Baren Digest Saturday, 27 September 2003 Volume 24 : Number 2388 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mike Lyon Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 08:52:44 -0500 Subject: [Baren 22922] New Print... I completed another (oban moku-hanga) print while I was teaching last week at the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk, Connecticut. In this print I was trying to really push the level of detail I could communicate. I planned the blocks as I have been doing for the past year or two, except that I allowed much smaller than usual 'artifacts' in the areas of the head and hands. I feel this was a pretty successful print. I printed 40 sheets of Yamaguchi Hosho (Baren Mall) and most survived the process (about half a dozen are lightly smudged somewhere). The 'backgrounds' are quite varied as I was experimenting with different baren suji techniques (using different barens), so some prints have very smooth, pale backgrounds and some have very pronounced swirly or straight or wavy or circular baren marks a bit like lightly drawn crayon all of which were laid down very quickly during a single first impression. After that, printing was 'normal' and I went for a relatively smooth application of color. You can check out photos of a number of states at http://www.mlyon.com/prints/relief/2003_09_jessica.htm - -- Mike Mike Lyon mailto:mikelyon#mlyon.com http://www.mlyon.com ------------------------------ From: Barbara Mason Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 07:22:24 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Baren 22923] Re: New Print... Mike, this is an amazing woodblock...is this reduction? If not how many blocks did you use? As I understand you are taking a photo and making the color separtations or striations with the computer and using this map to create the blocks. Great work, and pretty unusual for woodblock. Best to you, Barbara You can check out photos of a number of states at >http://www.mlyon.com/prints/relief/2003_09_jessica.htm > >- -- Mike > > ------------------------------ From: Sharri LaPierre Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 09:41:23 -0700 Subject: [Baren 22924] Re: Baren Digest V24 #2387 In line with our recent paper discussion, particularly on the merits of Stonehenge, I just ran across the fact that Louise Bourgeois just completed a portfolio published by Procuniar Workshop, New York. It is on Stonehenge, each image and the colophon is 11 x 16, is screenprint and litho (they both generally require a very smooth paper which is also a nice thing to have for woodcut, right?) and you can pick this up for a mere $25,000. I guess Stonehenge maybe isn't so bad afterall LOL Someone asked why you would use damp paper for relief and add that extra step. The answer is the way it accepts the ink. It just prints a smoother and crisper image and I never print any other way. I've tried printing with dry paper, and don't care for the way the ink stands on top of the paper. When the paper is damp it seems to draw the ink into it. I guess it's an individual aesthetic thing. Cheerio, Sharri ------------------------------ From: MccarthyDb#aol.com Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 12:41:29 EDT Subject: [Baren 22925] Re: New Print... unbelievable clarity in the detail- my hat is off to you mike (aside from that, lovely print too!) bobette ------------------------------ From: Julio.Rodriguez#walgreens.com Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 12:07:22 -0500 Subject: [Baren 22926] Re: New Print... Hi Mike, wonderful new image "Jessica", detail is incredible. How did you achieve the barensuji marks on the paper ? ...what's the trick ? How did it go at the CCP ? Give us a report on the exhibit, opening and your woodblock class.... thanks...Julio Rodriguez (Skokie, Illinois) ------------------------------ From: b.patera#att.net Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 19:47:23 +0000 Subject: [Baren 22927] Re: New Print... Mike, all I can say, is WOW! Barbara Patera > >I completed another (oban moku-hanga) print while I was teaching last week >at the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk, Connecticut. In >this print I was trying to really push the level of detail I could >communicate. I planned the blocks as I have been doing for the past year >or two, except that I allowed much smaller than usual 'artifacts' in the >areas of the head and hands. I feel this was a pretty successful print. I >printed 40 sheets of Yamaguchi Hosho (Baren Mall) and most survived the >process (about half a dozen are lightly smudged somewhere). The >'backgrounds' are quite varied as I was experimenting with different baren >suji techniques (using different barens), so some prints have very smooth, >pale backgrounds and some have very pronounced swirly or straight or wavy >or circular baren marks a bit like lightly drawn crayon all of which were >laid down very quickly during a single first impression. After that, >printing was 'normal' and I went for a relatively smooth application of >color. > >You can check out photos of a number of states at >http://www.mlyon.com/prints/relief/2003_09_jessica.htm > >-- Mike > > >Mike Lyon >mailto:mikelyon#mlyon.com >http://www.mlyon.com ------------------------------ From: "marilynn smih" Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 14:04:28 -0700 Subject: [Baren 22928] Re: Baren Digest V24 #2387 When I got back from the Baren summit I was determined to learn to keep my tools sharp. I went into woodcrafters in Portland Oregon and asked for a sharpening stone. They asked me what tools I wanted to keep sharp and said i had the power grip set and some other japanese tools for woodblock printmaking. The man there said he had something that would work great, so i bought it and it does. It is a wooden tool with a handle and on it is a heavy piece of leather. It is cut with grooves for your tools, some U shaped for the u guages and some raised and set right for a V guage and for the flat tools i use the side. It is called a SLICK STICK and it comes with slick stick stuff. That is a green honing compound, I suspect it is the same compound everyone else has been talking about. It also comes with a little brush. You brush the compound into the leather and when you need to sharpen you just wet it and go! Easy and my tools are sharp, i am happy! I am a klutz with tools, my husband is a genius. He has tools galore and he has stones and he can sharpen, but geez I would like to be able to do this myself! In fact he should have been a carpenter instead of an insurance agent. The deck he is busy building is amazing, he has a tool that cuts wooden plugs. All the screw holes are being fitted with wooden plugs, so Irarely touch tools. I would think if this works for me it would work for almost anyone. Girls quit throwing out tools and learn to keep them sharp. If you have the persistance to be an artist and even more to carve wood and be a printmaker you can learn a way to keep your tools sharp, keep trying. Marilynn ------------------------------ From: Bette Wappner Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 17:19:06 -0400 Subject: [Baren 22929] Re: Baren Digest V24 #2387 > Girls quit throwing out tools and learn to keep them sharp. >If you have the persistance to be an artist and even more to carve wood and >be a printmaker you can learn a way to keep your tools sharp, keep trying. >Marilynn "Amen" sister Barener friend! Well said and way to go on that slick stick thingie. :) Sharpening 101 - First thing to remember, "sharp tools are our friends" Sorry - in a silly mood today! Happy Friday everyone. keep smilin, bette wappner ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V24 #2388 *****************************