Baren Digest             Saturday, 9 December 2000     Volume 13 : Number 1239


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From: "John and Michelle Morrell" <jmmorrell@gci.net>
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2000 20:35:23 -0900
Subject: [Baren 12385] Body Postioning and Repetitive Motion 

Graham wrote:

>>...Dave wrote.....
>>The smarty-pants answer is ... 'practice'! ...

>This is only part of the answer.
>You have heard the expression position is everything in life.
>Well the same is true with the physical process of printing and the
>positioning of the body.
>You have heard of different strokes for different folks.
>Well ......


You guys can argue about this till the cows come home, but obviously
both of
you are doing something other than sitting at a conventional desk on a
conventional chair (or standing at a conventional kitchen counter level work
surface) with the major motion being from the elbow.  Even coming from the
shoulder would be a better motion than coming mostly from the elbow on down.
I'm sure both of you are making bad moves, but I personally am
interested in
the good ones.  And, you have to be doing something right or you would have
both given it up some time back.  I guess what I'm interested in is what you
have in common in your printing methods.  Like holding your hands properly
when playing the piano or typing will allow to you play or type hours on end
for years on end--there is something you are doing right.  Right?

Graham, some time when you are feeling benevolent would you consider drawing
a diagram (stick figures are fine) of how you believe one should physically
approach printing with a baren and posting a link to your site?    A
sort of
hair of the dog thing?

Thanks for considering this even.

<^><^><^><^><^><^>
    Michelle Morrell
   jmmorrell@gci.net
<^><^><^><^><^><^>

------------------------------

From: <horacio@centroin.com.br>
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 11:10:25 -0200
Subject: [Baren 12386] Re: Snakes Galore 

The first new year snake just arrived in Copacabana Beach, Rio.
Beautiful print,
Thanks Ruth.
Horácio from Rio / Brazil.
http://www.analisevital.com.br/xilograv.htm
http://www.analisevital.com.br/xilograv2.htm

>
> Oh my goodness, another snake arrived today, with tails!!!!!!
> Great job Ms. Chase, quite a pretty sight.  I will keep yours far away
from
> Miss Ruth's bad boy.
>
>
> dan dew
>

------------------------------

From: B Mason <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 07:01:54 -0800
Subject: [Baren 12387] great woodblocks 

Dave has some new information about printmaker John Edgar Platt an
English woodblock printmaker and engraver on his main page at
woodblock.com. For some lovely prints, look here:
http://www.woodblock.com/platt  I am always so impressed with this type
of fine work. Minework is, I guess, what you would term "robust" by
comparison. Guess that's why they make chocolate and vanilla. Anyway,
take a look at these, you will be glad you did. Thanks for letting us
know about these Dave. John Platt sure changed his style in the middle
of his career, I wonder if it was economically driven? Almost looks like
a different artist.
Best to all,
Barbara M

------------------------------

From: Shireen Holman <shireenh@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 11:17:24 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12388] snakes 

It's so much fun to get snakes in the mail! My daughters really like
them, 
too, and are just as interested as I am when I open them up. I just got 
Michelle's - what a stunning snake! Mine is still in progress, it will
be a 
while....
Shireen

***********************************************
Shireen Holman, Printmaker and Book Artist
email: shireenh@earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~shireenh/
***********************************************

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From: Cucamongie@aol.com
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 11:44:02 EST
Subject: [Baren 12389] ball bearing barens 

Bea, you asked about where to purchase ball bearing barens.  I don't
know 
anywhere other than McClain's.  These are quite pricey but they are
worth it! 
 They have a couple of different types, one with fewer ball bearings
made for 
printing large areas, and one w/more bearings for smaller areas & finer 
lines.  Sometimes I use an in-between sheet of mylar or glassine (or a
type 
of barrier paper which mcclain's sells) if I am printing on very thin
paper.  
I would recommend these especially for those folks printing larger
prints or 
large flat areas, they work wonders and you don't have to press them
hard so 
you give your arm a break also.  There is no bamboo skin to replace,
which I 
also appreciate!
best wishes
Sarah

------------------------------

From: Daniel Dew <ddew@tampabay.rr.com>
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 12:05:18 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12390] Slithery Fine Friends 

To all you squirmin, slitherin, wigglin folks out there, ya'lls snakes went
out today.  
I noticed two new folks today, I'll send yours out soonish.
Should we all send Dave one as a way to say thanks for starting Baren and
putting us together?
I am going to do it.
This is soooooo cool.

P.S.  Anyone out there going to host the prints?  If not, I'll do it on my
site if it's O.K. with everyone?

dan dew

------------------------------

From: Wanda <robertson@canby.com>
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 09:35:03 -0700
Subject: [Baren 12391] Messages 

******************************
Note from the moderator- these two messages just don't seem to want to
go through in the normal fashion - so I'm posting them directly until I
can figure out what the problem is. Sorry about that Mike!

*******************************

At 10:00 PM 12/07/2000 +0900, Maria wrote:
>PS the chop for the club is an M, which must be engraved blindfolded on the
>head of a pin...with a hand tied behind the back...in the snow...barefoot...

'M' -- what a wonderful idea, Maria -- Masochist / Maria / Mike -- for
us, 
maybe we should just eat a couple of M&M's and call it a day ?  Hope to 
finish up the prints tomorrow -- spent another full day printing the
Year 
of the Snake prints today -- no serious errors...  yet !!  By the way,
in 
Japanese tales the snake usually is the symbol of desire (not the
covetous 
kind, the LUSTful kind!).  Three and a half years ago I tore up my right 
shoulder a little bit -- surgeon said it was no big deal, just grind in
a 
new groove for the biceps tendon and sew it back where it belongs, a bit
of 
a clip, a snip, a stitch, and in a few months I could begin training 
again...  So forget that!  So I found this wonderful healer/masseur, Yi 
Ming Shen, a retired (at 38 those guys are really hard on their bodies!) 
ballet dancer from Shanghai via everywhere and with 30 minutes a week,
he's 
got me most of the way back to working -- anyway, a couple of days ago I 
asked him whether he could recall any stories from his youth about
snakes 
- -- he said 'no' -- then said I would already have heard all of them
because 
they are so common -- like, do you know the story of The Farmer and the 
Snake?  He couldn't believe that I hadn't -- he said the story is the
basis 
for so many dances, movies, plays in China -- anyway, it's a bit like
the 
Frog and the Scorpion:  In the dead of winter a farmer sees a poor snake 
frozen in the snow and nearly dead from the cold.  Taking pity on the
poor 
creature, he slips it into his shirt to warm it with the heat of his 
body.  It works!  The snake revives, bites the farmer, and the farmer 
dies.  Yi Ming said the government used to tell them that the world was 
theirs to change as they saw fit -- move mountains, change the course of
a 
river, plant a field -- anything you can imagine you can do...  There is 
only one thing which never changes -- someone's personality.  Anyway,
there 
is no image of a snake in my Year of the Snake print...  But the story
of 
the Maiden of Dojoji does run along the lines of 'desire'...

Mike
mikelyon@mlyon.com
http://www.mlyon.com

********************************************


At 10:00 PM 12/07/2000 +0900, Graham wrote:
>This is only part of the answer.
>You have heard the expression position is everything in life.
>Well the same is true with the physical process of printing and the
>positioning of the body.

  Thanks, Graham...  I've never had any shoulder or arm pain from baren 
use...  I use my left hand to hold the baren.  If the joint nearest the 
nail is the first joint, I keep that one straight and press my second 
joints against the outside edge of the baren and my palm against the
inside 
edge to control pressure during printing.  I press in with my thumb to
keep 
the handle taught between my little and index fingers.  I hold my wrist 
practically straight in line with my forearm, and print with the baren 
almost exactly below my left shoulder -- then for light to medium
pressure, 
I move my forearm rapidly back and forth.  For heavier pressure, I
extend 
my thumb slightly, and use my hips and body to move the baren, with
hardly 
any movement of the arm relative to the body.  I print on a horizontal 
surface while seated on a stool.  Now that you mention it, I might try
to 
rig up a platform which slopes downward and toward me at a shallow angle
- -- 
15 degrees or less.  I cannot imagine printing at the steep angle you
use 
with your table -- it seems to me that you couldn't take natural
advantage 
of gravity with that setup and would be forced to use too much 
muscle...  I'll have to watch you in action sometime, I guess. Years ago
I 
printed kneeling with my feet under my butt using a low table I made
which 
sloped slightly down and away from me, but eventually my knees
complained 
too much, and I gave that up.  Now the parts which complain are my
acheing 
lower back because it is weak anyway and my posture deteriorates and I
let 
my hips cave in under me and the small of my back stick out -- and my
stiff 
neck from supporting my head hanging down and out (now there is a spot
your 
setup would relieve!) over my work.
mikelyon@mlyon.com
http://www.mlyon.com

------------------------------

From: owner-baren
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 09:35:03 -0700
Subject: [Baren 12392] test 

testing - sorry 'bout that!

------------------------------

From: Wanda <robertson@canby.com>
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 09:35:03 -0700
Subject: [Baren 12393] testing 

Testing - sorry 'bout that!

------------------------------

From: Sunnffunn@aol.com
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 12:39:55 EST
Subject: [Baren 12394] Re: great woodblocks 

John Edgar Platt,  what a lovely page.  After reading of his history and 
influence, I felt the change in mid career was profoundly toward a
japanese 
influence.  Also I found his last works to move circular toward the 
beginning, but retaining that influence.  I think we all change and are 
influenced. But in the end we are ourselves. I was excited to see a
great 
artist born on my birthday, March 19th, i felt there is hope for me. 
Thank 
you for this page.
Marilynn

------------------------------

From: "Maria Arango" <maria@mariarango.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 09:42:15 -0800
Subject: [Baren 12395] ergophysiology 

Ain't that a mouthful!
My personal recommendation is that everyone that does this stuff for more
than 1 hour/day make themselves a bench like the one pictured in Graham's
web site. This simple and cheap device is a shoulder-wrist-back saver when
carving/printing for long periods of time. An advantage of the adjustable
heights/angles is that you can stand, sit, sit higher, stand again, etc.,
which is one secret to a healthy, injury free body.
What is causing the older Japanese gentlemen to bow and break is not the
posture itself, but the length of time that the posture is held. As
shown by
those who practice the fine art of Yoga, the human body is capable of and
benefited by most extreme flexibility exercises.
As far as printing goes, what's good for the goose will definitely not be
good for the gander. Meaning, the specific recommendations and detailed
diagrams of a Graham or a Dave will do little to show Jane or John Doe "her"
and "his" ideal printing posture. I hope everyone agrees without
philosophical connotations, that men and women are physiologically
different, as well as differing within genders. Men happen to have much
better leverage while sitting because of a much larger muscle mass in the
upper body, larger bone structure, bigger ratio of muscle/bone to fat, and
wider shoulders (even 120 lb. weaklings!).
In a past life I happened to work quite a bit with injuries caused by
repeated movement or improper posture, held for long periods of time. Basic
ergonomic rules of thumb to remember while you search for YOUR ideal posture
to print by:

- - If it hurts while you are doing it, stop it (whatever "it" is). If however
you are not sore until the next day, you need to analyze where the pain is
coming from. Muscle soreness, that delicious dull ache that gets better
either with massage, a hot shower, or the same activity that produced
it, is
simply a sign that a demand was exerted on the muscle that exceeded that
muscle's capacity. Although it can be debilitating in some cases, it is a
sign that the muscle is not only healing from the insult, but also will
become stronger in order to meet the demand. Gently abuse your muscles, it's
good for them and makes you stronger, especially later in life.
Joint pain, that sharp or dull ache around the joints, is baaaaaaaaaad. It
may mean ligament or tendon damage, an inflamed joint capsule, excess liquid
around the joint and a host of other nasty things. If the joints ache, more
exercise or careless stretching will cause more damage. Keeping the joints,
not at a specifically designed angle, but at YOUR most natural angle will
keep them working to their best ability.

- - The primary culprit of many a repetitive strain syndrome is simply holding
a posture for too long. For those in the aforementioned "masochist" club,
changing the position of the body every hour or so will suffice. Stand, sit,
stand, sit, kneel, just like Catholic mass. If you must print the
traditional way, or any other one-way, a short break and a cat stretch every
hour without fail will suffice to keep the body from becoming a crinkled
mass of stiff bones later in life. We suffer enough later in life.

- - In 90% of the injury cases that we saw for rehabilitation, the injured
party did not exercise regularly. Their body was simply too weak (speaking
in terms mostly of muscle, tendon/ligament, bone) to perform the task
repeatedly. I know, I know, you think printing 'is' exercise--well it isn't.
Laying bricks and roofing, that's exercise.
Walking will do, if you walk like you mean it. A combination of walking,
cycling and swimming is the absolute best for overall health; 30-60 minutes
per day, 4-6 days per week, at a pace where you can talk to the dog but are
too out of breath to sing America the Beautiful (or Japan the Beautiful, or
Australia the Beautiful, or Israel the Beautiful, or Canada the Beautiful,
or Mexico the Beautiful, or Bulgaria the Beautiful, or Greece the Beautiful,
or Brazil the Beautiful, I'm sure I forgot someone, I apologize). Every
week, for the rest of your life.

Nuff of this stuff, I'm having corporate flashbacks...
Health to all,
Maria H. Diener, M.S., retired Exercise Physiologist

<><><><><><><><><><><><>
Maria Arango, Printmaker
Las Vegas  Nevada  USA
http://www.1000woodcuts.com
maria@mariarango.com
<><><><><><><><><><><><>

------------------------------

From: Aqua4tis@aol.com
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 12:42:05 EST
Subject: [Baren 12396] Re: snakes 

hi everyone  
    i just recieved phillips snake the other day and it will join ruths
and 
michelles   all are gorgeous!!!         i love getting these in the mail
  
but i have a question      am i the only one waiting for the new year to
send 
mine out?       i was going to wait to send mine so theyd have a 2001 
postmark     even if its only on the envelope           so if its ok
with you 
all thats what i am planning to do    i guess im just trying to say   
if you 
dont receive mine for awhile     that is why   its all carved and ready
to 
print
:-)
georga

------------------------------

From: barbara patera <b.patera@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 100 10:13:41 Pacific Daylight Time
Subject: [Baren 12397] Snakes 

The snakes have started to slither in and they are wonderful. They make
the trip up  to the mailbox an 
adventure..... will there be more snakes today???
 Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!
 Barbara P.

 P.S. am starting mine today.

------------------------------

From: "Bea Gold" <bnj50@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 12:39:45 -0800
Subject: [Baren 12398] ball bearing barens and slip sheets 

Thanks, Sarah, I know you like your baren, just wondered if anyone other
than McClain sells them.  I haven't heard of anyone either. For slip sheets,
I use a wax type paper, called "dry waxpaper with wet strength", used by
delicatessens to wrap cold cuts and sliced cheese.  They come in a box with
a pull out top like Kleenex.  The product is called Kabinette Wax, and there
are 500 sheets in a box. Very inexpensive and perfect as a slip sheet. There
are two weights - I use the heavier weight.  I get them in a restaurant
supply shop. 

Bea Gold
bnj50@earthlink.net
http://www.beagold.com/
Los Angeles, California

------------------------------

From: "john ryrie" <jryrie@one.net.au>
Date: Sat, 9 Dec 2000 09:26:21 +1100
Subject: [Baren 12399] snake 

Sorry about this but have to drop out of the snake card exchange.   My house
is about to be demolished by the council so I will be moving into a small
flat.   I wont be able to keep any of my printing equipment and it will
be a
long time before I can do any more printing.  I did do a lino cut for the
exchange but I wont be able to print it.

John

------------------------------

From: "Jeanne Norman Chase" <studiojnc@prodigy.net>
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 16:00:16 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12400] Paper 

Frank Gall, I could not stand it any longer and would you please tell me
what kind of paper that you used for your Baren Exchange #7 print?  It
is so
beautiful and takes the ink in such a soft way that I have to have it!! Let
me know, please.

The swatches that you send away for are hard to visualize as a large sheet.
It is only when you see the sheet large and printed that you can really see
the effect of the ink on paper. From now on, everytime I order some
paper, I
am going to order 5 extra sheets of an unknown (to me) paper.
I have been in a rut, a nice one, but have been using Rives paper for 20
years, guess I should try a few other papers.

I would like to know the best paper for woodblock prints (with oil based
ink) and the best paper for wood engraving. Any advice would be welcome.

Sorry you people, but you will see the # 7 exchange right after Christmas.
We have had a few minor problems.
I had my doubts re; the "Comedy of Life", but the Exchange 7 people really
came through with some neat prints!!!

Maria, thanks for all the advice on why we strain our muscles etc, while
printing. I found that my neck really bothered me while cutting and
printing. It just could not take that constant forward bending. Finally
resolved the problem by lowering my chair and using a prop that my husband
made for me to rest my elbow upon. It worked.
Amazing, we all have our "weak areas " and have to learn just where they
are.
 By the way, I have a problem with my back, would you like to step over here
and give me some more advice, free of charge????

Congratulations are in order for Wanda, who is undertaking quite a job.
Gosh, Dave, you mean we are not going to have our Guru anymore????

Dan, thanks for the info. on mailing to different areas, I put that on my
Favorites, Never know when it will come in handy!!!

Jeanne N.

------------------------------

From: Greg Carter <artfool@bulloch.net>
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 21:35:46 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12401] Exchange 7 Exhibition 

I have reserved our small gallery for a couple of weeks in January to show
Exchange #7(If it comes by then).  I am assuming no one will mind.  I will
not be fraiming them but using bulldog clips  hung on small nails.  I have
done this before with exchange portfolios before  and it looks alot better
than the glass cases in the hall.  For blues fans, The show will be  at
Georgia Southern University which is in Statesboro, GA.  This is the town
that inspired Blind Willy McTell to write the Statesboro Blues and The
Allman brothers to sing it.

Greg Carter

------------------------------

From: owner-baren
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 17:14:39 -0600
Subject: [Baren 12402] Re: Slithery Fine Friends 

Dan:
"Anyone out there going to host the prints?  If not, I'll do it on my
site if it's O.K. with everyone?"

Go ahead, I will also put something up during the weekend...but knowing
me....it will be something goofy like last years Dragons...the more the
merrier!!! I got four snakes so far, the farthest trip was from Alaska.

Someone had asked about exchanging the cards, it would be somewhat unfair
for someone to receive 40+ cards but only
send out to 20 or 30 people.....I don't know if that qualifies as an
exchange.... my understanding of the rules is that you send one out to
every person on the list.....even if it takes you a longer time and several
batches to get to everybody..... my .02 cents.

Welcome to all the new people onboard!

Julio

------------------------------

From: Wanda <robertson@canby.com>
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 17:33:32 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12403] printing questions 

[this just in from new Baren member Jennifer Belvel]

After graduating from college 5 years ago with an art degree and doing
absolutely nothing as far as "fine arts" is concerned since (I'm a web page
designer now) I've decided to take up wood-cuts. It has been quite awhile
since my one semester of printmaking. I worked up my design (with the aid of
adobe illustrator - i still need my crutch!), I carved my blocks, I've
pulled quite a few proofs. Now I'm ready to actually make some quality
prints and I'm completely lost.
1. I've been using Speedball waterbased ink. What are the advantages to oil
based inks? I already know that the waterbased inks are drying way to fast
for me.
2. Am I wasting my money on "block printing ink"? Are watercolors fine to
use and if so, do I need to add something else to it (there was a reference
to rice paste)
2. Do I need to dampen my paper?
3. Do i need to "seal" my blocks with varnish or whatever? What are the
advantages of this?

I think I'm going to try Hosho and mulberry paper at first. I had hoped that
all of this would come back to me as I started working but it isn't and I
can't find anything on-line to answer these specific questions.

Thanks for any input!
Jennifer

------------------------------

From: Carolyn Pflederer <pfledere@northnet.net>
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 20:54:42 -0600
Subject: [Baren 12404] Re: Paper 

Jeanne Norman Chase wrote:

> I would like to know the best paper for woodblock prints (with oil based
> ink) and the best paper for wood engraving. Any advice would be welcome.
<snip>

Hey...I'd love to have opinions/votes on what the best paper is for woodblock
prints with oil based ink, too!
Carolyn

------------------------------

End of Baren Digest V13 #1239
*****************************