Baren Digest              Sunday, 10 February 2002      Volume 18 : Number 1713


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From: "Bea Gold" <bnj50@earthlink.net>
Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 08:15:47 -0800
Subject: [Baren 16899] Re: Small Victories

Keep it up April - lots of successes.  I just looked at your photo same cute
you.  Bea

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From: ArtfulCarol@aol.com
Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 11:21:00 EST
Subject: [Baren 16900] Re: Big Victories 

Hi ,
Just looked at everything , April.
Excellent.!   Especially enjoyed your photo essay.
Congrats
Carol
 

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From: "Gillyin Gatto" <gillying@Maineline.net>
Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2002 12:07:36 -0800
Subject: [Baren 16901] off registering/memorial prints 

responding to a couple of birds with one stone of sharing INTENT.
namely,  Dan Dews clean-up-the-messiness-campaign 
the print aliance spokeswoman round-up-the-artists campaign

my ex#11 Flora print WAS, by my own choice, off register
i printed the same block two times purposely off register

i, for one, enjoy that 3D/ chiroscuro effect of slightly off register
and if sales are any indication of value or worthiness
i note that i have sold12 of these just since the fall
guess my clients like off register too !

if they were on register, one could not SEE the second color!
i am using my exchange experiences as chances to experiment
and grow in the realm of color woodblock
anyone is welcome NOT to like it
i like it

as far as being worried his rep will be tarnished by seen with off
register work -- off register art work would be the LEAST of the 
things that  might shock 
you about being associated with me,Dan
i think i am in that catagory someone just mentioned
of uppity women but we dont talk about that stuff

my ex #11 flora print WAS ALSO  my response to  9/11
as an artist and a human being i prefer NOT to
commemorate an act of hate and violence
and so instead , carved  an affirmation of life
i don t believe in participating in war memorials of any kind

hope this helps clear up any pain and confusion for both of you

Gillyin  machias maine  usa

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From: ArtfulCarol@aol.com
Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 12:22:51 EST
Subject: [Baren 16902] Re: off registering/memorial prints 

When  artists of monotypes do "off register" overprints  deliberately they 
are called "ghosts".  The second print comes out   lighter.  That is an 
accepted and bona fide technique. And great fun!!
Carol

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From: Dan Dew <ddew0001@tampabay.rr.com>
Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002 12:25:11 -0500
Subject: [Baren 16903] Re: off registering/memorial prints 

Now I understand, wasn't that simple?

dan dew


> From: "Gillyin Gatto" <gillying@Maineline.net>


> Subject: [Baren 16901] off registering/memorial prints

\

> my ex#11 Flora print   WAS, by my own choice, off register

\

> i think i am in that catagory someone just mentioned
> of uppity women

\

> Gillyin  machias maine  usa



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From: Louise Cass <lcass@primus.ca>
Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2002 16:21:58 -0500
Subject: [Baren 16904] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1712 

More apologies for length of yesterday's letter - I don't know why it
printed out so badly-
made it even longer . Does one use 'reply' to the digest mail or type in a
'new message'??=20
A word to April Vollmer - enjoyed your choice of good things from Boston as
well as your own work - A question- did the Provincetown printmakers (using
a single block) brush on
the different colours at the same time and then make a single print?
Louise Cass
LCassArt.com


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From: Printmaker <severn@acay.com.au>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 10:20:16 +1100
Subject: [Baren 16905] printing quality 

Hi guys (and gals)

Dan stuck his neck out to raise what is a serious issue for
bareners. That is, the quality of the work submitted. Thanks
Dan, it needed to be said.

When I picked up my flora prints from the post office, I
opened them in the carpark as we tend to do. There were some
beauties, make no mistake, and I treasure them. But I felt
that on the whole the package was nowhere near as good as
the 'junin' set, which is the other baren set I had. So,
when I got home, I pulled both sets out and had a look. The
junin prints were far superior as a group than flora. I  was
very disappointed. When I signed on to flora I was
envisioning all those subtly beautiful hanga flower prints.
That's the trouble with expectations, they can let you down.

I am very aware that a number of people have been signed up
to many projects and my thoughts were that quality is being
sacrificed at the expense of quantity.

As Dan noted, the actually printing is getting sloppy. Its
almost as if we were all having a bad hair day.

When I print an edition, I print more than I need for the
edition. This allows me to be picky with my work and pull
out any that are not quite right.  The edition comprises
only those prints that are as close to 'perfect' as
possible. It works for me, and I can feel confident that I
haven't compromised my professionalism by sending out
substandard work.

Yes, I do understand about the odd fingerprint being a
collecters item etc. But if the purpose of the exchanges is
to showcase your work, then you want to be showing your
best, right? If the purpose of the exchanges is to learn
from each other, then we have to discuss the results,
objectively.

And I should mention here that I am also aware that this is
a mixed bunch of amateurs, professionals and beginners. I'm
not knocking the beginners, or anyone else, just, like Dan,
wanting to discuss a sensitive issue.

In addition to Dan's comments I'd like to add that for a
long time, I and others have been questioning the 'content'
of the prints too. No-one ever wants to discuss this side of
things, only ever technical printing questions. I think that
we should be discussing both.

Please, let us discuss this objectively as adults and not
start a flame war.

I vote we discuss three things

1. Why we are exchanging work
2. How to improve the work, technically, esp registration
and margins
3. The content of the work


Josephine

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From: "Lee and Barbara Mason" <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 16:18:29 -0800
Subject: [Baren 16906] Re: printing quality 

Josie,
This is a good thread for discussion. I think people do exchanges for lots
of reasons. Once you start doing them, it is like an addiction. As far as
clean edges and margins, this is something that automatically gets better
the more one prints. What is acceptable one year is not the next on a
personal level. The more we do the better we get. As Dr Gordon Gilkey was
famous for saying, "make prints, make lots of prints". We should take the
advise of this great man to heart. Lets keep doing exchanges and making lots
of prints. I think if there are two or three out of 30 that I love, that
makes doing the exchange worthwhile for me! And as I teach so much, I
certainly use all of them as examples, showing different techniques and
talking about the different artists and where they are in their careers.

Often the theme blends in with what the artist is currently working on. In
my case (as an example for flora) I was working on a whole series of images
with a single image against the sky. My husband and I took a trip to the
vast praries of Canada last year and I was enchanted with the way a single
tree or bush became so important when it was the only thing on the horizon.
It was almost a spiritual experience. At any rate, the flora theme fit with
what I was doing, loosely, so I included my current train of thought into
the exchange. At least it was organic.

As far as the technical aspect, I have seen great improvement in the work in
the 12 exchanges. I have been in all but #1 and #6 and I do think they are
each one getting better technically. Sometimes we try new things and they
don't work as well as we had hoped, my print for 11.5 didn't even make it
onto the web. It was white ink on black paper...not my best effort, a
genuine learning experience. Some new people are becoming better printers
and some of the old guard are sending work they are spending more time on.
There will always be a ringer and there is no accounting for individual
taste, but on the whole I think we are generally to be congratulated rather
than chastized. It is a privledge to be in a portfolio with printmakers of
the calibre of Ruth Leaf or Dave Bull or Andy English or James
Mundie........and some of the newbies are really coming along. I personally
want to encourage everyone to send their best work, otherwise why bother?
Especially as we now know these exchanges are exhibited internationally and
many opportunities have come out of the showing of this work. We are all
busy and I am guilty as charged, I admit I could take more time with the
work and will do so on #13, assuming I am in it! (oh boy, now I will have to
put my money where my mouth is)

Barbara's advise: Only judge yourself against your own development as an
artist/printmaker or you will go crazy.
Best to everyone
Barbara




> I vote we discuss three things
>
> 1. Why we are exchanging work
> 2. How to improve the work, technically, esp registration
> and margins
> 3. The content of the work
>
>
> Josephine
>



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From: "Linda" <LMHTWB@prodigy.net>
Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 19:39:52 -0800
Subject: [Baren 16907] Re: printing quality 
Hi folks,

I'm not sure if I should comment on the issues Josephine raised since I'm
new to this group, but that's never stopped me before!


> 1. Why we are exchanging work


Well, my reason for signing up for the exchange is twofold.  One, since I
have very limited opportunity to examine other people's prints in person, I
thought this print exchange would be great.  I probably will learn a lot
from all your prints.  Two, I have been thinking lately that I would like to
do more printing -- more as break from my other art than as a new direction
in my art career, but without a deadline, I could enjoy cutting the blocks
and then procrastinate forever with the printing.  Now I have a deadline and
a subject and a size -- so all the things that I spend hours fretting and
stewing about are taken care of.  Now it's time to get to work!


> 2. How to improve the work, technically, esp registration
> and margins


I'm not sure how to say this, but I'm too much of a perfectionist to let
prints with smudges, fingerprints, and bad registration out of my studio.
(Hence the huge collection of collage papers!)  I lay the prints out on my
bed and carefully examine them as a collector might.  If I bought print 4/25
and my friend bought 5/25, would I feel hers was a better print?  If I saw
the artist's proofs and my print side by side, would I feel ripped off for
not having one as good as the artist's proof?  I have sold enough prints to
friends of customers to know that if Sally's print isn't as good as Mary's,
then Ann and Lori probably won't buy any prints from me since those four
have coffee together at the country club every Thursday.

Now, I will admit that my big problem in printing is over-inking.   When I
switched from water-based relief inks to oil-based, a lot of the problem
went away especially if I can get the consistency just right.  I realize
this is a "do a lot and you'll figure it out" kind of problem, but any
advice would be appreciated.


> 3. The content of the work


I'm not sure what to say about content, since what I plan for the music
theme will be clearly music related.  I'm too well trained when it comes to
rules -- if the theme is music, it will be music with no guessing as to how
it fits in.

I guess I feel a bit better now.  I had signed up for the exchange and THEN
there was this discussion on quality.  That kind of scared me, as I'm not
sure how my printing stands up against the rest of the group.  But I guess
there's nothing like a bit a peer pressure to motivate growth.  Besides, if
I get the blocks cut this next week, then I'll have over three months to
perfect my printing.  Hehehe.

Linda


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From: "David Stones" <stones@mb.i-chubu.ne.jp>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 13:26:39 +0900
Subject: [Baren 16908] Re: Quality 
Dear All,

I'm prompted to come out of the print cupboard and comment - even though I
cannot take part in the exchanges. I'm a full-time printer and there just
is not the time...

And that, as I've mentioned often before, may be the "fault" of exchanges
that have short time limits of a few months and randomly-selected themes
also decided over a short time. This gives little time to think, sketch,
proof, re-carve, re-print or thoroughly look at the work. Disappointment,
for the artist, often will result... let alone for the viewer later.

The quality decision is the print-creator's alone - and it's a tough call.
Or it should be (I put this in for those who have either just started or
are on the way - and not to criticize those whose style is different from
my own). If you think your print's not good - it isn't. Either submit it as
a step to better work or store it for six months and then look at it again.
If you still find it lacking - cut it up and into the bin. Seek peer
advice, but follow your own course too.

To show I do as I say: I'll have an exhibition at a new gallery, their
first show, in mid-June. There's an interesting subject in their old
farmhouse gate gallery and the play of evening light etc., etc. Anyway, I
see a print there. BUT, I'm doubtful if I can get the print even to the
proof stage by then... almost four months. It is not important to push
myself to create the work for June... that would, indeed, suit the gallery
though (and create some sales too). I'll go there to sketch the actual
drawing this next week (and then go again to make sure I've got it right) -
the idea is firming up, the colours coming into view, the blocks to use,
the size... the changes... but, if this was a present  exchange project,
I'd never make the deadline... there are also other projects underway
that slow things even further. (Watch this space...)

Creating woodblock prints, by hand, is a slow process and time limits
should never, I repeat, never be considered. I'd suggest, ONE exchange a
year and a clear theme with the sign up before that year starts... too
long? Then reconsider what is being undertaken and why... what is
created will remain - the creative effort... AND the haste? Just a memo
from the very slow lane.

Dave S (Ishita)




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End of Baren Digest V18 #1713
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