[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Saturday, 15 January 2000 Volume 10 : Number 862 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Cucamongie@aol.com Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:48:57 EST Subject: [Baren 7719] exhibit Hi all, for anyone who's in the NYC area, I have several prints up in a show by the New York Society of Women Artists called "Disappearing Boundaries". The opening is tomorrow, (Saturday) from 3-5 pm, and I'll be sitting in the gallery the following day, Sunday from 2:30 to 6 pm if you want to come by. The address of the gallery is 168 Mercer Street between Houston & Prince, the phone no is 212-219-2210. The show will be up through January 30 - hope to see a few of you in person!- best wishes Sarah ------------------------------ From: "Jandi Goshert" Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 12:02:01 PST Subject: [Baren 7720] Re: Exchange #6 >Andrea said "I like the sacred tree idea. It sounds most appropriate as >a subject for an exchange." I am what you might call a "tree person" and love all the symbolism that is associated with the tree. Just wish we had the sequoia variety here in Pennsylvania! I think it's a fabulous idea! on another note... i'm worried you all think i'm not going to do my share on the dragon exchange since it's getting late! I've got my design all ready to go, i've just been waiting for my *&^#@! press to arrive! It's been on back order for 2 months now and i was hoping to have the dragon print be my first print from the new press! at this rate, it looks like i may be hand rubbing yet again! jandi ------------------------------ From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 16:06:14 -0500 Subject: [Baren 7722] Re: Baren Digest V10 #858 For some reason I missed reading the Baren where John's new baby was announced. I think what may have happened was Shane downloaded it and clicked on it and therefore it didn't show as new. Anyway, I found it today and want to congratulate John. It's nice seeing someone have a boy. It seems everyone I know and have known for the past several years have had nothing but girls. Nothing wrong with that, but I was starting to worry that those girls wouldn't have any boyfriends when they got to the right age. Sacred trees sound wonderful. I would love to do one. Gayle ------------------------------ From: Wanda Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:16:11 -0800 Subject: [Baren 7723] Re: 10 people 10 colors Gayle (& everyone else who is having these same thoughts) I take it to mean something like our 'Merican: "One man's meat is another man's poison" and I think your hypothetical tree thing would be right up the right tree. :-) I have liked a lot of the images people have suggested - Dave's apartment - all the same spaces occupied by very diverse people. And the reflected images in water (who's was that?) But I still haven't settled on an image either. Perhaps we should take it over to BA5 & do some brainstorming? Wanda ------------------------------ From: Jack Reisland Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 23:24:56 -1000 Subject: [Baren 7724] Re: Exchange #6 Jandi Goshert wrote: >i'm worried you all think i'm not going to do my share > on the dragon exchange since it's getting late! Don't worry, take your time. I think you should wait for your press. Then I might not be the last one to get mine out. I'm still struggling with the carving, and learning lots of things that don't work. Jack ------------------------------ From: Gary Luedtke Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:48:17 -0500 Subject: [Baren 7725] big'un Maria! Terrific job on the megaprint, sure looked like fun. Got an idea for your next one. Place two shallow ink wells just in front of the papered block and when you drive up and over, it'll print a nice tire track border on it. You might even get a sponsor to help fund your print, like Michelin, or Goodyear. The possibilities are endless! Nice job on the web-page too. Darn, you are talented! Caesar's Palace, here you come! Gary ------------------------------ From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:03:58 -0600 Subject: [Baren 7726] Kento cut ? Graham: very nice photo work, a picture is worth a thousand words...six are worth....... One question, what are the crossing lines outside of your kento cut ? They seem to run the length and witdh of the block..... I don't see these lines in traditional japanese woodblocks. Is it related to a special technique ? Does it have to do with the "triangular" cuts on the paper that John Amoss and other boot campers have in their prints? I guess that's three questions. Wanda: I use the kento register exclusively and follow close to what Graham photos show but use only two tools. I don't have the japanese tools yet (soon! nobody here at home read my Xmas letter to Santa) but instead I use a sharp carpenters paring chisel (blade looks just like the hangi-to blade) and an exacto knife. After carefully transferring the kento cut lines from the drawing unto the block I use the paring chisel (blade is about 3/4" wide & beveled) and a wood mallet to cut the perpendicular cuts. Is important to lineup the chisel on the line accurately and give it a good blow to drive the blade 2-3 mm. When these two perpendicular cuts are done I cut a little channel parallel to the kento cuts with the exacto knife about 1-2mm away on the inside to relieve pressure. Then again with the exacto knife I cut under the channel to release the sliver of wood trapped between the kento cut & the channel. The final step I do is just clearing away of wood to the inside of the kento to allow the paper to settle easily into the corner. The kento is part of my drawing and is the first thing I cut. If I screw that up somehow, I don't bother fixing it, I just reposition the drawing on the block and cut a new set of kento lines to the inside of the old bad ones before continuing with the transfer of the main image (has only happened once). If you are having problems with the actual cutting steps....maybe just take an old block and try cutting about a dozen kentos on it....after that you will be a pro....to me with my background it's a lot like hand-cutting a mortise for receiving door hinges. Never had a problem with this part of the process....however other things like correct softening of the paper, too much water on the print and correct amount of pigment/paste saturation of the paper are things that still elude me. Good luck. Julio ------------------------------ From: Maria Arango Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:11:56 -0800 Subject: [Baren 7727] Aussie special Here's one for you Aussies, in case you haven't heard: > Jan 28, 2000 *NEW* CALL FOR AUSTRALIAN PRINT AND DRAWING ARTISTS for > the Swan Hill National Print and Drawing Acquisitive Awards. $10,000 > in awards. For more information please contact: Swan Hill Regional Art > Gallery, Horseshoe Bend, Swan Hill VIC 3585, Australia OR 03-5032-9744 > OR 03-5032-1133(FAX) OR artgal@swanhill.vic.gov.au > Get on it!!! ------------------------------ From: Studio Dalwood Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:10:48 +1100 Subject: [Baren 7728] Monsters Maria congratulations. I enjoyed the show but have a few questions. Did you make one pass per print with the car, or did you make several to cover the entire surface area with tyres? What sequence of layers did you use to set up the print? I can see you started with carpet. I wondered if you put the paper down first with block on top, ink face down? Please elaborate exact sequence and orientation. I'm not clear on your comments about bits of wood to stop you slipping off the block? Did you 'ramp' the car on and off the block? "Beneath my dignity? I'm so short, that would have to be underground!" Did you know I am vertically challenged too and from the photos you and I could pass for sisters? David said " Think big!" You mean this print isnt big enough already David? LOL Josephine ------------------------------ From: Studio Dalwood Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:13:27 +1100 Subject: [Baren 7729] Sacred Trees Julio said "I think this a very appropriate theme for a print exchange. For what month are you planning your exhibit and what kind of a deadline are you looking at ? Is this separate from your dragon card exhibit ? Some bareners might want to know how open the theme is....do we have to interpret an actual "sacred tree" story/legend or can we interpret "sacred tree" as we see it .... Also print/image size could be important to some..... Good idea!" Thanks Julio The exhibition is in November and is my first major solo show. For details see the 'current' project page on Studio Dalwood. Its to be held at Project gallery in Wollongong, my home town. The gallery is a contemporary arts gallery affiliated with Wollongong's regional gallery and university arts dept. The webpage link for Project Gallery is also on Print Australia. Wollonging uni has a strong printmaking dept but I have never worked there as I was in the accounting dept as both student and staff. I have been working on the project for a year now and have a lot of work already. But I still get very nervous about the approaching deadline, especially since its now 'this year' not next. I think September would be a good deadline for me as I have to arrange framing and display. The dragon exhibition I will do if I get the sixty beasts I hope to receive and can persuade the local uni to let me display them. They have a printmaking dept I think though I have never been there as it is two hours away. More on that later when I know more. I eventually want to bind these into two books and if ready in time will include them in my show, along with the #5 exchange box. For my show I have several clusters of work and some pieces which are developed on paper and which simply need making. As for how open the theme is, I think as open as you would like. ie a tree with sacred connotations. The theme is only the seed and why restrict it to just stories I find, that would be silly. It is however very important to me that this reflect cultural and religious diversity and not just bible stories. To stick to one religious text would defeat the purpose which is to demonstate that trees have been sacred since primitive times and in all cultures at one time or another. I just wish they still were, I find it very upsetting to see them and the forests disappear day by day, bit by bit. As for size. I found oban very difficult as I usually work with less rectangular shapes. I have made a series of 30cm square bleed prints which I am going to grid on the wall. I would like to grid the trees too. But shape and size is up to the group. John R said "Kaye Green, Tasmanian print maker did a 1999 calendar called Sacred Trees. It has a linocut for each month with a biblical quote, such as Proverbs 27:18 "They who tend a fig tree will eat its fruit." JR I saw the adds for this and wanted a copy very much. I didnt buy one as I was worried it might influence the originality of my ideas either consciously or unconsciously. I would love to have one. I even thought of buying one and then not opening it, but I am not that strong. Josephine ------------------------------ From: Studio Dalwood Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 11:14:51 +1100 Subject: [Baren 7730] Printing babies and barens Michael, the ball bearing baren looks interesting. I am so impressed that my technical assistant has now got a new job when next he comes to visit ;-) We'll see how he goes following your instructions. He just loves jobs like this. You should see my papermaking mould and deckle he made. There is a spelling error re cork on the first image. Josephine ------------------------------ From: Maria Arango Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:44:42 -0800 Subject: [Baren 7731] Re: Monster Questions > Did you make one pass per print with the car, or did you make several > to cover the entire surface area with tyres? 1. We made many passes for each print, using only one tire as the "press" (who taught you Aussies how to spell tire? :-) Probably about 10-12 passes, each time back and forth, across the length of the "sandwich." 2. Carpet on top of asphalt, smooth concrete might have worked better, but there are some limits to this type (or is it tipe?, see now I'm confused) of enterprise. Second on the layer was the block itself, 3/4" plywood, inked side up, then the paper or cloth, then the tympan of fiberboard. When I explained that we used carpet as tympan, we just set the poor block right on the ground, then cloth, then carpet tympan. I'm not sure about the orientation question, but I can guess that all birch plywood is heterosexual. No, really, we ran the car lengthwise to the block. 3. Yes, basically we used wood slats placed parallel to the short sides of the block as ramps of sorts. When we practiced on a smaller block, the tire slipped off the end of the block/paper/tympan sandwich once, resulting in a blurred print. To prevent this, we placed those strips of wood, so if the tire slipped coming on or off the block, it would do so off the extra piece of wood, not off the block itself, and would not disturb the tympan/paper/block assembly. Basically, you approach the task as a regular print, except everything is bigger. Little/big problems arise, like how to dampen the paper, how to lay the cloth down without it sagging in the middle, where the dickens to set the prints out to dry. Let alone, how to frame and display the beasts. Well worth the effort, though. Gary, Great idea about the tire-prints frame! We also thought about initially putting snow-chains on the truck, giving the background a "tire/chain print texture." In fact we have so many stupid ideas that we may just keep one of these going all our lives. What say, Daryl? Health to all, Maria ------------------------------ From: Vollmer/Yamaguchi Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 23:06:58 -0500 (EST) Subject: [Baren 7732] I like my kento-nomi! >I want to try Graham's To and Aisuki though - why not? Bea It's just that if you already have a chisel/kento-nomiI, it's easier to get an even line for your kento registration! If you don't want to spend the money, you could practice getting an even line with the to and aisuki combo, but why make things hard for yourself? I like my kento-nomi! (In spite of Graham's very nice description of how to get along without one!) The LA get-together sounds great....sorry to miss it, but I have some other stuff to do. I'll make it to visit Bea and Jack sometime! And Graham's workshop this summer sounds great. A wonderful opportunity, and even more fun the second go around. Seems like it's growing! I will be teaching a few east coast workshops this summer for those poor souls who can't make the big B.C. get-together. I'll post a link later this month. To avoid dissent, I will not detail the digital show I have coming up at Silicon Gallery this February (I took time out from hanga to make some Iris prints!) But I will have a group of my hanga prints on exhibit. Anybody who is in the New York area should come by to visit! "Graphic Language" a 3-person print show February 28 to April 9 (with one week closure 3/27-4/3) Reception Thursday, March 2, 6-8pm Marymount Manhattan Gallery 221 East 71st Street, New York, NY 10021 212-517-0692 Michael, love your ball bearing baren description! Very interesting, though I think I still prefer to hire someone handier than I to put it together! (especially considering your Note:" Very seldom, the first baren you make fits your needs. It might be necessary to experiment a while to find the best baren for you." No kidding!!!!) Thank you Jack and Wanda for the translation help, I did enjoy the remaining bits of german language, my favorite being the empty glass of joghurt! (yogurt) Thank you! Loved Maria's monster baby, though John's is probably cuter. Congrats to all. April Vollmer ------------------------------ From: "Kevin Foley" Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 23:31:28 -0500 Subject: [Baren 7733] Hello Greetings, My name is Kevin Foley and I am writing from Alexandria Virginia. I recently viewed an exhibit of Yoshida Hiroshi's (?) woodblock prints of India and Southeast Asian themes. I was thoroughly amazed at the depth and subtle gradations of color that could be produced from a relief printing process. I searched the web for information on the process -- naturally I found this group and the Encyclopedia. I've been reading the encyclopedia and postings to the group and have decided that this is something I have to try myself. I have wood, paper, pointy metal objects, pigment and paste. This weekend, into the fray! Thanks David, for creating this site and thanks to all who contribute. Learning opportunities like this are really the web at its very best. Kevin ------------------------------ From: "Bea Gold" Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 20:52:46 -0800 Subject: [Baren 7734] Re: Monster Questions Ah Maria, You and Daryl did do it! Congratulations. Looking forward to seeing you soon. Bea ------------------------------ From: B Mason Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 20:59:36 -0800 Subject: [Baren 7735] Weekend printing Welcome Kevin and good luck printing this weekend. If you have trouble, ask questions. many on this list will come to your aid, they are wonderful. Barbara ------------------------------ From: "John Ryrie" Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 17:57:25 +1100 Subject: [Baren 7736] new member Welcome Kevin Maria the Swan Hill show has already been chosen. My prints were selected but then I found out that they wanted them to arrive framed. The cost of sending them from hear is not worth it so, I dropped out. The servey idea sounds good Daniel, were would the info be putt? Jeanne N. one good thing about the internet is that you can lie. re: age, weight ........ ether Jack or Jandi ( lost track of emails) said something about Dragons being late. The Chinese new year is in mid February there's plenty of time. Michael I'll be making a ball Baren thank you for the info. I have an exhibition opening on the 5th of February at the Mildura Art Center. Mildura is a regional town about eight hours drive from Melbourne. The exhibition is called Old and New Dreams which is a reference to the band of that name for members into Jazz. It has painting,sculpture, some other prints but mostly woodcuts. I expect to see all Baren members at the opening. John ------------------------------ From: Jack Reisland Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 09:37:03 -1000 Subject: [Baren 7737] Re: I like my kento-nomi! Vollmer/Yamaguchi wrote: >Thank you Jack and Wanda for the > translation help... No translation, I just helped to clarify one or two words. Michael's English is - -much-better than my German. He did an excellent job on this article, it will be a valuable addition to the Baren encyclopedia. Jack ------------------------------ From: "Philip Smith" Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 00:17:43 -0800 Subject: [Baren 7738] Re: happy day Welcome to the planet RM!!! I truly hope you'll enjoy your visit. Earth is not a bad place once you get used to it. Lets do lunch!!! Philip ------------------------------ From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 05:00:44 -0600 Subject: [Baren 7739] re: New members A few more dragons have arrived and after the customary cool-off quarantine period have now joined the others in the backyard. Thank you Sylvia Taylor, Jean Eger, Arafat AL-Naim, Gayle Wohlken and Queen Mariah for the cards. http://www.skokienet.org/bandits/jcrstuff/dragons.html (the page is taking a while to load due to the number of pics, music and the applet code now running, anywhere between 30 seconds to 1.5 minutes....but I think it's worth the wait to see the 18 dragons now floating around...read your emails while you wait!....heard from one member that could not open the page at all, in this case a Mac is involved. The JVM (Java Virtual Machine) that runs in top of the OS in the Macs is probably the most sensitive and poorly written of any in all the platforms Java can run under (Windows, Unix, etc...) thus I was not surprised that a Mac was involved....) my five year old Toshiba 440cdx laptop with W95 has no problems running the code. I am working on another simpler page to display the beasties....stay tuned) Hello Kevin.....welcome to Baren.....enjoy and look around....but most of all... CUT! PRINT! Julio ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V10 #862 ****************************