Baren Digest Thursday, 24 May 2001 Volume 15 : Number 1429 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Cucamongie@aol.com Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 09:28:17 EDT Subject: [Baren 14534] Stephen Goddard Thanks for taking our portfolios, Stephen, that's wonderful! Can you give us the "snail mail" address of the museum for those Baren members who may live there or others who may want to visit when passing through? best wishes Sarah Cucamongie@aol.com www.sarahhauser.womanmade.net ------------------------------ From: Steve Goddard Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 08:43:22 -0500 Subject: [Baren 14535] Re: Stephen Goddard >Thanks for taking our portfolios, Stephen, that's wonderful! Can you give us >the "snail mail" address of the museum Here it is: Spencer Museum of Art 1301 Mississippi Street The University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas 66045 U.S.A. fax: 785 864 3112 ------------------------------ From: barebonesart Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 11:28:09 -0700 Subject: [Baren 14536] Re: Baren Digest v15 #1428 John, True, papermaking is an art in itself, but - like most things, it can be learned. It is not a difficult and complex process - basically it is pretty simple, but it takes experience to get it right. You can make it as complicated as you wish and get into cooking exotic ingredients, not to mention caustic and toxic, but you don't have to. Art stores have the raw ingredients for many kinds of paper and you can buy it much like cotton linters. With enough water, a tub, and a screen you can then learn it through trial and error. I'll bet your first block wasn't all that hot, either! The great thing about paper is, if you don't like what you got on the first pull, put it all back in the water and do it again until it comes up right! Then plop it on the "felts" with the others and do it again. I have never had a block or plate ruined by hand-made (home-made) paper. It is a sloppy process, but since its mostly water, is easy to clean up. Making paper is hard work, but it is also a lot of fun - none of the angst of plate making because you can't make a mistake. Its great therapy and a nice diversion. But, I wouldn't want to be accused of starting WWIII :o) Sharri ------------------------------ From: "Bea Gold" Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 15:09:27 -0700 Subject: [Baren 14537] Ideas needed for upcoming Exchange Time to begin thinking about what theme for Exchange #11! The exchange will open for enrollment in only a little over a month. IDEAS are needed. What do you think? Bea Gold Exchange #11 will open for enrollment July 1st. Theme: (to be decided) Paper dimension: o-ban size - vertical or horizontal orientation. (o-ban size - a range of 10 x 15 inches (25.4 x 38 centimeters) to 10 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches (26.6 x 39.4 centimeters). Sign-up page will be started later ... ------------------------------ From: Studio Dalwood Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 20:39:04 +1000 Subject: [Baren 14538] Snake exchange. Sue asked "I need to know how many snake prints are to be mailed out yet, and or if some of you have had mine returned. I counted them and put them into an album to prepare them for an exhibit and only have 40 counting mine. That leaves 18 unaccounted for. The last time someone listed those not recieved, there were not that many listed. I am wondering if some had been returned to the sender." Hi Sue. Thanks for posting this, I was wondering much the same thing myself. I received your print ok, it was the last one. It was me that posted about missing snakes and the count was 18, so less yours, I still need 17. I'd list the names but I have temporarily mislaid the list. None of mine have been returned and one of the ones I received was forwarded from an incorrect address. I raised this issue with members of the committee. One in three (approx) not returning prints was very disappointing. The postcard exchange is an unofficial baren exchange and there is little that can be done about people abusing the exchange spirit. It was suggested to me that, for certain people, it would be better waiting to see if they send out any cards before you send to them. Of course, if everyone did this we would have a mexican standoff - no-one sending cards until they get some... So what I am proposing is that for next year, when people indicate their willingness to participate, I will forward the names of the non-returnees from this year to be posted along with the participants for next year. Then we can individually choose whether to send to the persons concerned. A qualification here. I know one or two people were forced to drop out for valid reasons and we know who they are as they had the courtesy to mail the list of their difficulties. Secondly, the cards go out as a gift to your fellow printmakers, the importance of receiving a reciprocal gift varies from individual to individual and some persons may not have any complaints about not getting a full set back. For all participants there is a great deal of enjoyment to be had from this exchange and I for one, am looking forward to sending out the horses for next year. A thirty percent dropout has been typical for some PA exchanges, and (I think?) some baren ones too - which is why there are reserve lists, and why this result should not be surprising. Both PA and baren are working on ways to avoid this and to refine the process - I'm not sure about baren but on PA we have got the percentage down. We live in hope. ANother comment. As I wanted to receive the cards at my house, I sent in my home address which is still displayed in the snake list. Normally I would only publish a post office box address. Yesterday someone sent me an unfriendly 'I know where you live' e-mail with information that they got from the snake list. Can I politely request that the list of addresses now come down off the web? Perhaps for next year we should get tougher about setting due dates? thoughtfully yours Josephine ------------------------------ From: "bemason" Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 16:44:04 -0700 Subject: [Baren 14539] Re: Ideas needed for upcoming Exchange Bea, How about a theme of flora???That is pretty broad and covers everything organic that doesn't walk, fly or swim.....So the flower lovers will like it and the rest will find something clever to do. We are a creative bunch, after all. Just a thought, I will go with the flow as always. Barbara ------------------------------ From: "Maria Arango" Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 17:35:44 -0700 Subject: [Baren 14540] RE: Snake exchange. A bit of clarification. The postcard exchange is an unofficial-unstructured exchange, supported by but not sponsored by Baren, thus the council is not involved. The Baren Forum does encourage this type of unofficial-unstructured exchange as a way to allow those that fear/despise structure and rules to have an opportunity to exchange prints. Pete White and Julio Rodriguez, both Baren members, were kind enough to volunteer time and resources to both posting the list and publishing the efforts of participating members. These informal exchanges lack a guarantee that you will get print-for-print, a risk well worth taking. I think I got most snakes but frankly, I'm not counting the slithery critters. Also, some people finish their postcards early and mail before everyone has a chance to sign up. If I recall, we had sign ups far after the sign up deadline. Those that sign up late really should have no expectations of receiving print-for-print, as many of us mail out once. Once my snakes are done, I check that the list is past the sign-up date, print it out and off they go. For a similarly unstructured but "guaranteed" and coordinated exchange, the Baren Swap Shop is a perfect alternative where you will, eventually, receive print-for-print. > Perhaps for next year we should get tougher about setting > due dates? I think one of the advantages of this exchange is the lack of structure and relaxed due dates. IMHO, this would be unenforceable anyway, as there is no coordinator or central head-honcho. For those brave souls that engage in the most difficult and ambitious activity of exhibiting these prints, I think the warning stands: this is an unofficial-unstructured affair. >Secondly, the cards go out as a gift to your > fellow printmakers, the importance of receiving a reciprocal > gift varies from individual to individual and some persons > may not have any complaints about not getting a full set > back. For all participants there is a great deal of > enjoyment to be had from this exchange and I for one, am > looking forward to sending out the horses for next year. Amen sister! Totally agree. I enjoyed my little critters immensely and if I don't get half back, I will still participate. Horses, huh? Should be quite interesting once more. Maria <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Maria Arango Las Vegas, Nevada, USA http://www.1000woodcuts.com maria@mariarango.com <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ------------------------------ From: "Bea Gold" Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 17:46:08 -0700 Subject: [Baren 14541] Re: Ideas needed for upcoming Exchange ------------------------------ From: "Daniel L. Dew" Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 21:44:44 -0400 Subject: [Baren 14542] Re: Ideas needed for upcoming Exchange How about "Hidden Images" or just "Hidden"? Imagine looking at a print from a foot away and seeing a landscape, but up close, its a group of people. Or up close its an abstract and far away it's an eyeball. I love the old Saturday Night Live skit with John Belushi and Dan Akyrod just standing there saying, "what the H%^^& is that?", with a million different voice inflections. Oh well, my two cents after a very hard day. dan dew ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest v15 #1429 *****************************