Today's postings
- [Baren 30259] Re: How Do You Do It (Tyrus Clutter)
- [Baren 30260] Re: How I do it ("carol wagner")
- [Baren 30261] Quality Content ("Tom Kristensen")
- [Baren 30262] Re: Quality Content (Mary Brooks-Mueller)
- [Baren 30263] Re: How Do You Do It (Mary Brooks-Mueller)
- [Baren 30264] Blogs and etc. ... (Dave Bull)
- [Baren 30265] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V34 #3394 (Mar 10, 2006 ) ("rsimola # netzero.net")
- [Baren 30266] Re: How Do You Do It? (deborah harris)
- [Baren 30267] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V34 #3394 (Mar 10, 2006 ) ("Matt Laine")
Message 1
From: Tyrus Clutter
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 17:33:59 -0500
Subject: [Baren 30259] Re: How Do You Do It
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Annie,
I'll give my two cents on this topic as well. I find the computer to be a
great tool in my printmaking processes, but it differs with what specific
work I am doing and I pretty much a traditionalist at heart.
For relief images, I draw an image in my sketchbook of what would
traditionally be considered a key block. I draw it to scale, to fit my
block, and then scan the image into the computer and enlarge it to the size
I want. This is all because I typically design more finely than I can cut a
block and the enlargement helps. I then print two of the images on a laser
printer and transfer them to the blocks w/ wintergreen oil. For my color
block I paint with watercolor directly on the block to complement the key
block image.
As for the hours it takes cut the blocks... I have no idea. I worked on my
most recent blocks for about two months, off and on. I also cut much deeper
than I need to, but that is because I like the look when I later
polyurethane the blocks and frame them.
On the other hand, my most recent etchings really employ the computer. I
wanted to use text in the images so I started digitally layering text over
photographs, erasing out the lighter areas in photoshop so that eventually,
when the photo is taken away, an image exists composed of text. I then
invert the image and transfer to a copper plate and bite it in an acid bath.
I also go back into it in traditional ways and since I printing these as
viscosity images they are completely changed once I print them. The text
evolves in the acid. But this is too much about non-relief printing. If any
one wants to see a jpeg then let me know. I still don't have a website and
these images are all still in state proofs at the moment.
Tyrus
Tyrus Clutter
Director, Christians in the Visual Arts
255 Grapevine Road
Wenham, MA 01984
978-867-4128: Office
978-867-4125: Fax
www.civa.org
Christians in the Visual Arts is the premier visual arts organization
connecting the artist, the Church, and the culture.
I'll give my two cents on this topic as well. I find the computer to be a
great tool in my printmaking processes, but it differs with what specific
work I am doing and I pretty much a traditionalist at heart.
For relief images, I draw an image in my sketchbook of what would
traditionally be considered a key block. I draw it to scale, to fit my
block, and then scan the image into the computer and enlarge it to the size
I want. This is all because I typically design more finely than I can cut a
block and the enlargement helps. I then print two of the images on a laser
printer and transfer them to the blocks w/ wintergreen oil. For my color
block I paint with watercolor directly on the block to complement the key
block image.
As for the hours it takes cut the blocks... I have no idea. I worked on my
most recent blocks for about two months, off and on. I also cut much deeper
than I need to, but that is because I like the look when I later
polyurethane the blocks and frame them.
On the other hand, my most recent etchings really employ the computer. I
wanted to use text in the images so I started digitally layering text over
photographs, erasing out the lighter areas in photoshop so that eventually,
when the photo is taken away, an image exists composed of text. I then
invert the image and transfer to a copper plate and bite it in an acid bath.
I also go back into it in traditional ways and since I printing these as
viscosity images they are completely changed once I print them. The text
evolves in the acid. But this is too much about non-relief printing. If any
one wants to see a jpeg then let me know. I still don't have a website and
these images are all still in state proofs at the moment.
Tyrus
Tyrus Clutter
Director, Christians in the Visual Arts
255 Grapevine Road
Wenham, MA 01984
978-867-4128: Office
978-867-4125: Fax
www.civa.org
Christians in the Visual Arts is the premier visual arts organization
connecting the artist, the Church, and the culture.
Message 2
From: "carol wagner"
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 14:43:32 -0800
Subject: [Baren 30260] Re: How I do it
Send Message: To this poster
Hooray,
Just when I had begun to despair that maybe the Baren Forum had become too
sterile, along comes our Maria, Julio, Charles Morgan, Barbara and others
with a reminder that the Forum is, after all ,what the membership makes of
it. Lots of posts from many members, old and new, good new dialogues in the
making, and all conversation heard in the big room. Sigh, 'life is good!
So, Maria,
As usual, when you post it makes me laugh, makes me feel good ,and makes so
much sense.
Annie B,
Because my primary print interest is Moku Hanga as practiced by the
Japanese, I always start my prints by designing an original by hand.
Sometimes I'll use a brush and Sumi, sometimes a pencil or a charcoal
drawing . When I'm happy with the composition , I'll then work out the color
separations (one block per color, unless I can 'fudge' two colors onto one
block).
I am far from happy with most of my results, but then I have not put in the
time required to become better, so I keep on truckin...and while I do so,
just enjoy the heck out of so many of our fellow Barener's posts and work,
be it Moku Hanga or Other!
Carol in Sacramento
Just when I had begun to despair that maybe the Baren Forum had become too
sterile, along comes our Maria, Julio, Charles Morgan, Barbara and others
with a reminder that the Forum is, after all ,what the membership makes of
it. Lots of posts from many members, old and new, good new dialogues in the
making, and all conversation heard in the big room. Sigh, 'life is good!
So, Maria,
As usual, when you post it makes me laugh, makes me feel good ,and makes so
much sense.
Annie B,
Because my primary print interest is Moku Hanga as practiced by the
Japanese, I always start my prints by designing an original by hand.
Sometimes I'll use a brush and Sumi, sometimes a pencil or a charcoal
drawing . When I'm happy with the composition , I'll then work out the color
separations (one block per color, unless I can 'fudge' two colors onto one
block).
I am far from happy with most of my results, but then I have not put in the
time required to become better, so I keep on truckin...and while I do so,
just enjoy the heck out of so many of our fellow Barener's posts and work,
be it Moku Hanga or Other!
Carol in Sacramento
Message 3
From: "Tom Kristensen"
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2006 10:44:59 +1100
Subject: [Baren 30261] Quality Content
Send Message: To this poster
My 2 cents on the direction of Baren Forum and blogs. I think it is counter-productive to complain about other people's contributions. If the list is not to your liking do something to move it ahead. Raise topics for discussion, pose a question, remark on some inspirational art. Those people who go to the effort of running a blog should not be pilloried for doing so. I receive my most instructive lessons by looking at prints online. I am happy to be notified of blog updates and receive useful links. As a non-US resident I must say that I often feel on the outer with the chit-chat, but so be it. I certainly do not want anyone to stop posting because they lack authority, or might only be remarking on the weather. We in Australia are now moving into Autumn, We have no Fall, cause most leaves stick to the trees.
Tom
Tom
Message 4
From: Mary Brooks-Mueller
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 16:37:56 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 30262] Re: Quality Content
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Tom,
From Mexico here. I agree. The winds of March have
come upon El Centro. There will soon be vast panoramas
of purple in bloom. For other world woodblock
inspiration I refer you to Jose Guadalupe Podasa:
http://muertos.palomar.edu/posdad.htm
MaryAnn
Guanajuato
From Mexico here. I agree. The winds of March have
come upon El Centro. There will soon be vast panoramas
of purple in bloom. For other world woodblock
inspiration I refer you to Jose Guadalupe Podasa:
http://muertos.palomar.edu/posdad.htm
MaryAnn
Guanajuato
Message 5
From: Mary Brooks-Mueller
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 16:43:40 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 30263] Re: How Do You Do It
Send Message: To this poster
Hola Tyrus - I enjoy your work very much. Lately I
have been over-printing my photomontage with several
woodblocks, mixed media. I would love to see what you
can send.
Saludos
MaryAnn
Mexico
have been over-printing my photomontage with several
woodblocks, mixed media. I would love to see what you
can send.
Saludos
MaryAnn
Mexico
Message 6
From: Dave Bull
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2006 10:28:46 +0900
Subject: [Baren 30264] Blogs and etc. ...
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What a stack of stuff in the [Baren] mail folder this morning! This is
just how it's been for so many years now; periods of steady
conversation, quiet 'slumps', then sudden bursts of activity ...
About the blogs ... Blogs are out there, they are changing the way
that people use the internet, and they are definitely changing the way
that other 'communities' function. Ours is no exception.
We realized way back near the beginning of [Baren] that we had quite a
'problem' on our hands - we were a list devoted to a graphic art, but
could only use text messages to communicate with each other. Some
members were web-savvy enough to put up websites, but most were not
able to do this.
For a number of years we tried to get around this by hosting pages
within the [Baren] site itself, and actually, a lot of those pages are
still there. If you visit this directory:
http://barenforum.org/members/
... and poke around, you will find lots of (mostly outdated) stuff.
The problem though, was of course that this took a huge amount of work,
and it was just not possible to keep it up.
Along come blogs, and now it's much easier for people to put images up
where others can see them. Julio jumped on this, and set up the [Baren]
blog. This is being used (a bit), but suffers from one small 'problem';
people web-savvy enough to figure out how to post to the [Baren] Blog
are also web-savvy enough to run their _own_ blog!
So for those of us who are the caretakers for this group, the question
becomes: "How can we integrate our discussions with theincreasing
amount of interesting 'off-site' content being provided by our members
in their blogs?" We can choose to do nothing, and hope that the 'raw'
discussion format that [Baren] provides remains viable through the
evolutions coming at us. It may be so; we don't know.
But I thought it was worth trying to link the two worlds together - to
somehow link our round-table discussion format with the flood of images
and 'process' information now being created on those blogs out there.
That's why I programmed the daily feed of blog updates that has been
posted to the list for the past few months.
It's a real plus/minus; as Tom mentioned in a post this morning, it
provides wonderful access to a whole bunch of interesting information,
and I think that is one of the major functions of the group. The minus
is that when people want to write/communicate about what they see, they
frequently do so on the individual blogs, not here on [Baren].
I see no immediate and obvious way around this. If we stop posting
those blog updates, [Baren] just ends up being in its own quiet
backwater, becoming gradually more isolated from what is going on 'out
there'. But if there is no good discussion here, [Baren] loses its
heart ...
As somebody pointed out, it's 'up to you'; if you post interesting
stuff, discussion will ignite. If you don't; it will sleep. As always,
the list will be whatever the members make it. Just where this blog
thing is going to go, nobody knows, but I think it should be an
interesting ride. It may be that the day of the 'text only' discussion
format is past. I myself don't really think so, but I'm an 'old guy',
so what do I know!
When I read this blog post yesterday (linked from [Baren] of course,
otherwise I wouldn't have seen it):
http://woodblockdreams.blogspot.com/2006/03/find-wood.html
... my first thought was "If this were on [Baren] it could be the most
dynamite discussion we've had in ages. This cuts right to the core of
what woodblock printmaking is all about! But to answer her, I would
need to write a book!"
...
Dave
just how it's been for so many years now; periods of steady
conversation, quiet 'slumps', then sudden bursts of activity ...
About the blogs ... Blogs are out there, they are changing the way
that people use the internet, and they are definitely changing the way
that other 'communities' function. Ours is no exception.
We realized way back near the beginning of [Baren] that we had quite a
'problem' on our hands - we were a list devoted to a graphic art, but
could only use text messages to communicate with each other. Some
members were web-savvy enough to put up websites, but most were not
able to do this.
For a number of years we tried to get around this by hosting pages
within the [Baren] site itself, and actually, a lot of those pages are
still there. If you visit this directory:
http://barenforum.org/members/
... and poke around, you will find lots of (mostly outdated) stuff.
The problem though, was of course that this took a huge amount of work,
and it was just not possible to keep it up.
Along come blogs, and now it's much easier for people to put images up
where others can see them. Julio jumped on this, and set up the [Baren]
blog. This is being used (a bit), but suffers from one small 'problem';
people web-savvy enough to figure out how to post to the [Baren] Blog
are also web-savvy enough to run their _own_ blog!
So for those of us who are the caretakers for this group, the question
becomes: "How can we integrate our discussions with theincreasing
amount of interesting 'off-site' content being provided by our members
in their blogs?" We can choose to do nothing, and hope that the 'raw'
discussion format that [Baren] provides remains viable through the
evolutions coming at us. It may be so; we don't know.
But I thought it was worth trying to link the two worlds together - to
somehow link our round-table discussion format with the flood of images
and 'process' information now being created on those blogs out there.
That's why I programmed the daily feed of blog updates that has been
posted to the list for the past few months.
It's a real plus/minus; as Tom mentioned in a post this morning, it
provides wonderful access to a whole bunch of interesting information,
and I think that is one of the major functions of the group. The minus
is that when people want to write/communicate about what they see, they
frequently do so on the individual blogs, not here on [Baren].
I see no immediate and obvious way around this. If we stop posting
those blog updates, [Baren] just ends up being in its own quiet
backwater, becoming gradually more isolated from what is going on 'out
there'. But if there is no good discussion here, [Baren] loses its
heart ...
As somebody pointed out, it's 'up to you'; if you post interesting
stuff, discussion will ignite. If you don't; it will sleep. As always,
the list will be whatever the members make it. Just where this blog
thing is going to go, nobody knows, but I think it should be an
interesting ride. It may be that the day of the 'text only' discussion
format is past. I myself don't really think so, but I'm an 'old guy',
so what do I know!
When I read this blog post yesterday (linked from [Baren] of course,
otherwise I wouldn't have seen it):
http://woodblockdreams.blogspot.com/2006/03/find-wood.html
... my first thought was "If this were on [Baren] it could be the most
dynamite discussion we've had in ages. This cuts right to the core of
what woodblock printmaking is all about! But to answer her, I would
need to write a book!"
...
Dave
Message 7
From: "rsimola # netzero.net"
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2006 01:47:07 GMT
Subject: [Baren 30265] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V34 #3394 (Mar 10, 2006 )
Send Message: To this poster
Diane,
A Kensol is like a Kwikprint on steroids. It has a heating element and a chase. The plate or letters go in the chase. There is a big lever, or with the really expensive ones a button. You apply pressure--even the smaller ones can give two or three tons pressure. I am not sure of the exact specifications. The Kensol can also be setup to give a specificied amount of pressure.
My machine stands about two-and-a-half feet tall and weighs several hundred pounds. It was thrown in with some other things I wanted like a job backer and a Kwikprint, and I haven't actually used it for its intended purpose. For block printing I cut a piece of 3/4" plywood to fit in the chase so I would have a solid, flat surface. The opening of the chase is only about eight by ten inches (which is bigger than any block I have yet printed). But if I wanted to print something larger, I could attach a larger piece of plywood to the plywood that is now in the chase. If you would like, I will take a picture of the Kensol and send it to you. It is a wonderful work-around substitute for a block press since I have it, but I could probably buy a real press for what it costs since even used Kensols are expensive.
Robert Simola
A Kensol is like a Kwikprint on steroids. It has a heating element and a chase. The plate or letters go in the chase. There is a big lever, or with the really expensive ones a button. You apply pressure--even the smaller ones can give two or three tons pressure. I am not sure of the exact specifications. The Kensol can also be setup to give a specificied amount of pressure.
My machine stands about two-and-a-half feet tall and weighs several hundred pounds. It was thrown in with some other things I wanted like a job backer and a Kwikprint, and I haven't actually used it for its intended purpose. For block printing I cut a piece of 3/4" plywood to fit in the chase so I would have a solid, flat surface. The opening of the chase is only about eight by ten inches (which is bigger than any block I have yet printed). But if I wanted to print something larger, I could attach a larger piece of plywood to the plywood that is now in the chase. If you would like, I will take a picture of the Kensol and send it to you. It is a wonderful work-around substitute for a block press since I have it, but I could probably buy a real press for what it costs since even used Kensols are expensive.
Robert Simola
Message 8
From: deborah harris
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 21:30:17 -0800
Subject: [Baren 30266] Re: How Do You Do It?
Send Message: To this poster
This is in reply to Annie's question about process, which I think is an
interesting one. My printing mentor has often told me not to get wrapped
up in technique. I take this to mean that making perfect prints is fine,
but real content comes directly out of the process of working, of
discovering the image. This is true in scuplture and painting too. I
don't believe you should be able to see the image before you start. I
think you should find it, as Michaelangelo found "The Slaves" - his last
and greatest works - in the stone. He spoke of releasing them. I have
also read that Hokusai liked to walk on his paper before painting so the
footprints would suggest the image to him. I think you are on the right
track in feeling that there is something wrong with making a print of
something that you can do in another medium. My own method is to start
with a sketch that is rather like a keyblock, or an outline. I transfer
that to the block, but until I begin to cut I don't have any real idea of
how I will pull out the image. I especially like this fast and loose
method. It makes carving more like drawing - an exploratory and
inspirational medium. I think it gives the image energy and life. I
always make mistakes. That is: I realize after the fact that I should not
have cut something, or done it differently, or stopped sooner. But I just
go on to the next print. Each one gets better, I get more sure of myself,
more free. I have worked directly into the block with no drawing
too. It's exhilarating and creative. Good luck.
interesting one. My printing mentor has often told me not to get wrapped
up in technique. I take this to mean that making perfect prints is fine,
but real content comes directly out of the process of working, of
discovering the image. This is true in scuplture and painting too. I
don't believe you should be able to see the image before you start. I
think you should find it, as Michaelangelo found "The Slaves" - his last
and greatest works - in the stone. He spoke of releasing them. I have
also read that Hokusai liked to walk on his paper before painting so the
footprints would suggest the image to him. I think you are on the right
track in feeling that there is something wrong with making a print of
something that you can do in another medium. My own method is to start
with a sketch that is rather like a keyblock, or an outline. I transfer
that to the block, but until I begin to cut I don't have any real idea of
how I will pull out the image. I especially like this fast and loose
method. It makes carving more like drawing - an exploratory and
inspirational medium. I think it gives the image energy and life. I
always make mistakes. That is: I realize after the fact that I should not
have cut something, or done it differently, or stopped sooner. But I just
go on to the next print. Each one gets better, I get more sure of myself,
more free. I have worked directly into the block with no drawing
too. It's exhilarating and creative. Good luck.
Message 9
From: "Matt Laine"
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2006 05:25:15 -0500
Subject: [Baren 30267] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V34 #3394 (Mar 10, 2006 )
Send Message: To this poster
I'd sure like to see a picture of a Kensol -- where are they sold? Is there
a website?
Matt
www.mattssculptureplus.blogspot.com
a website?
Matt
www.mattssculptureplus.blogspot.com