Today's postings

  1. [Baren 44924] morbid subject (Linda Beeman)
  2. [Baren 44925] Wood (Marilynn Smith)
  3. [Baren 44926] Re: morbid subject (Maria Arango Diener)
  4. [Baren 44927] Re: Morbid Subject (Gayle Wohlken)
  5. [Baren 44928] Re: morbid subject (Barbara Mason)
  6. [Baren 44929] Re: morbid subject (Lynita Shimizu)
  7. [Baren 44930] RE: blocks ("Maria Arango Diener")
  8. [Baren 44931] Re: morbid subject (Bronwyn Merritt)
  9. [Baren 44932] Re: morbid subject (Barbara Mason)
  10. [Baren 44933] Re: morbid subject (jcu)
  11. [Baren 44934] Letterpress/Paper video (cjchapel # casco.net)
  12. [Baren 44935] Re: morbid subject (key sevn)
  13. [Baren 44936] Re: morbid subject ("Maria Arango Diener")
  14. [Baren 44937] opportunityi (Barbara Mason)
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Message 1
From: Linda Beeman
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:25:00 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44924] morbid subject
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I'm sorry to bring up a morbid subject but a recent trip to the emergency room with chest pains got me thinking about what happens to my prints when I'm gone.
Do any of you have, shall we say, after-plans for your prints?



http://www.lindajbeeman.com

http://lindabeemanprintmaker.blogspot.com
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Message 2
From: Marilynn Smith
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:50:27 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44925] Wood
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Feel free to add to the list. Boxwood would be a good addition. Just
thought the list would be helpful, especially to beginners. Many of us
have found our personal favorites over the years. I would encourage
everyone to try several different woods to find your personal
favorite. To try out a new wood check the scrap bins first and if you
find one you love than go for a nice chunk of it!

Good wood, good tools and good paper help provide the best results
when printmaking.

Marilynn
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Message 3
From: Maria Arango Diener
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:42:11 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44926] Re: morbid subject
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I have not made a proper will but have let my husband know that I want my remaining prints to go to non-profit printmaking art organizations for proper disposal to benefit other lowly and humble artists.

Specifically, I do NOT want any collectors or galleries to get their grubby hands on them and sell them for profit after I'm dead. All designed after my philosophy that the world should feed the artist while the artist is alive. I have that on my license plate frame by the way: "Feed the Artist - 1000woodcuts.com".

Hopefully if I die according to plan and not by accident, by then I will have most of my prints in the hands of happy collections all over the world. I assume as I get older my editions will get smaller.
I do keep either proofs and first print from all my editions in the bottom drawer of my flat files.

Blocks are sold as soon as editions are finished. If anyone else does that you will see that collectors have a good appetite for original blocks.

Just my way,
Maria

Sent from my iPad
www.1000woodcuts.com
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Message 4
From: Gayle Wohlken
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:47:25 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44927] Re: Morbid Subject
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Maria, you mention selling your blocks. I remember once you said you fill in the block with something (resin?). Do you still do that?

~Gayle
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Message 5
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:17:03 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44928] Re: morbid subject
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I am going to be 67 this year and have thought of it but no real action taken....my husband thinks our kids will just dump it all in the garbage. I guess we need to make provisions for it...maybe a donation to a museum or local charity that will use it as a fundraiser. Over my lifetime I have thousands of prints, other artists as well as my own.
It is a problem. I too welcome any ideas
my best
Barbara



I'm sorry to bring up a morbid subject but a recent trip to the emergency room with chest pains got me thinking about what happens to my prints when I'm gone.
Do any of you have, shall we say, after-plans for your prints?
http://www.lindajbeeman.com
http://lindabeemanprintmaker.blogspot.com
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Message 6
From: Lynita Shimizu
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:19:51 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44929] Re: morbid subject
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My plan is to be productive until 100 and then drop dead. Such being the case, I want to destroy all the prints I don't like before that time arrives. I have several drawers filled with "experiments", which are mostly prints gone bad. In addition, there are some prints within editions which on second thought, really aren't good enough to deserve the edition number. Those have to go, too; the sooner the better. As for the decent work, I guess I'll let my kids worry about it. My great grandfather was painter and cartoonist. I have boxes of his drawings here (mostly politically incorrect) and haven't figured out what to do with them yet.
Meanwhile, cut, print, frame ... HAPPY NEW YEAR to ALL!
Lynita


Lynita Shimizu
Pomfret, CT
http://shimizuwoodcuts.com/
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Message 7
From: "Maria Arango Diener"
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:31:22 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44930] RE: blocks
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I used to cover the carving completely with a two-part polyurethane resin
called Pour-On, although there are many brands. This made the cuts still
visible but the face of the block was completely even, like thick amber. The
resin fills the cuts and can be poured to 1/8" thick without any problems
curing (other than stray cat hairs falling into the uncured resin,
grrrrr...). It is a bit tricky to use because it has to be mixed half/half
and then bubbles have to be gassed out with heat like a blow drier or heat
gun, although blowing carefully also does the trick. The process isn't
horrible but a bit stressful.
The resin dries hard in about 24 hours and can be polished again and again,
I have three blocks that I kept that are covered that way.

Through customer feedback I started backing off on the covering so the cuts
were left more "touchable". Then I also changed to a spray on thick
polyurethane coating, called Triple Thick Crystal Clear made by Krylon. The
spray is more available, cheaper and infinitely easier to use. Also dries
more clear and thinner. I use three coats which render the block unusable
for further printing but you can still see and feel the carving.
Any errors (like the aforementioned cat hairs or dust specks) during
spraying can just be sanded off and another coat applied, just like any
other polyurethane coating.

I tried acrylic and found it quite yucky to work with in comparison with the
polyurethane, although much more environmentally and health-friendly. I work
outside when I spray and cover the driveway with painter's plastic. I
usually make a make-shift spray booth from a large cardboard box to keep off
unwanted specks.

Also, I usually pull out the rotary tool and sign and date the block in the
front just like a painting. The signature and date get covered up with the
goop and forever integrated in the cancelled block. I carve similarly on the
back except I add the title and edition printed:
"Grand Canyon III by Maria Arango - Original Cherry Block Cancelled June 20
2006 - Print Edition 24"
The back then gets a bath of Triple Thick Crystal Clear, but only one coat.

Then I usually frame the blocks but have found my (higher end) collectors
are awful picky about "their" framing so I end up unmounting some of the
blocks. For this reason I don't use any glue when mounting to a backing,
usually I use small screws and mount to a birch backing board, then frame as
I would a painting.

Here are some blocks in an old website page:
http://1000woodcuts.com/galleries/woodblocks.html

Just one way to do it,
Maria

[=o=][=o=][=o=][=o=]
www.1000woodcuts.com
www.artfestivalguide.info
[=o=][=o=][=o=][=o=]
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Message 8
From: Bronwyn Merritt
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:31:36 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44931] Re: morbid subject
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Maybe we should have a bad print exchange... Anonymous "secret santa" style ;)

Sent from my iPad
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Message 9
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:39:18 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44932] Re: morbid subject
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Or maybe a big bonfire.....
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Message 10
From: jcu
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:12:06 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44933] Re: morbid subject
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Hello,

A local water colourist recently passed away. His wish was to donate his studio
contents to a local fine art guild that he had belonged to for many years. Two guild
members collected his artworks (took everything from small pencil sketches to
signed / framed paintings, and displayed them all at a local art centre for one night.
Everything had a silent auction bid sheet on it, and throughout the night, bids on
small sections of the entire collection were closed and sold. Gradually, the room
emptied of his art work. People bought everything! Even unsigned pencil sketches.
Individuals who knew him or knew of him and wanted something of his. And the gathering
of people was also a fitting memorial to his life. But no high rolling collectors came
(maybe because it was only advertised to the guild). He willed any proceeds to go
to the guild that had given him so many friendships. Not sure what the guild eventually
did with that money. But I think part of it was allocated for an etching press (they are
still building their funds to buy one but it got them closer). Although I didn't know him
well, I now have one of his unsigned watercolour paintings (a sketch, really) on my
wall and love it; I think of him whenever I see it.

If it were me, if I had artwork that people wanted, I would do the same thing, but would
make it benefit a local wildlife animal hospital since they do such good work.

Just some thoughts,
joan
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Message 11
From: cjchapel # casco.net
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:40:11 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44934] Letterpress/Paper video
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Thank you so much for posting this.
http://vimeo.com/33359230

C.Chapel
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Message 12
From: key sevn
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:37:33 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44935] Re: morbid subject
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Maybe I will order to make a coffin from my blocks ;) Lynita i would say
don't destroy, but I keep also lots of bad prints because I like them,
don't want people to see this though. I have all my lithographs packed int
4 or 5 folios closed with tape, havent seen them a years, and I don't need
to. Kind of survival pack ;)I have also a big mountain of drawings in my
parent's house basement, tried to count it few times, but I couldnt. But
seriously - I don't know.

Great thread btw. Thank you Linda.

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Message 13
From: "Maria Arango Diener"
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:45:43 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44936] Re: morbid subject
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Come to think of it, paper makes GREAT insulation! Maybe I'll start tossing
the bad ones in the attic?



Maria



[=o=][=o=][=o=][=o=]

www.1000woodcuts.com

www.artfestivalguide.info

[=o=][=o=][=o=][=o=]
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Message 14
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:05:14 GMT
Subject: [Baren 44937] opportunityi
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Calling All Artists!

Located in Bend, Oregon, Atelier 6000 is a printmaking and book arts
studio and gallery presenting local & national artists working across
multiple disciplines with an emphasis on contemporary book arts, works
on paper, and printmaking.

A6 will feature "Upcycled Art" in April of 2012. . . . One persons
trash is anothers treasure - artwork created from what some may
consider waste giving the items a new lease on life. This exhibition
highlights artists aiming at good usable design and real beauty taking
the notion of reprocessing and conservation to a new height in
original prints from collagraphic plates of found objects, as well as
2D and 3D mixed media art to create Upcycled Art.

Attached is a prospectus for the Upcycled Art exhibition. Please
forward this email to any artists that may be interested in this
exhibition. The prospectus and entry form are also online at
www.atelier6000.org. To link to the information directly:
http://www.atelier6000.org/?cat=3