[Baren] the mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking Baren Digest Saturday, 12 August 2000 Volume 12 : Number1111 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Cucamongie@aol.com Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 09:31:06 EDT Subject: [Baren 10907] Playing Thanks for your wonderful post about "playing" etc, Gayle, it's advice certainly well taken! I've been "playing" lately, taking a momentary break from the labor-intensiveness of wood and doing a lot of quick sketches. I think it's important to remind ourselves what makes us want to do art in the first place :) best wishes all, Sarah ------------------------------ From: John and Jan Telfer Date: Fri, 11 Aug 00 23:12:21 -0000 Subject: [Baren 10908] Re: Highlighting the woodgrain Dan, Barbara P and Blouin Danielle, I have used a wire brush to accent the grain...it works like a charm. The brushes are available from the local harware store. Practise on a spare piece first. What is Aqua Kolor? I have never seen it or heard of it before. My Baren Exchange #7 The Comedy of Life is ready for printing tomorrow. I have illustrated my grandmother's story on how she and her sister stole "Great Grandfather's Whisky" to catch some birds....the story will reveal itself very very soon!!! I cut the block too big for this Chu-ban size so have taped part of it off and will print it as a bleed print so that I don't have to cut the block down and will reprint a small edition using the full size block later. Today I also collected my framed "Sacred Tree" for Josephine's exhibition in Australia and it looks fantastic...(even if I have to tell you myself....I have no one else here to contradict me, yet!!). I printed the block on a larger size paper, approximately A3 and wrote my bible quote (Genesis 2) around the edge of it in calligraphed Half Uncial lettering...the same lettering that is used for the Book of Kells. After it is exhibited at our Calligraphers' Guild Annual Exhibition at the WA Art Gallery (Perth) in October I am sending it over to Josephine's exhibition. It is just another way of extending woodblock prints, but nothing new. Several of my current woodblock print series have been on Exhibition in Sydney in New South Wales, Australia at Government House. The woodblock is carved using an interlinking linear design using ideas put forward for the design of a new Australian flag and like Somerset Studio Magazine (for those in Florida, USA) where they feature a section on people's sample cards using "Just one stamp" I have done the same with "Just one Woodblock" A3 size. There are several unique states... different sections are painted in watercolour or gouache with our old and new national anthems or appropriate "things" written on the top in gouache lettering. I'd love to scan them in to show you but at the moment I am having trouble with that technology and sooner or later the scanner itself may become the newest UFO!! It's not beach weather "down under" at 13o but the Uni heated pool keeps me fit, Philip. Jan ------------------------------ From: "Jeanne Norman Chase" Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 11:10:19 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10909] Yellow halo on prints This is from an "oily" printmaker. After I run my prints, using oil paint a faint yellow halo creeps around the print. Very distracting. I am used to painting on canvas and so I never had that problem. But now that I am doing prints this is happening. What kind of oil, burnt plate oil, linseed oil, whatever .do you use to thin your paint out to a nice consistency without causing the halo???? Jeanne N. ------------------------------ From: "Rudolf Stalder" Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 11:04:05 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10910] riddle What is this ? http://www.rst-art.com/pinotsle.htm a) A baren for extreme thin paper b) Something to keep a tea pot warm c) Somebody having a dream Answer http://www.rst-art.com/pinotbas.htm Rudolf (http://www.rst-art.com) ------------------------------ From: Artsmadis@aol.com Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 11:37:12 EDT Subject: [Baren 10911] Re: Yellow halo on prints In a message dated 8/11/00 10:10:28 AM Central Daylight Time, studiojnc@prodigy.net writes: <> For etching ink you use burnt plate oil, I believe also for block print ink. If you are using tube oil paints you might have to remove some of the oil on blotting paper before using, as commercial paints almost always have too much oil. I think burnt plate oil does not creep out into the paper like that. Excess oil, especially linseed oil, eventually rots the paper and makes it brittle, not to mention the discoloration. Darrell .................. Arts Madis http://members.aol.com/artsmadis/index.htm.htm 70 pages so far .................... ------------------------------ From: "Jeanne Norman Chase" Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 12:36:07 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10912] Re: Yellow halo on prints Darrell I have been using Winsor Newton painting medium, it says "non yellowing" so thought it was safe. Also am using Rembrandt Relief Paint. I use #00 burnt plate oil for etching so maybe that is what I should use for the woodblocks too. Just trying to use up all of my paints for painting on canvas. I did use some of the oil paint and did notice severe halo effect on the paper so put away my canvas painting oils for awhile. I will use the burnt plate oil, also have a heavy plate oil. ??? Jeanne Thanks Darrell ------------------------------ From: Artsmadis@aol.com Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 14:27:33 EDT Subject: [Baren 10913] Re: Yellow halo on prints In a message dated 8/11/00 11:35:52 AM Central Daylight Time, studiojnc@prodigy.net writes: << I will use the burnt plate oil, also have a heavy plate oil. ??? >> I guess heavy or light is ok. I think it's probably a mistake to add too much oil to print ink. It thins it, makes it less dense and dark. I've never seen an explanation of the way heavy or light burnt oil added to ink affect it's properties, have to just experiment to see if you like the results, I suppose. I know adding oil makes the ink looser and easier to wipe in etching. Darrell ................... Arts Madis http://members.aol.com/artsmadis/index.htm.htm 70 pages so far .................... ------------------------------ From: "Jeanne Norman Chase" Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 16:34:28 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10914] Re: Highlighting the woodgrain Jan She is now printing the "Humor In Life" for portfolio # 7. I like that, not going to be a late one!!!! Look forward to seeing it. I think the first one in, should win some kind of a prize!!! Jeanne and Dan Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum your # 7 coordinators. ------------------------------ From: Blouin Danielle Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 17:33:55 -0500 Subject: [Baren 10916] Re: Yellow halo on prints Dear Jeanne, it's mostly because your paper is too tin to receive this oily charge, one of the way to remedy to it, its to use a blotter and let stand your oil colour on it during the night so the next morning you just pick your colour and all the oil will be drunk by the blotter or an old telephone book. If it's too tick after this, I use the Daniel Smith Flash oil 470, which make your colour extended but not oily, this product is evaporating before it dry on the copy. Danielle (sorry for my english...) ------------------------------ From: "Daniel L. Dew" Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 18:39:23 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10917] #7 print Boy, how do you print a hundred ideas? I have been proofing the image I want to use for this exchange, that's why all the questions about ink and wood raising. Gave up on the wood raising, guess I shouldn't use Poplar, no grain at all! As for the Aqua Kolor, am going to give it another shot tonight. No press, baren only. Might try the brush technique, sounds like fun although the fellow at the art store didn't have a clue what I was talking about. For all those in the Sacred Tree thingy, I am going to print about 50 or more for this exchange. Oh yeah, my image is going to be a reduction block, 3 to 5 colors on Poplar. Image is ,well, I promise it will bring a smile to your face and allow me to stay in my genre (is that right?) Oh well, off to the printing room (my kitchen counter) hot and sticky in Tampa Tweedle Dee (I ain't gonna be the other one) ------------------------------ From: "Daniel L. Dew" Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 18:46:31 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10918] shoot, darn, drats, boo hoo ignore most of my previous post, just dawned on me to check the dimensions of this exchange and my reduction is too big!!! :-( Oh well, back to the drawing board. I'll just use one of the other ideas. dan dew ------------------------------ From: Lynita Shimizu Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 20:22:00 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10919] Web Page Through the combined efforts of two of my three sons, I now have a web page. If you are interested, the URL is: http://homepage.mac.com/mokuhanga/woodblock/index.html Hope you enjoy it. Lynita ------------------------------ From: Artsmadis@aol.com Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 20:37:28 EDT Subject: [Baren 10920] Re: Web Page << Through the combined efforts of two of my three sons, I now have a web page. If you are interested, the URL is: http://homepage.mac.com/mokuhanga/woodblock/index.html Hope you enjoy it. Lynita >> Really nice. It is easy to see that the world of nature is important to you. I believe I like Common Grackles and Cheung Chau Island the best. Charming pictures. Darrell ------------------------------ From: "john ryrie" Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 15:01:39 +1000 Subject: [Baren 10923] blow torch This talk of blow torches reminds me of some experiments that I was doing as a student in 1982. I had been doing photographic lino cuts and thought I could fined a way of doing a photographic wood cut. What I did was to screen print the photo onto the wood using fire proof paint, (the type you paint pot belly stoves with) then berne the un-coated parts with a blow torch. It didn't work, no mater how much many coats of the stuff I printed on it was not thick enough to protect the wood from the flame. Maybe NASA have come up with something since that would work better. One of the many Baren members who are also rocket scientists could maybe let me know. Otherwise this could go into the Encyclopaedia section on woodcut techniques to avoid. John Q: why did the kangaroo cross the road. A: the chicken was on her lunch brake. http://www.geocities.com/laddertree ------------------------------ From: Shireen Holman Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 21:56:56 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10925] Re: Yellow halo on prints >whatever .do you use to thin your paint out to a nice consistency without >causing the halo???? Jeanne, The problem may be because of using oil paint and oil. If you use printing ink and don't use any oil, you shouldn't have that problem. I think oil paints have much more oil in them than printing ink, and although the inks are oil based, they are not 'oily'. Shireen *********************************************** Shireen Holman, Printmaker and Book Artist email: shireenh@earthlink.net http://home.earthlink.net/~shireenh/ *********************************************** ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 18:36:57 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10926] Re: Web Page >http://homepage.mac.com/mokuhanga/woodblock/index.html >Hope you enjoy it. > Lynita, Your work is 1st rate. The use of texture woodgrain reminds me of Kiyoshi Saito who uses wood patterns as well as many other textures. Also his design and abstract approach is masterful as is yours. After seeing his work and finding out a bit about him I sure admire him. The exhibition at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria was fabulous. I would be interesting to know who your idols or influences are. Are you doing hanga or oil base and press work.? Regards Graham ------------------------------ From: slinder@mediaone.net Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 23:38:00 -0500 Subject: [Baren 10928] Re: Web Page Lynita, What a wonderful webpage! NOW I understand how you are able to relate that special quality in your bird images! What an assistant! Beautiful prints, and a great visual explanation of woodblock printing! Sharen Lynita Shimizu wrote: > > Through the combined efforts of two of my three sons, I now have a web > page. If you are interested, the URL is: > http://homepage.mac.com/mokuhanga/woodblock/index.html > Hope you enjoy it. > > Lynita ------------------------------ From: Wanda Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 21:50:06 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10929] Re: blow torch john ryrie wrote: > Maybe NASA have come up with something since that would work better. > One of the many Baren members who are also rocket scientists could maybe let > me know. Not a rocket scientist - but: I tried the blow torch method on a recent woodcut. I think it was moderately successful. When I showed the print to a fellow printmaker, and described the method I used (covering the parts I didn't want torched with a metal plumbing tape - which had flammable glue underneath!) he said to go to a pottery/ceramic store in our area ("Georgie's" in Portland, Oregon, USA) & tell them I needed a heat masking material used in pottery & ceramics work. Worth a try - he says it works really well. Haven't tried it yet - but I will. I really like the grain of the wood to show, especially in black & white oil prints. Wanda ------------------------------ From: "John and Michelle Morrell" Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 21:29:54 -0800 Subject: [Baren 10931] Sitting in a Retail Establishment with Very Few Customers B Mason wrote: >I seem to be a person of major over-committment, which cuts into my art >time in a big way. I am constantly behind in my creating and today I was >sitting in the gallery in Portland with only 7 people in six hours Barbara-- This is so reminiscent to me of when my father was dying and I was doing co-op duty and trying to carve out a wood engraving that I had suddenly lost all taste for. Sometimes it's better not to force yourselt to create. Still, even now that I am "out working" and have so little time for the studio, at night I have dreams of painting something new and fantastic that inspires all the delightful feelings I had when my daughter was born and one of my husbands co-workers sent me a bouquet and I became suddenly aware of how wonderous cut flowers were, especially baby's breath. I don't really have any comments for you except to say that now is probably not a good time for you to set your priorities, and I am sorry for your loss. <^><^><^><^><^><^> Michelle Morrell jmmorrell@gci.net <^><^><^><^><^><^> ------------------------------ From: Lynita Shimizu Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 08:17:21 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10932] Re: Web Page Whew! I'm so relieved my kids knew what they were doing in making that web page. Now if they could just teach their mom how to do it. Thanks for your kind comments. To answer a few questions, the prints are not all recent ones but actually cover a span of about 20 years. The common factor in selecting the prints was that they could fit into our scanner in one swoop. The bigger prints are still in drawers or on the walls. Graham and Wanda, Kiyoshi Saito is my absolute favorite artist. I saw two of his shows in Tokyo in the early 80's and whenever I'm stuck for inspiration, go back and pour over two worn catalogs from those shows. (You two are sharp!) I used "Seaswirl", a douglas fir plywood from McClains, for the woodgrain in many prints (such as the chickens) but for environmental reasons, that wood is no longer being harvested. Lauan plywood is useful for an even, straight-grained texture. In the cow print, I used lauan for the woodgrain in the posts and beams... cutting two blocks, not for different colors, but for different grain directions. And Graham, I'm totally a mokuhanga person. During college years I concentrated on acrylics and watercolor ... didn't like printmaking at all then as we had to stay up all night if we wanted to use the press. I still enjoy doing watercolors but like the feeling of control and the closeness to materials that one gets with hanga. Dan, I don't think I'm ready to sell on-line yet. At this point I'm working to keep up with local demand. After a show and whenever possible, I like to drag my customers to my house to pick up their prints so I can show them how its done. Now I'm preparing for a two-county "Open Studio Weekends" that is held annually in late autumn. Maybe when the third son heads off to college ... Sharen, My bird assistant was a baby blue jay I rescued from the road one summer. In that photo I'm holding the knife in a rather strange way to avoid getting a feathered texture in the print. Sorry to ramble on so much about myself. Thanks for your kind support! Lynita http://homepage.mac.com/mokuhanga/woodblock/index.html ------------------------------ From: "Jeanne Norman Chase" Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 08:44:24 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10934] Re: Yellow halo on prints Danielle Thanks for the advice re; the yellow halo on my prints. I will try the Flash oil 470 but if I lay out the oil colors on blotter paper or the phone book, won't the oil paint have a thick skin on it by the next morning? Jeanne N. ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V12 #1111 *****************************