Today's postings
- [Baren 27920] misc tips and tricks - don't try this at home! ("Maria Diener (aka Arango)")
- [Baren 27921] addendum ("Maria Diener (aka Arango)")
- [Baren 27922] tooting my own horn (sorry)... (Mike Lyon)
- [Baren 27923] Re: tooting my own horn (sorry)... (ArtfulCarol # aol.com)
- [Baren 27924] thunderation (MccarthyDb # aol.com)
- [Baren 27925] Re: tooting my own horn (sorry)... (Charles Morgan)
- [Baren 27926] Re: misc tips and tricks - don't try this at home! (ReadDevine # aol.com)
Message 1
From: "Maria Diener (aka Arango)"
Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 11:54:09 -0700
Subject: [Baren 27920] misc tips and tricks - don't try this at home!
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I have had these in my head for a while now and just have to spit them out:
- Opening ink cans (oily folk)
When you first get those idiotic aluminum cans of ink, open them, coat the
outer lip of the can with some of that maaarvelousss miracle gel. You will
open and close the can painlessly for the life of the can (or yours,
whichever ends last).
- Slicing wood, rip or cross
I tend(ed) to carve my blocks on both sides, which came to be annoying when
I started framing them to sell. I searched and searched for a
lumberyard/woodshop that would slice blocks in half for me (that is, rip the
wood with the grain without marring either carved side). No avail, all
o'them good ol boys told me they couldn't do it without heavy clamping and
possible complete obliteration of the thing.
I then looked into a band saw but that seemed like an expensive and
heavy piece of machinery to have around the house just for the occassional
slicing of a cherry or maple block. Besides I would have needed the 12"
throat extension and blade guides and whew!
So I asked the list a while back and everyone told me not to try to do it by
hand. I got my "not" and "try" all confused so I bought a bow saw and a
Japanese ryoba saw, both of which rip and cut big ol' chunks of wood however
fast my shoulders will drive them. The ryoba especially just made two neat
blocks out of a 9" x 12" piece of end grain maple which I had engraved on
both sides. And the bow saw sliced through a boxwood round like nothing at
all.
But I didn't stop there. If you recall a while back I acquired a bunch
of exotic woods; most of them came in 3" chunks. Pulled out my ryoba once
more, rip side this time and made mince meat out of a piece of 12" x 14"
brazilian rosewood...in about close to two hours. But now I have four blocks
roughly 3/4" thick. Look out pile of wood. Oh, be sure to start your cuts
perfectly straight perpendicular to the face of the wood. And be sure to
switch hands so that you don't end up looking like a tennis player.
- Glueing prints to backing
Cheapo sponge roller and Lineco neutral pH white glue seem to be the best
combination. My papers are very thick and none of the acid free spray
adhesives or the dry double-sided adhesive sheets hold up in the festival
world. The Lineco glue is reversible with heat (I tried) and leaves only a
slight residue on the back of the paper that can be rolled off like ruber
cement.
I use a tiny painter's palette that comes in a kit with a tiny trim roller
and a sponge brush. Everything washes with water for repeated use.
- Cheaper framing spacers
Along those same lines, I like to float my prints against a contrasting
backing and have that hand-made paper (by Beech Grove Paperworks!) shine on
its own with nothing around the print but the frame. To separate the glass
from the print I cut black acid free foamboard in 1/2" strips (or whatever)
and save myself the expense of the Framespace products. The foamboard glues
to either the backing or the side of the frame and holds up great in
Southwest storms.
I think that's it for now. File under miscellaneous.
Maria, with one more festival on deck and a nice rest coming
Maria Arango
www.1000woodcuts.com
Las Vegas Nevada USA
- Opening ink cans (oily folk)
When you first get those idiotic aluminum cans of ink, open them, coat the
outer lip of the can with some of that maaarvelousss miracle gel. You will
open and close the can painlessly for the life of the can (or yours,
whichever ends last).
- Slicing wood, rip or cross
I tend(ed) to carve my blocks on both sides, which came to be annoying when
I started framing them to sell. I searched and searched for a
lumberyard/woodshop that would slice blocks in half for me (that is, rip the
wood with the grain without marring either carved side). No avail, all
o'them good ol boys told me they couldn't do it without heavy clamping and
possible complete obliteration of the thing.
I then looked into a band saw but that seemed like an expensive and
heavy piece of machinery to have around the house just for the occassional
slicing of a cherry or maple block. Besides I would have needed the 12"
throat extension and blade guides and whew!
So I asked the list a while back and everyone told me not to try to do it by
hand. I got my "not" and "try" all confused so I bought a bow saw and a
Japanese ryoba saw, both of which rip and cut big ol' chunks of wood however
fast my shoulders will drive them. The ryoba especially just made two neat
blocks out of a 9" x 12" piece of end grain maple which I had engraved on
both sides. And the bow saw sliced through a boxwood round like nothing at
all.
But I didn't stop there. If you recall a while back I acquired a bunch
of exotic woods; most of them came in 3" chunks. Pulled out my ryoba once
more, rip side this time and made mince meat out of a piece of 12" x 14"
brazilian rosewood...in about close to two hours. But now I have four blocks
roughly 3/4" thick. Look out pile of wood. Oh, be sure to start your cuts
perfectly straight perpendicular to the face of the wood. And be sure to
switch hands so that you don't end up looking like a tennis player.
- Glueing prints to backing
Cheapo sponge roller and Lineco neutral pH white glue seem to be the best
combination. My papers are very thick and none of the acid free spray
adhesives or the dry double-sided adhesive sheets hold up in the festival
world. The Lineco glue is reversible with heat (I tried) and leaves only a
slight residue on the back of the paper that can be rolled off like ruber
cement.
I use a tiny painter's palette that comes in a kit with a tiny trim roller
and a sponge brush. Everything washes with water for repeated use.
- Cheaper framing spacers
Along those same lines, I like to float my prints against a contrasting
backing and have that hand-made paper (by Beech Grove Paperworks!) shine on
its own with nothing around the print but the frame. To separate the glass
from the print I cut black acid free foamboard in 1/2" strips (or whatever)
and save myself the expense of the Framespace products. The foamboard glues
to either the backing or the side of the frame and holds up great in
Southwest storms.
I think that's it for now. File under miscellaneous.
Maria, with one more festival on deck and a nice rest coming
Maria Arango
www.1000woodcuts.com
Las Vegas Nevada USA
Message 2
From: "Maria Diener (aka Arango)"
Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 11:58:19 -0700
Subject: [Baren 27921] addendum
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cut PARALLEL to the face of the wood...sheesh!
Maria Arango
www.1000woodcuts.com
Las Vegas Nevada USA
Maria Arango
www.1000woodcuts.com
Las Vegas Nevada USA
Message 3
From: Mike Lyon
Date: Wed, 04 May 2005 14:04:05 -0500
Subject: [Baren 27922] tooting my own horn (sorry)...
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Hey, here's some exciting (well, to me, anyway) news!
As you may already be aware, my woodblock prints have been picked up by two
Internet galleries, www.sarugallery.com in Holland and www.ukiyoe-gallery
(see their Gallery #4) in Oregon. The Oregon gallery is directed by Thomas
Crossland who has just written a somewhat off-beat but potentially
entertaining article about me here: www.ukiyoe-gallery.com/lyon.htm
My large-scale (30x21 inches) Japanese technique woodblock print "Anthony"
was juried into two recent exhibitions:
American Impressions at the Ben Shahn Gallery of the William Paterson
University in Wayne, New Jersey (juror John W. Ittman, Curator of Prints,
Philadelphia Museum of Art)
and...
The 18th Annual McNeese Works on Paper at the Abercrombie Gallery at
McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana (juror Annette DiMeo
Carlozzi, senior curator of American and Contemporary Art, Blanton Museum
of Art, University of Texas at Austin)
Carlozzi selected 37 works from a field of 800 entries for this year's
exhibition and then selected my "Anthony" print for a $1,200 purchase
award, so "Anthony" has recently entered the McNeese Permanent Art
Collection!
How very COOL, eh?
Thanks for your encouragement and support and for 'making' Baren Forum such
a great i-place -- I absolutely LOVE Baren -- a fantastic resource of
wonderful information and great inspiration to me! Thank you, thank you,
one and all!
Euphorically,
Mike
Mike Lyon
Kansas City, Missouri
http://mlyon.com
As you may already be aware, my woodblock prints have been picked up by two
Internet galleries, www.sarugallery.com in Holland and www.ukiyoe-gallery
(see their Gallery #4) in Oregon. The Oregon gallery is directed by Thomas
Crossland who has just written a somewhat off-beat but potentially
entertaining article about me here: www.ukiyoe-gallery.com/lyon.htm
My large-scale (30x21 inches) Japanese technique woodblock print "Anthony"
was juried into two recent exhibitions:
American Impressions at the Ben Shahn Gallery of the William Paterson
University in Wayne, New Jersey (juror John W. Ittman, Curator of Prints,
Philadelphia Museum of Art)
and...
The 18th Annual McNeese Works on Paper at the Abercrombie Gallery at
McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana (juror Annette DiMeo
Carlozzi, senior curator of American and Contemporary Art, Blanton Museum
of Art, University of Texas at Austin)
Carlozzi selected 37 works from a field of 800 entries for this year's
exhibition and then selected my "Anthony" print for a $1,200 purchase
award, so "Anthony" has recently entered the McNeese Permanent Art
Collection!
How very COOL, eh?
Thanks for your encouragement and support and for 'making' Baren Forum such
a great i-place -- I absolutely LOVE Baren -- a fantastic resource of
wonderful information and great inspiration to me! Thank you, thank you,
one and all!
Euphorically,
Mike
Mike Lyon
Kansas City, Missouri
http://mlyon.com
Message 4
From: ArtfulCarol # aol.com
Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 15:36:12 EDT
Subject: [Baren 27923] Re: tooting my own horn (sorry)...
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A LARGE SCALE TERRIFIC TOOT TO YOU MIKE!
CONGRATS!
Carol Lyons
CONGRATS!
Carol Lyons
Message 5
From: MccarthyDb # aol.com
Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 16:05:06 EDT
Subject: [Baren 27924] thunderation
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Thunderous applause to you Mike!
Wonderful work and a wonderful article too- makes me really miss KC.
And thanks to you Maria for passing along all the hard won knowledge so
generously so we all may benefit- Baren rocks.
Bobette
Wonderful work and a wonderful article too- makes me really miss KC.
And thanks to you Maria for passing along all the hard won knowledge so
generously so we all may benefit- Baren rocks.
Bobette
Message 6
From: Charles Morgan
Date: Wed, 04 May 2005 15:57:34 -0700
Subject: [Baren 27925] Re: tooting my own horn (sorry)...
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Congratulations Mike!!!
Cheers .... Charles
Cheers .... Charles
Message 7
From: ReadDevine # aol.com
Date: Wed, 04 May 2005 23:19:11 -0400
Subject: [Baren 27926] Re: misc tips and tricks - don't try this at home!
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Maria, thankyou so much for sharing your knowledge & discoveries. The info on cutting blocks was especially welcomed - i too have asked the local timberyard gentlemen and they were not helpful at all.
Mellissa Read-Devine
Sydney Australia
Mellissa Read-Devine
Sydney Australia