Baren Digest Saturday, 19 August 2000 Volume 12 : Number 1118 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 10:00:09 -0400 Subject: [Baren 11012] Re: Baren Digest V12 #1117 Carving fine lines Dave, thanks for showing us your first attempts. I'd say you started out a pretty good carver, and I want to ask--is it the cherry wood that makes those small lines easier to do, because I never, ever can do those small lines, no matter how long I've been cutting wood. I do use poplar, and once Graham mentioned that poplar makes a fuzzier line. Personally, I think I'm not that great a carver because I'm not methodical at all. I have my ways that seem to be my ways and it shows in all my art. So I plan designs that don't require thin lines and it works for me. But, I was just curious because even though you mentioned the carving in your first attempts was uneven and chunky (or however you said it), it looked better than most of what I could do with fine lines. Gayle ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 10:05:05 -0700 Subject: [Baren 11013] Re: Baren Digest V12 #1117 Carving fine lines Gayle wrote..... >is it the cherry wood that >makes those small lines easier to do, because I never, ever can do those >small lines, no matter how long I've been cutting wood. Cherry affords those beautiful fine lines. Basswood is not dense enough and so the lines, if you do manage to achieve them will only break down in the burnishing process. >Personally, I think I'm not that great a carver because I'm not >methodical at all. I have my ways that seem to be my ways and it shows >in all my art. So I plan designs that don't require thin lines and >it works for me. I always encourage creativity over skill and craft. Creativity is a quality we are born with and the other is, well .... I liken it to skin deep ..... ability (I think I am in deep dodo now). The skill/craft is important and takes years to learn however, the creative nature of a person comes from deep inside and is that which makes the 'near greats' .... GREAT artist. As I think about it (that in itself is a revelation) ...... I know of many great artists...... I quite honestly can't think of a great crafts person that is remembered as the likes of Picasso Matisse and so many others. . Can anybody? Skill/craft is a learned process and the creative nature is that which we are born with and makes what you and I do distinctly different. Bottom line .... if you carve or print in what you think is rough and or crude, then so be it. This is a quality that will play an important role in your work and will be your signature. Let me repeat that "be your signature" Your little spider is a prime example of this http://members.home.net/woodblocks/images/pGayle.jpg The roughness, use of colours and design made that little print a winner. CREATE/cut/print Graham If you try to fail, and succeed, which one have you acomplished ?! ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 10:15:04 -0700 Subject: [Baren 11014] Re: print on ebay >Anyway, if you're interested in having a look you can go to then >click on the ebay icon and it will take you to an ebay page which >lists the items which North Shore has on auction. >best wishes >Sarah Hi. Here is a tip..... When you offer a url it is important to include the following in front of the site name "http://" Yours reads...... www.nsal.org and cannot be double clicked thereby taking the reader to the site. Stats say that most will not bother to fill in the rest and go to have a look. With the http you can see the difference...... http://www.nsal.org Try it you'll like it. Graham ------------------------------ From: "Bill H. Ritchie, Jr" Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 11:15:11 -0700 Subject: [Baren 11016] Re: Baren Digest V12 #1117 Carving fine lines charset="iso-8859-1" Graham makes sense. Graham may have in his library an old favorite book, "The Unknown Craftsman" by Yanagi. The point of his book (it's mostly about ceramic arts and crafts) is that the unknown craftsman--those potters who cranked out cups and bowls as fast as they could, for piecework wages) happened, in the process, to create ceramics that are now in the world's leading museums. For what it's worth. To me, it translates approximately to "no mind" about what a person does. On the other hand, that's how it WAS, before radio, TV, Recorded music, and other attractions that we live with in the modern world of media. I like this particular attraction (this computer linked to Graham and Gayle's dialog) because I can show off my literacy. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-baren@ml.asahi-net.or.jp [mailto:owner-baren@ml.asahi-net.or.jp]On Behalf Of Graham Scholes Sent: Friday, August 18, 2000 10:05 AM To: baren@ml.asahi-net.or.jp Subject: [Baren 11013] Re: Baren Digest V12 #1117 Carving fine lines Gayle wrote..... >is it the cherry w.... and Graham wrote: >Cherry affords those beautiful fine lines. . . . The skill/craft is important and takes years to learn however, the creative nature of a person comes from deep inside and is that which makes the 'near greats' .... GREAT artist. ....... Skill/craft is a learned process and the creative nature is that which we are born with and makes what you and I do distinctly different. ------------------------------ From: "Michelle D. Hudson" Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 14:23:44 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [Baren 11017] Dogs in trucks (From Ray H in Vermont) Sarah--what a terrific image of the dogs in the pickup! Brought back fond memories of the dirt roads at Unalaska, Alaska, where nobody and nothing was quite as important as any old dog in the back of a pickup. Dave--your work, from its beginning, is inspiring. Thanks so much for showing us these earlier works. Ray ------------------------------ From: Mike Lyon Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 17:10:30 -0500 Subject: [Baren 11019] Re: Baren Digest V12 #1117 Yes, of course, same techniques as for photocopies (dry toner) -- I use Lacquer Thinner dampened blotter paper -- sorry -- on your press bed (you can use a spoon, too, but it's not as easy, and you'll need the slowest evaporating lacquer thinner you can find) you place your wood (or whatever porous media is going to accept the image), then toner side (image side) facing the wood, you put your laser printed copy (tape it if necessary, but the thinner will dissolve the adhesive into the wood), and then on top you put the blotter paper dampened with thinner -- damp, NOT shiny! -- and then the blankets, and run it through the press -- remove every layer immediately, before the thinner evaporates (or your copy will be stuck to your wood), and there you have it -- perfect transfer (mirror image)... Mike Lyon At 10:00 PM 08/18/2000 +0900, you wrote: >Can you transfer images from a laser printed copy to a board for >cutting? Or does it have to be an inkjet copy? > >Gayle mikelyon@mlyon.com http://www.mlyon.com ------------------------------ From: Cucamongie@aol.com Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 18:34:09 EDT Subject: [Baren 11021] Hank the cowdog Thanks folks for the nice feedback on the "3 Dogs in a Truck" print, the colors are a lot more bright "in person" - by the way, I'm not making $ off this auction, it's all going to North Shore Animal League - I think they do a lot of positive work for animals. Sharen, I'm going to check out Hank the Cowdog, he looks wonderful! best wishes all, Sarah Cucamongie@aol.com Sharen said: < I hope that you've read them (...aloud to a third grader)!>> ------------------------------ From: ArtfulCarol@aol.com Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 21:15:33 EDT Subject: [Baren 11023] Woodblock Presentation I did it. Last Monday I gave an explanation and demo of woodblock at Chautauqua Instutite in NW New York State. Although I have given several slide exhibits of watercolors, this was a first for me. For about 45 minutes I presented the basic information, showing the wood at different stages of cutting, demonstrating some cutting techniques, and examples of prints at different stages. There were about 20 people standing around the long table and they were intrigued by the whole process. These were quite knowledgeable people about art, some had info about woodblock, but mostly they weren't aware of the process They asked good questions and I was able to answer them . I got excellent feedback and it was a wonderful experience. Organization, organization, organization and enthusiasm, or should I say bravado.. I told them about you Baren folks and gave them the web address .I hope they will log on and enjoy. ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2000 14:11:04 +0900 Subject: [Baren 11027] Re: Carving fine lines Gayle wrote: > So I plan designs that don't require thin lines and it > works for me. But, I was just curious because even though you mentioned > the carving in your first attempts was uneven and chunky (or however you > said it), it looked better than most of what I could do with fine lines. There's not much I can add here. Each of us chooses (or should choose!) the path that most suits our desires and abilities. I get a kick out of carving that delicate stuff, but if it's not your thing, then please don't lose any sleep over it! > ... thanks for showing us your first attempts. Thanks to all those who mentioned enjoying that new section of my website. It's pretty self-centered stuff, but if you can stand it, part two ('Where I'm Going') is now ready: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~xs3d-bull/where Dave ------------------------------ From: Kris Alder Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 23:17:43 -0600 Subject: [Baren 11028] Re: Transfer Georga and all, I know others have given you sources for wintergreen oil. Since I brought it up I thought I'd let you know where I have purchased it. Locally we have a kitchen/gourmet cooking shop which sells wintergreen oil in a 16 oz. and a quart bottle for $8 and $12. I would think that you'd be able to find a similar shop in your location. I've also purchased a small and somewhat pricey bottle at a health food store. You might also try a restaurant/food supply business. My mother used to work in the catering business and was able to get all sorts of oils and flavorings from her supplier. I've also used Lacquer Thinner for transfers, but it is also absorbed through the skin as well as having toxic fumes, so I have tried to stear away from using it much. Interesting to hear that there has been some discussion regarding toxicity issues and wintergreen oil. I'll have to check that out. During presentations and interviews this spring for a new printmaking professor at USU, one of the candidates, Koichi Yamamoto (who actually ended up getting the position), showed several _very large_ block prints ( some about 3 feet by 4 feet) which he had carved on an industrial pvc plastic which is used for making signs. I have been trying to remember the name of the product. Has anyone ever tried this type of material? Koichi has used it in place of wood because of cost and availability of wood where he has been living (Poland). His prints are beautiful. He uses a technique where he prints with one ink which acts as a sort of resist and then goes over the top with sumi ink which fills in the line work in his print. I wish I had more details to share. I'll be seeing him again this next week and will try to get more specifics. Kris *********************** Kristine Alder, Printmaker/Art Educator Logan, UT *********************** ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V12 #1118 *****************************