable Mentions will be awarded at the juror's discretion.    Best 
of Show will receive a cash prize.
    Stonemetal Press will sponsor a Founder's Choice Award. 
    Purchase Prizes will include a "Juror's Choice" and the "Bert Schroeder 
Memorial Purchase Award."
 
CATALOG
    A catalog of the show will be published. Each accepted artist will 
receive a copy of the catalog. Additional copies will be for sale.
HAND-PULLED PRINTS VII catalogs are still available, while supplies last, for 
$5 each.

ENTRY FEES
    The non-refundable entry fees permit each artist to submit up to three 
original prints and/or three original books.
    The fee is: $10 per print entry (limit 3)
                    $10 per book entry (limit3)

ENTRY PROCEDURE. Each entry should include the following:
r A check or money order payable to Stonemetal Press for total of entry fees.
r Completed, signed entry form.
r Self-addressed, stamped business envelope for return of slides.
r Not more than 9 slides total.
Mail to: Stonemetal Press, 1420 S. Alamo # 104, San Antonio, TX 78210

A HISTORY OF THE SHOW
        "Self Portrait at 67"   etching by John Semple
from Hand-Pulled Prints VII

The founders of Stonemetal Press, Le Green and Kathleen Baker Pittman had a 
desire to share their love of prints. This desire resulted in an 
international print competition Hand-Pulled Prints. The current competitions 
will be Stonemetal Press' eighth annual print competition. 
This show focuses national attention on San Antonio as well as reaching an 
ever-increasing local audience. The show has attracted print collectors 
interested in acquiring contemporary prints.
    Charles Heasley, juror of Hand-Pulled Prints II, stated "In this 
exhibition, works from a wide variety of artists and locals, make statements 
which both follow tradition and break rules. Here the traditional syntax of 
the print is contrasted to the current trends in the media."

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End of Baren Digest V8 #722
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