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

Baren Digest                Monday, 3 April 2000        Volume 11 : Number 958

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From: Cucamongie@aol.com
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 09:45:38 EDT
Subject: [Baren 9114] thank you 

Thank you Maria and all involved in putting together the Baren suji 
newsletter, it looks great, I'll have to wait til Monday to be able to view 
the html version, but the text was certainly more than interesting enough!  
Also thank you Julio for taking on the mammoth task of the Skokie show- what 
do you think, folks, should we start referring to these two as Saint Maria & 
Saint Julio?
Meanwhile, I'm learning a lot at the class that April & I are taking from 
Yasu Shibata (a master printer at Tyler Graphics), some new hint, tips and 
ways of doing things etc  and Bea, as for your tale of printing woe last 
week, believe me I have many similar tales -- I think I was a little 
disillusioned when this first happened to me as the instructors I've studied 
with (which include our wonderful barener April) make it look like it's so 
easy!  I think it just takes practice and continuing to study and get 
feedback, there is so much information on the technical end with hanga, it 
takes a while to get it together, particularly with printing (balancing the 
moisture of the block, moisture of the brush, moisture of the paper, holding 
of the baren & amount of pressure to use, etcetcetc.!
back to work now,
best wishes
Sarah

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From: Vollmer/Yamaguchi <jy6@columbia.edu>
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 13:39:34 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Baren 9115] Baren Sushi 

Baren Sushi: Raw fish sandwiched between two printing discs? Yum!

Thank you Maria! Great to have so much useful information in one place!
Looks much better on line than what I got in the mail with no formatting.

Dave, I guess having a deadline gets people thinking about completing a
contribution worthy of the encyclopedia! Your contribution is very helpful,
with great clear pictures. It is a great teaching resource, I'll definitely
be sending people here!

I mentioned I am taking a moku hanga class from Yasu Shibata at Cooper
Union here in New York. I am so glad to have an experienced hanga printer
working in New York, for so many years no one knew this technique. Interest
is growing for sure. I will miss Yasu's demonstration of mica printing
(because I'll be teaching a weekend workshop at Kala Institue), so I was
happy to be able to refer to Dave's clear description in the encyclopedia.
I believe Yasu uses paste instead of gum arabic, do you think this makes
much difference?

Bea's Baren-suji article is great, hope to make one of those  LA meetings
sometime. And the interviews, overviews and book reviews, with all those
pictures, very nice. I appreciate the opportunities, too, I sent away for
the LAPS right away. And I am glad to have a place to let people know about
the workshops I'm giving.

My personal favorite was Jack's contribution, though, very nicely written.
All the work we do making these things, how easy it is to forget to take
care of them. Jack, can you tell me the perfect alternative to plastic bags
for print storage? I have been slipping completed prints into archival
clear plastic bags to keep them clean and organized. Your article reminded
me that this will trap damaging humidity. Wrap them in glassine? is
glassine archival?

And let me not forget to thank Julio, got your nice announcement of the
Skokie Library show in the mail two days ago. Congratulations and thanks!

April Vollmer

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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Mon, 03 Apr 2000 07:57:54 +0900
Subject: [Baren 9117] Re: Mica printing ... 

April wrote:
> ... demonstration of mica printing ...
> I was
> happy to be able to refer to Dave's clear description in the encyclopedia.
> I believe Yasu uses paste instead of gum arabic, do you think this makes
> much difference?

Not sure what to say ... I would be a bit afraid of the simple paste
being a bit 'weaker', and maybe leading to more loss of mica down the
road.  It is common in the old prints to see large patches where the
mica has disappeared ...  

Try a test, April - do one with each kind of adhesive, and then set them
aside for fifty years to see which sticks best.

Let me know what you find!

Dave

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From: "Philip Smith" <smithart@pacifier.com>
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 18:11:50 -0700
Subject: [Baren 9118] Barbara's Intaglio 

Barbara,.....I just did an experiment to make sure that I wasn't talking 
through my hat about the masonite intaglio,.....works fine,...send me 
your PO Box # in Portland at SmithArt@Pacifier.com and I will send this 
off tomorrow,.....it's a real nothing but it might help you!!!      
Philip

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From: Arye Saar <saar1@degania-b.org.il>
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 06:55:58 +0200
Subject: [Baren 9119] Baren-Suji 

To Maria for your Herculean editing work,
To John Amos for a beautiful "Masthead" design,
And all the Baren members who gave hand and talent
to the "BAREN SUJI" first edition, and of course to Dave
who made it possible.
Are there words unsaid already? Thank you, and wish you 
the will and strength to go on and make our day many
more times.
Arye

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From: Cucamongie@aol.com
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 08:58:32 EDT
Subject: [Baren 9120] exhibit at Metropolitan Museum 

Hi all, I went to see the big show of Japanese art yesterday at the 
Metropolitan Musuem, some really gorgeous stuff there, well worth seeing for 
anyone in NYC or passing through.  Not many woodblocks, but the ones they 
have are a beautiful selection of about 6 Hiroshiges, must have been 
well-preserved as the colors are quite deep, so wonderful to see those sharp 
lines, beautiful bokashis, and those funny little people full of character in 
those prints!  I enjoyed seeing a lot of other things in the show too -- 
there were these miniature scrolls painted on silk that were quite long but 
only about 5 inches high, gorgeous pictures with gradations that were so 
lovely, they very gradually bled out to each end of the scroll.  Of course 
they didn't have postcards of some of my favorite stuff in the show.  They 
did have a catalog but I didn't even look at it since I can't buy it right 
now! ($50 for paperback, more for the hard cover).  Anyway, surely an 
enjoyable visit, and there are also some awesome Walker Evans photos up in 
the photos & prints section.
best wishes
Sarah

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End of Baren Digest V11 #958
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