Today's postings

  1. [Baren 40993] Re: Silent Members (Lynita Shimizu)
  2. [Baren 40994] Escher in Florida till April 11. (Andrew Stone)
  3. [Baren 40995] Re: Silent Members (reneeaugrin # aol.com)
  4. [Baren 40996] Re: Silent Members (carol Montgomery)
  5. [Baren 40997] white line questions (Viza Arlington)
  6. [Baren 40998] picasso prints in NYC (Melissa West)
  7. [Baren 40999] Re: white line questions ("Jeanne Norman Chase")
  8. [Baren 41000] Re: white line questions (l k)
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Message 1
From: Lynita Shimizu
Date: Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:16:41 GMT
Subject: [Baren 40993] Re: Silent Members
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Here's another silent voice from the past. Somehow I feel the need
to keep a link to you good people, even if I'm not participating in
discussions. I'm grateful to all of you who keep things rolling.

An additional note, I remember last week a conversation about Andrew
using an image for a T-Shirt. I recently sold the rights to one of
my images to a card company for their holiday line. ( http://
artiststowatch.com/--They feature several woodblock printmakers.)
The same week that company contacted me, my application to exhibit
at the Tokyo American Club (in Tokyo) was rejected. At times I find
myself struggling with the issue of perceiving my work as being "card
quality" not "gallery quality". I'm pretty good at talking myself
out of the thought, but it does resurface. Mostly I'm just happy
being here in the studio cutting and printing. The process can be
fun, it can be work, but each time I lift the paper off the block, I
know why I'm stuck on mokuhanga. Aren't we lucky to be making prints!!

My best to all!
Lynita


Lynita Shimizu
734 Brayman Hollow Rd
Pomfret Center, CT 06259
860-974-1393
http://shimizuwoodcuts.com/
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Message 2
From: Andrew Stone
Date: Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:01:30 GMT
Subject: [Baren 40994] Escher in Florida till April 11.
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In Florida for a week but I managed to drag everybody to the Boca Raton Museum of Art
for a large exhibit of Escher's woodcuts (most look like they were actually wood
engravings--one big block was on display and was clearly 20"X30" of small 2"x3" end blocks
all glued together. He did some small, simple woodblock books early in his career very influenced
by secession and Dutch arts and crafts movement. I'm not a fan of all the mystery but beautuful work
and great graphics. His metamorphosis 2 and 3 were on display and were 10feet long!?
On display till April 11th (along with a so-so exhibit of M. Cassat's reverse prints off pastel)
which did have two or three really nice color etchings.

Andrew, dragging his sons "Dad, how long are we going to have to be here?" Stone
rospobio.blogspot.com
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Message 3
From: reneeaugrin # aol.com
Date: Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:36:35 GMT
Subject: [Baren 40995] Re: Silent Members
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I feel as though I should chime in, being a somewhat 'older' member -- and it is really nice to know that the older voices are peeping up. I too read Baren every day and comment when I can be of some help or advise.

I totally concur that we are all lucky to be making prints, and I too am addicted to that surprise of pulling back that paper.

Andrew, my first show was a great pastry/bistro place and I did sell my work, to one of the waitresses, who was so determined to buy it that she set aside all of her tips for weeks (she made payments) to purchase my work. I am thankful to her determination to buy art.

Best wishes to all,

Renee
still cool and rainy weather, nw Oregon.
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Message 4
From: carol Montgomery
Date: Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:51:39 GMT
Subject: [Baren 40996] Re: Silent Members
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Hi, All - I don't always contribute but I really enjoy the postings and suggestions about printing. Carol Montgomery, Helena, MT
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Message 5
From: Viza Arlington
Date: Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:08:20 GMT
Subject: [Baren 40997] white line questions
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To the bareners who are working on white line woodblocks,
do you prepare the surface of your block in anyway? It looks like
thumb tacks are used as registration pins is that all there is to it?
Is the paper dry or wet? do you need to work fast before the
watercolor dries on the block? what size blocks are you working on? do
you need to go over the same areas many times to get that lovely
saturation of color? are the white lines actually wider on the block
or is the registration system very accurate? what consistency is the
watercolor? straight from the tube? thinned and if so to what extent?
has anyone tried Akua Kolor?
thanks,
viza
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Message 6
From: Melissa West
Date: Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:38:19 GMT
Subject: [Baren 40998] picasso prints in NYC
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Hi all--
From today's NYTimes, an article about 2 different exhibitions of
prints by Picasso, within walking distance of each other.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/arts/design/09picasso.html?
emc=tnt&tntemail0=y

Go, you lucky New Yorkers! And the rest of us can just read about it.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Melissa West
816 Hanover Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
831-466-0493
melissa@mswest.com
www.mswest.com
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Message 7
From: "Jeanne Norman Chase"
Date: Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:31:55 GMT
Subject: [Baren 40999] Re: white line questions
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Viza
Did you look up White line Woodcuts on the Baren Encylopedia, under
Techniques? I wrote an article on the How to do the White Line, It gives a
lot of information, plus pictures. I use thumb tacks, and water colors. You
could use Aqua Colors.
Good Luck, I am in the process of doing three of them. love it!!!!!
Jeanne N.
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Message 8
From: l k
Date: Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:36:54 GMT
Subject: [Baren 41000] Re: white line questions
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Viza....
I've been using McClain's Shina Plywood.
The first one was cut straight up, and I began to really appreciate what cherry could do,
but a good coat of Velvet Oil hardens the shina and brings it up closer to an ability to hold detail like a prefer. It's not cherry, but, it's a whole lot better with the velvet oil for me.
Shina doesn't have the woodgrain that real wood would have.
 
Wish I had thumb-tacks...all I've got are those aluminum art push pins...they are in the way most of the time.  This IS the registration until it's done.
 
I work on dry paper...it dampens and I let it dry out.
Yeh, the watercolor water will evaporate, but, there is a balance between pigment and color that I reach and the evaporation seems to slow up.  I've not tried to use anything that slows evaporation..or makes water wetter....got one of each that I got for my watercolors, but never used the stuff.  I can't remember what they are called, although I'm heading in that direction.

Color saturation depends somewhat on the paper, and what you are starting with in the first place.
I think maybe certain colors do better than others.
 
If the paper is not moving, a very thin whiteline will work just fine...
I get excited and wind up flooding the grooves making look like colored rivers..
but, that's just due to carbonation and sloppiness on my part.
 
Watercolor consistancy?  Hmmmm, probably somewhere between whole milk and cream, if that makes sense. Thicker than that and the watercolor works like glue for me.
 
Tubes?
That would probably make more sense, from the directions I've found and the pictures I've seen of people working.....
I use full/whole pan Schmincke watercolors out of my metal watercolor box....absolutely love'em!
 
Biggest frustration is that it's slow...
so I've got a variety of things going at once...each being a break from the other,
so I'm learning not to notice.
 
I am going to attempt one that is 26" long...scary, out-of-ones-mind size, due to the registration problem potential....and oh, geez, the time....!
I've hopefully preshrunk some paper for a couple smaller experiments...
of course I never measured the paper before and after, so I don't know if my effort actually worked.
Well, next time, I'll make the notes I intended to make this time.
I've no experience with Akua colors.
Anyone else out there?
I saw your horse...you got it working!
It's a lot trickier than I thought it would be.
Linda