[Baren} the mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking Baren Digest Monday, 3 July 2000 Volume 11 : Number1064 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Graham Scholes Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 09:05:57 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10274] Re: Maria 1000 >Cut and print, my good friends, I only have 945 to go! Have I missed something here....? Cut and Print.....Only 945 to go ! What about create.....? Have you really set an objective to do 1000 different images or are you just foolin' around? Graham ------------------------------ From: B Mason Date: Sun, 02 Jul 2000 09:01:50 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10275] Acrylic ink Rudolf, I think an artist could use acrylic ink, you could use a retarder, which would be already present in screen printing ink to keep the screens from filling in. The info on the monotypes is primarily written for working with school children using damp paper. As the ink is usually dry by the time it is printed when you have 30 kids doing it at once, you need a rewetting ink. I would think you would have to work fairly quickly with acrylics as they do dry fast. You are getting great results, but think it is because the screen ink does have that retarder in it. I was specifically refering to the acrylic tube paint. Can you elaborate a bit about how you get the ink onto the plate. Are you rolling it with one large roller? what are you cleaning the plate with, water? Are you printing by hand or with a press? Sorry to be so nosy, but I always want to know how everyone does everything. I love the prints but I love the processes just as much! Barbara M ------------------------------ From: Wanda Date: Sun, 02 Jul 2000 10:06:26 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10276] Re: Maria 1000 <200007020609.PAA20736@ml.asahi-net.or.jp> <200007021504.AAA06508@ml.asahi-net.or.jp> Graham Scholes wrote: > Have you really set an objective to do 1000 different images >or are you just foolin' around? > > Graham Don't worry, Graham. Maria lives & breathes creativity. I'll bet she _dreams_ about her next woodblock. I have never seen so much energy bundled up into one person. Nope, she's not just foolin' around. She may have trouble keeping that wood from catching on fire as she's carving *so* fast. Go Maria, go! Wanda ------------------------------ From: "Maria Arango" Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 10:24:46 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10277] Re: Maria 1000 Graham wrote: > Have you really set an objective to do 1000 different images or are > you just foolin' around? And Dave asked: >What's your ETA at #1000, Maria, and will I live long enough to see it? Yes, Graham, I have set an objective to do 1000 original different images, no foolin' around here. As far as creating...as I mentally work on a new image, which happens daily and constantly on a parallel with everything else I'm doing, I can always think of a half-dozen variations and alternatives to embark on. Once I was carving in the studio and I stopped and drew something on another block, then I went back to carving but on the way to my bench I stopped and added a few words to an idea being born on my sketchbook. Then I went back to carving. Unbeknownst to me, my husband was watching and he just shook his head and said: "how many of those things are you going to make?" I responded: "I will start with a thousand, then see what happens." The crazy goal was thus born. And to Dave, yes, sirree, I'm borrowing your quest concept, your drive to complete a long project has been paramount in inspiring my own and I will forever grateful. But as I am much too scatterbrained to meticulously work the way you do; I will instead work the way I do: fast and furious. Some of my work that has been appreciated the most have been those pieces that were born in my head in an instant, carved during a long drive (with someone else doing the driving!), and printed freshly the minute I stepped back in my studio. When I start thinking too much, I seem to ruin the images. ETA? I'm thinkin' one at a time, but I have averaged about 2/week. Some weeks I come up with 12 ideas, slap myself silly, then in the next couple of weeks work on 5 or 6 at a time. Of course life takes over sometimes and the dogs MUST be walked 4 times a week (they keep a calendar). Some weeks I just sketch, hike, clean the house and mow the lawn. So, check back in 10 years and I predict I will be on the tail end of this thousand and the beginning of my next. Now before anyone starts making hurtful comments again about sausage factories, think of this: this is the way I work, always have done things fast, always have done things with nearly uncontrolled energy and with all my heart and soul. I'm a dive-in-head-first-then-swim-to-the-end-of-the-lake kind of a gal--never you mind how wide the lake...or how cold the water. And I will make 1,000 woodcuts, rest assured, and everyone in this forum will be alive to see the 1,000th print--as I said, Lord willin' and the creeks don't rise. Health to all, Maria (guess I better get in the studio!) <><><><><><><><><><><><> Maria Arango, Printmaker Las Vegas Nevada USA http://www.printmakingstudio.com maria@mariarango.com <><><><><><><><><><><><> ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 12:19:52 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10279] Re: Maria 1000 Maria wrote: >(guess I better get in the studio!) Well I guess with a 1000 ...... or is the 945 to do..... I wonder..... can you get 'quality' and 'quantity' with such a huge objective? I wish you lots of energy..... luck..... and good health Graham Your project does beg the question ... why? (like Mount Everest...... because it's there)? ------------------------------ From: B Mason Date: Sun, 02 Jul 2000 12:45:25 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10280] 945 to go Graham, What is the difference setting a ten year goal to do 1000 prints and setting a goal to do all those light houses? Both take committment. Maria is printing and cutting faster as her images are pretty much one or two colors and printed in oil on a press, using the color of different papers as support. Hanga on the other hand takes days and days to print one print. They are different and hard to compare because of the differences but nevertheless grouped together because of their similarities, the wood and the carving. Also Maria is working small on many of them. I don't think quantity over quality is at issue here, Maria's work is already excellent and after 945 more prints it will be fabulous and we will be standing in line to get them. Maria, I admire your dedication and know how hard it is to make a living selling prints for $25-50 each at art fairs. It may take 20 years to do your 1000 because you might find that as your name is more well known you can command more for your work and won't have to work quite so hard. You may do larger works and sell them in other places as art fairs get pretty tiring. I have vowed to never do another one, unless I weaken! I wish I was as goal oriented, many days I find myself forcing myself to go to the studio and then wondering why it was so hard to get out there when I have such a good time when I finally do. I have pondered this for a long time and have no real answers. Partly I think I am never satisfied and so am a bit frustrated with my work. I have so many committment in my life, all important and none I readily want to give up. It is just the way it is, like red hair and blue eyes. I am always hitting myself for not being more committed and giving my work more consistent time to develop. Maybe in my next life! We are rooting for you. Are you going to do a yearly print as a subscription? Maybe each time you hit 100 prints? That would be a good idea, you could make it extra special and those who got all 10 would have a very nice portfolio, even if it takes 10 or 20 years to get them! We will all be toddeling to the mail boxes with our walkers cheering each other on! What a great group this is! Barbara M ------------------------------ From: Studio Dalwood Date: Mon, 03 Jul 2000 10:56:47 +1000 Subject: [Baren 10281] Woodblocks to look at & stuff Hi all I have been doing some long overdue site maintenance and have just uploaded some images from the 100 woodblocks by Salvatore Zofrea exhibition which was discussed a few weeks ago. Plus we have to ask ourselves just _what_ is Gayle doing in the bath? http://www.acay.com.au/~severn/snapshot.htm I have discovered a free download 30 day demo of Dreamweaver2 plus a series of useful programs and utilities to download at http://www.alkahf.com/cav's_library/cave's_library_03.htm thanks Josephine ------------------------------ From: Aqua4tis@aol.com Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 21:59:41 EDT Subject: [Baren 10282] Re: Updates maria or anyone i just bought some birch plywood and thought id try to varnish it before cutting what kind of varnish is best? am i doing this right? varnish BEFORE cutting? thanks georga ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 20:01:54 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10283] Re: 945 to go >Graham, >What is the difference setting a ten year goal to do 1000 prints and >setting a goal to do all those light houses? Both take committment. As I said it is like Mount Everest.... Having experienced the commitment of the lights has had wonderful rewards and it is the reason I wished Marie.... "energy..... luck..... and good health" I started the project with all of the above at age 61...... When I was asked why, the answer was ...... "recording history with imagery and a medium that had never been done before" I never realized that doing so would have had such rewards. I hope that Maria benefits equally from her project. My question still stands...... Why? It is an honest and sincere question that I would like to hear from Maria and her thoughts. I'm sure that the soul searching Maria has done would motivate others here on the list. Regards Graham ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 21:22:29 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10284] Re: Updates >what kind of varnish is best? am i doing this right? varnish >BEFORE cutting? >thanks >georga There is no need to varnish birch plywood.... Having said that I assume that you are doing Hanga technique. The varnish thingie is a recommendation I made quiet some time ago when using Shina or Basswood. This material is so much softer than say ..... Cherry and certainly Birch so therefore they do not need the add strength that varnish affords. The type of varnish is a marine product called Spar Varnish. Cut it 50% with a good quality solvent before you carve and them again after the carving is complete. If you have very small lines and fine detail the varnish will help to strengthen and support the detail when inking with water base pigments. Have fun Graham ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 21:39:11 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10285] The 1000 question.... Well now there you go..... I just received your posting Maria re the 1000 project..... I looked in on your web page and there it explained all.... No need to go any further with this thread as it anwsers my first question "Have I missed something here....?" Graham ps. Shaw cable is not very good at times and mail is delayed and some times it can take two or three days to final get the postings. Then they often come in again the next day. ------------------------------ From: "Maria Arango" Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 21:13:04 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10286] why ..Barbara said: >I wish I was as goal oriented, many days I find myself forcing myself to >go to the studio and then wondering why it was so hard to get out there ...Graham asked: >My question still stands...... Why? >It is an honest and sincere question that I would like to hear from I had to ponder on this, because verbalizing concrete reasons for doing something that is so "gut" is difficult. Two of the reasons to the question: "why?" lie in Barbara's comments. To have a goal is one reason, to stay focused on a single objective and complete something worthy of doing. You really have to know me better than you do; yes, I am energetic, but with that comes a bit of loss of control, a lack of focus, a tendency to want to do it all. I plead guilty to all the above, but knowing myself well, I knew that I needed a single objective to focus my fledgling art career. The other reason is in her last sentence, "never satisfied..." I am also a tough self-critic, brutal sometimes, certainly tougher than any school critique, professor analysis, or peer review. I beat myself up constantly (it's in the Catholic character), which is really the only way that I make myself improve in any endeavor. If I come up with a decent print, I critique the image; if I come up with a good image, I point out to myself that I should have done a better job printing it. And so on. How to get better? Practice--making 1,000 sounds like good practice. Other reasons? The challenge of it all (will I make it?); the fact that I have at least a thousand images running through my head and making my brain hurt; the fact that I enjoy carving a block of wood and printing it so much that I want to do it, not a thousand, but a million times; the wonderful and compelling sense of commitment (yes, Graham, you were a model for this too) that comes with making a promise; the need to do something outrageous to silence those who shook their heads when I took up art "for a living"; the excitement of the project itself, counting down until the last, only to begin again; the fact that there may be no tomorrow, as my father found out one day crippled by a stroke. More reasons? If you go to the webpages and read through some of the quotes that drive and motivate me, you will find more. As for people wanting to climb Mt. Everest, I suppose there must also be a thousand different reasons why folks do it, everyone different. I want to make 1,000 prints _because I can_. Many artists before me have had productive careers of *quality* work (Picasso, O'Keefe, Durer, Dali...probably 1,000 others...). Not that I am comparing myself to these renowned folk, but they have shown that it is possible to do quality in quantity. Would Durer have made _better_ engravings had he made a tenth of his production? Time tells all. Maria <><><><><><><><><><><><> Maria Arango, Printmaker Las Vegas Nevada USA http://www.1000woodcuts.com quest1000woodcuts@hotmail.com <><><><><><><><><><><><> ------------------------------ From: Aqua4tis@aol.com Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 03:08:50 EDT Subject: [Baren 10287] Re: Updates gscholes@home.com writes: > There is no need to varnish birch plywood.... > Having said that I assume that you are doing Hanga technique graham actually im still an oily person although i think i might try hanga soon does that make a difference? if i do the oily technique do i need the varnish? thank you georga ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Mon, 03 Jul 2000 19:39:36 +0900 Subject: [Baren 10288] More exchanges ... This mail came in earlier today. Can anybody help this lady? She's not on [Baren], so you will have to write to her directly: Missi > Around 1960 I bought some graphic arts from a gallery that > sold though a > catalog that came in the mail. I believe the organization > was located in New York City. In any case, one of my most > favorite graphic pieces ever was lost in 1970: I left NYC > to get married and left it with a friend. While I was > gone, my friend died and all of her belongings - including > my graphic - were scattered to the winds. Do you know the > name of an organization that sold graphics by mail in the > 1950s? I would love to contact them and see if I can find > the name of the artist that created the work I still miss > to this day. (The artist was an Afro-American and the work > was a bold woodcut in oranges, reds and blacks of a boy > holding a rooster. If I knew the artist's name, I might > be able to locate the work in question.) Thank you for any > help you can give me. Thirty years later I still remember > that wonderful woodcut.... *** In other news ... I had a visit this afternoon from a hanga hobbyist who lives nearby. He brought folders full of his prints to show me, a couple of which are up at: http://woodblock.com/temporary/hagiwara01.jpg http://woodblock.com/temporary/hagiwara02.jpg He also showed me something very interesting - a recent exchange folio that he participated in. He is a member of a 'hanga ko-kan kai' (woodblock print exchange group) that runs a couple of exchanges each year, and has a once a year 'get-together' at a hotel up in the mountains. The folder had 90 prints in it - that was the size of this most recent exchange. Each person had to make an edition of 90 prints in order to be able to participate. The prints were all B5 in size (about western 'octavo' size), and were a wild mix of easy and difficult, beginner and pro, pretty much just like our own exchanges here on [Baren]. It is a very interesting folio, and I'm sorry that I'm not able to spend the time scanning the whole thing in for your perusal ... I asked him about these Japanese exchanges, and he said that he is a member of two such groups, and had heard of quite a few more around the country. He isn't on-line, but is retiring from his work next spring, and intends to put up a web site at that time. He also speaks English pretty well, so maybe will be able to get involved with our activities a bit ... Dave ------------------------------ From: "pwalls1234" Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 06:58:23 -0500 Subject: [Baren 10289] why of course Maria, very good! Knowing oneself well enough to be able to set up a condition that facilitates creativity is a wonderful thing. Many cannot see through the wall they have created to see their true self. Many of us are also seeking focus and direction and each has their own medicine, your being a thousand times stronger than anothers. Happy Printing :-) Checked out the web-site and it is looking quite nice. pete - -baton rouge- ------------------------------ From: John and Jan Telfer Date: Mon, 3 Jul 00 21:14:12 -0000 Subject: [Baren 10290] Re: Baren-Suji "Baren Digest" Maria, Thank you for another very informative edition and extension to Baren. I enjoyed the articles and have printed it out, too. I will try and find a copy of "Evolving Techniques in Japanese Woodblock Prints" by Gaston Petit and Amado Arboleda. If the state library doesn't have a copy I'll have to hunt around for one...it sounds like something that I am interested in, Barbara (M). Print Conservation, Jack concerns us all and often we are not aware of the consequences until it is too late. Thank you. Regards, Jan ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V11 #1064 *****************************