Baren Digest Thursday, 20 December 2001 Volume 17 : Number 1660 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Daniel Dew Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 08:43:05 -0500 Subject: [Baren 16531] Wood and stuff Never one to turn down a challenge, I prefer doing the near impossible and very hard. So I'm not too smart, but it is fun at times. A friend recently told me that I was stockpiling wood I probably would never use, like cypress, white oak, etc... When I asked why he would say that, he proceeded to tell me that it was "impossible" to work with any success on those types of wood. Well...... I found a wonderful piece of cypress wood with a fantastically intricate wood grain, of course I had to carve it. And I had to figure out to keep the wood from peeling up like a banana skin each time the knife finished its cut. So very, very slowly and carefully, usually carving towards the center of the valley from both directions and setting up stop points with a razor cut, I am pulling out a nice 4 color reduction print, about 5" x 7". So, it can be done. On my next choice of wood, I may agree with the pessimist! I have carved till I have lost sensation in my fingers with Appellation White Mountain Oak. Thankfully, it is only a 4" x 6" print, or I would stop and throw the stupid thing out. Oh well, back to proving naysayers wrong, and cutting and printing. P.S. I am O.K. with all subject matter related to the inspiration, cutting, printing and marketing of prints. If I don't like what I see or read, I hit the delete button. It's pretty easy, even for a confirmed conservative like me. Daniel L. Dew http://www.dandew.com/ ddew@tampabay.rr.com ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V17 #1660 *****************************