Baren Digest              Monday, 11 February 2002      Volume 18 : Number 1715


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From: "Diane Tigue" <dtigue@kscable.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 09:53:19 -0600
Subject: [Baren 16915] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1710

Hi Dean - will you put on your professional hat and recommend a copper 
guage for me for dry point.  I am one of your customers at WSU ( Wichita
State university)- have my own conrad press but unable to deal with acid
and aquatint at home - zinc requires a pressure to scribe that I just
can't get right.  Sorry to flood the airwaves but....  Diane
 
 
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From: G Wohlken <blueman@pantek.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 11:51:04 -0500
Subject: [Baren 16916] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1714 - Time and Smears and Exchanges 



>1.  Baren can offer three exchanges per year, with a
>four-month deadline
>      OR
>2.  Members can be more selective in their participation of exchanges.

>Kim Medina
>


It seems we don't need to feel compelled to sign up for every exchange 
that comes along.  Signing up for what looks like it can be handled 
within time arrangements in our own personal lives is our option.  If we 
are over zealous in what we think we can handle, that tells us to hang 
back a little.  An exchange does take time and a lot of energy. We each 
have varying degrees of what is available to us in those departments.

Clean prints.  In classes I have taken, we used little folded pieces of 
paper that formed "tongs"  to pick up edges of our prints when our hands 
were covered in ink.  Sometimes there are tiny smudges that occur just 
at the edge of the image's border.  We have to decide if it detracts or 
not.  Sometimes it seems to detract and other times not much at all if 
your image itself has a certain loose quality to it.  I sometimes ask 
others to make a judgment for me as to whether they'd buy a print that 
had a tiny smudge at the border of the image (not in the margin, but 
just at the edge of the printed part.  It's interesting what answers I 
have gotten.  Most people say they don't care because it's so 
insignificant, and a few say "do it over".   If I have a commission, I 
usually do it until it's perfect.  Yet, once I framed one only to 
discover under very glaring lights there was a smudge.  Someone I didn't 
know very well bought  it when it was being shown in a gallery,  and to 
this day if I bump into her, she tells me how much her husband loves 
that print and has it over his favorite chair.  So there doesn't seem to 
be a science to this.  Some artists are sticklers for absolute 
perfection and others not so much.  The public come both ways, too.

Gayle Wohlken
Ohio, USA   

      

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From: Graham <gscholes@woodblock.info>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 10:17:46 -0800
Subject: [Baren 16917] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1710 


>- will you put on your professional hat and recommend a copper guage 
>for me for dry point. 
>Diane


Ooooowww... drypoint.  Did some this last fall ... the first in 45 years...
pretty scratchy.... )*<: but came along nicely.  It was a nice change from
the woodblock stuff.

Anybody else out there doing it?


Graham



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From: Wanda <robertson@canby.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 10:42:18 -0800
Subject: [Baren 16918] for Claude Aimee  

A message from Claude Aimee <Klaud@sympatico.ca>

When I announced the biennial, I made a mistake in Anthea's email
address. All Australian participants should contact Anthea at:
boes@ar.com.au

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From: Vishnovus@aol.com
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 13:59:36 EST
Subject: [Baren 16919] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1710 

Drypoint. I love it.
I use it in conjuction with etching, aquatint, etc. or on its own.
I use zinc, copper, and most recently plastic .
The plastic is wonderful for 2,3,4, color registers because you can look 
through the plates and build the color plates one on top of the other.
The editions are small but very satisfying.
Keep it loose and fun.
Ld

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From: "Lee and Barbara Mason" <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 10:57:18 -0800
Subject: [Baren 16920] PEA 

Print exchangers annonymous....what a hoot. Barbara, you and I can be the
charter members. For some exchanges I have done tough printing jobs that
have taken a longggg time and on others only done one color. I think usually
the image and paper dictate what the image needs. My #12 I printed about 6
ways and finally decided on one color on fancy paper....so just because a
print is in one color doesn't mean it was done lightly or frantically at the
last minute. Although of course it can mean that. I had a bit of trouble
with the long skinny format and Wanda just loved it. So thats why they make
chocolate and vanilla.

I vote for keeping 4 exchanges and just doing every other one if they
overwhelm you, that way you could either do themed or unthemed as they
alternate and it would give a person two a year, a more managable number for
all. As long as we get 30 people in each exchange, I say stick with 4. If we
start not filling them, the hand writing is on the wall folks. Then we
should cut back the number offered....I hope to be around doing
#100........heeheeheehee, PEA, yes I can see a need for a group like this.
cold turkey....ugh.
Barbara


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From: "Diane Tigue" <dtigue@kscable.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 13:40:49 -0600
Subject: [Baren 16921] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1710 

Sounds good - i did some with a wood burner in plexiglas - pretty smelly and
I'm sure great for the lungs but i'm so full of solvent and ink I'm sure
I'll peg out long before lung cancer gets me.  i have printed the plexi both
as a negative and a positive - for the negative (white line) you've got to
scrape the the burr off.  I like flat bite - how bout you?  diane
- ----- Original Message -----
From: <Vishnovus@aol.com>
To: <baren@ml.asahi-net.or.jp>
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2002 12:59 PM
Subject: [Baren 16919] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1710


> Drypoint. I love it.
> I use it in conjuction with etching, aquatint, etc. or on its own.
> I use zinc, copper, and most recently plastic .
> The plastic is wonderful for 2,3,4, color registers because you can look
> through the plates and build the color plates one on top of the other.
> The editions are small but very satisfying.
> Keep it loose and fun.
> Ld



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From: ArtfulCarol@aol.com
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 14:40:03 EST
Subject: [Baren 16922] For  Bobbi Mandel 

Are you there?

What is your e-mail address?
And what is the TITLE of your print for the Firemens Benefit.?
(This is my one Baren e-mail for the day!)
Carol

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From: "Bill H Ritchie Jr" <ritchie@seanet.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 11:46:45 -0800
Subject: [Baren 16923] Baren Digest V18 #1714 

On public funding of art -

Sharri wrote, just before her eyelids slammed shut:  . . . "but, arts
education has largely been left out of the schools, so the average person
doesn't know the difference between a reproduction and a print and see's no
reason to want original art, let along think they NEED it. Most of them
don't even know what it is! So, who is supposed to purchase what we
produce?"

That's it! In my opinion, it all comes back to education. In the past
hundred years, art education was handled exactly like education in the
sciences, medicine, politics, military--it didn't matter that art, like
literature, dance, basket weaving etc were different than productivity and
industry, war and manufacturing.

A kind of simplicity had settled over nation states, I think, a kind of
autocracy. The education sector's job then became to educate as many people
as possible to have minds suitable to autocracy.

A friend observed Russian culture after the fall of that nation's collective
government that people born and raised under Communist rule found the idea
of freedom inconceivable. Last night in a movie I went to (Kate and Leopold)
a character said "Time is like a rainbow to a dog . . . a dog is color
blind."

Art is freedom, but who can see freedom in either a communist or capitalist
education system? Actually I am striving to find that "crack" in
capitalism's wall--or any "Ism". If I do, it will be due to education.

Education that is left to the government will, naturally I think, be
resolved into a loss of freedom. And fear, I believe, is the primary
instrument to make it effective. So if I am afraid to misregister my prints,
I must ask myself why? Then I must practice until registration become
supportive of freedom somehow.

It is a dilemma, yes, but if that is part of the art you do, whether a
martial art or woodblock, you merely practice, practice, cut cut print
print, and strive for a better, safer Earth for all human and living things.

Bill H. Ritchie, Jr
500 Aloha #105
Seattle WA 98109
(206) 285-0658
mailto:ritchie@seanet.com
Web sites:
Professional: www.seanet.com/~ritchie
Virtual Gallery and E-Store: www.myartpatron.com
First Game Portal: www.artsport.com


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From: Roger lee <leesartstuff@shaw.ca>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 14:25:07 -0800
Subject: [Baren 16924] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1714 

Hi
What is an exchange?
Roger Lee

 

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From: "Jean Eger Womack" <jeaneger@jeaneger.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 14:30:16 -0800
Subject: [Baren 16925] Re:   Baren Digest V18 #1714 

1. Sharri, I really hope you will continue writing and stop lurking!  What
you say makes sense and is very much to the point.  It benefits all of us!

2. Regarding the time it takes to make a print for the exchange and the
number of prints...we are having many exchanges because so many people were
signing up for them that there wasn't room for everyone.  You can just skip
an exchange!  Maybe one or two a year could have a greater lead time.  For
example the big print exchange: I finally cut my plates and I am getting
ready to print this week.  I really needed all the time that was available!
I have so many wonderful portfolios sitting on my shelf that my need to
accumulate fine art is satiated for a little while at least.  However, it is
still a great incentive for producing prints, if one is needed.  Sometimes
it IS needed because other demands intervene, especially in a teachers'
life.

Jean
e-mail: jeaneger@jeaneger.com
http://www.jeaneger.com


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From: "Mary Kuster" <mkuster@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 17:29:00 -0500
Subject: [Baren 16926] Re: PEA 

How about establishing all four exchanges at the beginning of the year.
That way those that need a year can sign up for the last one, and those that
need less time can sign up for the earlier ones.

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From: "Lee and Barbara Mason" <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 16:00:00 -0800
Subject: [Baren 16927] exchanges 

Rodger,
An exchange takes place when 30 artists agree to a theme and size of paper
and one person agrees to collate the work and send it out. Each artist sends
in 31 prints to the collator, and receives 30 back, one of their own and 29
from 29 other artists. The extra print goes into the Baren Archives, in this
case it is stored in the spencer museum collection in Kansas City. Some
times the archive set is kept at the home of the organizer. This depends on
the group. The only charge for the exchange is your time and paper and ink
and the shipping both ways to the home of the person collating the work,
usually about $5.29 priority mail each way. Cases are available for storage
of the prints and cost $25. They are hand made in Japan and shipped to the
person sending out the work and arrive with your 30 prints inside, if you
ordered one, in your mail box. We try to keep them on time, but usually they
are a few weeks late. Life just gets in our way.See our exchange stuff at
http://www.barenforum.org click on gallery to see past work and exchanges to
see rules and sign up sheets. The Baren has 4 exchanges a year, two are
themed and two are no theme.
Best to you,
Barbara
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger lee" <leesartstuff@shaw.ca>
To: <baren@ml.asahi-net.or.jp>
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2002 2:25 PM
Subject: [Baren 16924] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1714


> Hi
> What is an exchange?
> Roger Lee
>



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From: Princess Rashid <prashid@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 22:56:07 -0500
Subject: [Baren 16928] Re: Quality 

Dear All,

This is a good discussion.

I think it would help us all improve the overall quality of the contributions
to the exchanges for the re-introduction of consistent, intelligient criticism
via the feedback page or just private emails. I mean really  respond to as many
pieces as possible. The point is to comment on the strengths AND  weaknesses of
the individual pieces beyond " I really like it" or "It sucks!"

Those comments don't really say anything.  What specifically don't you like?
What misses? What doesn't work and what does in the piece?  How's the
composition, use of color, content , etc.? If the  piece is a "masterpiece",
Why? If we don't intelligently comment and criticize each others work  how will
we grow as artists and as a community of artists?

Thoughtful criticism with the intent to help and not hurt is healthy for the
artist and his audience. The obvious tone of comments should be the same as if
you were in same room with the rest of the group viewing the work with the
artist. Sensitive yet honest is a helpful approach.  The artist is free to take
it or leave it but at least she gets some feedback.

In my humble opinion,

Princess Rashid
Jax, FL


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From: jhcleverdon@mindspring.com
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 23:33:52 -0600
Subject: [Baren 16929] Introductng myself  

2/10/02

Dear Folks:

My name is John Cleverdon.  I'm a retired art professor from the
University of South Alabama (which is located in Mobile).  My M.A. degree
was in Art (Printmaking), with woodcut as my main medium.  I had about as
many hours in painting as in printmaking.

When I was in graduate school (in the mid 1950s), the woodcut, especially
the large color woodcut, was the most popular
printmaking media.  (This was before Tamarind and U.L.A.E.)  The artists
that I liked best at the time were Antonio Frasconi, Leonard Baskin
(especially for his large black-and-white "Man of Peace"). and the abstract
expressionist painter Franz Kline.  My works at the time was mostly
black-and-white woodcuts or black-and-white plus one or two colors, either
completely abstract or suggestive of German expressionism.

Lately I mostly do acrylic paintings on canvas, but I intend to do more
woodcuts.  A couple of years ago a friend published a chapbook of poems by
my wife and woodcuts by me.  I printed the woodcuts on my etching press,
using the reduction method to print white over black to make black lines and
shapes on a gray ground.

I'll probably go to the Southern Graphics Council meeting in New Orleans.
The meetings don't look especially exciting, but the portfolios should be
really terrific and there'll be a lot of printmakers there, including some
old friends of mine.  I  live only about three hours from New Orleans.
Also, that meeting's the deadline for SGC members to turn in their work for
the American Print Alliance's September 11th memorial portfolio.


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End of Baren Digest V18 #1715
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