[Baren] the mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking Baren Digest Friday, 11 August 2000 Volume 12 : Number1110 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Cucamongie@aol.com Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 09:38:56 EDT Subject: [Baren 10905] Akua color In a message dated 00-08-10 09:05:39 EDT, Dan wrote: << ll you that have used Aqua Kolor: is it supposed to roll out so thin? I roll everything and no matter what color I try, it always looks washed out. What gives? >> Dan, I'm not sure what type of printing you're doing - are you printing w/a press? Have you tried printing hanga-style? I have printed hanga-style w/these colors and am able to get very bright color - if you have the Japanese printing brushes you might try brushing on the color instead of rolling it on, and/or if you've been printing on dry paper you might try moistening the paper. I've only used the rollout method for monoprinting (using a press) and it looked like a thin layer but printed out fairly bright. I have used these pigments quite a lot so if you have any more questions, I'd be happy to try to answer - best wishes Sarah Cucamongie@aol.com ------------------------------ From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 09:41:06 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10906] Re: Baren Digest V12 #1109 Creativity and the Studio > When I am out working it is wonderful and I ask myself why I > don't make it my most important priority. The only answer that keeps > coming up is I am afraid I won't be able to create. Barbara, your concerns about not being able to create once you are in the studio sounds like being in school and the teacher calls on you and suddenly you forget what you knew. I think the best way to get over it is not feel this desperation to create. Go out there and play. Don't think about where it will go. Just have some fun drawing stuff and make it a daily meditation. Allow yourself this. It's like runners who work out. You need to work out, too. Don't think about coming up with something. Let the Something create itself out of pencil in hand, and an arm that wants to move it. One of my writer friends, who is a prolific writer, each morning sits on her porch with pencil in hand and paper, of course. She has no idea what to write. She might put down a sentence that really means nothing to her. One time she wrote "Let's go fishing." After that, images of fishing came up and fishing for ideas came up. Whatever happened there, became quite a good poem and was later published. But at the time, she had no idea where it was going. You are a confident enough artist to "go fishing" too. For instance, once you mentioned birds; why not do a whole series of drawings with birds just playing with different ways to present them. Yesterday I had an art day here and I couldn't believe what one of the women was doing. She was just playing and by the end of the day she had about six little watercolors. It started with her just looking at the rocking chair on the porch and doing a quick watercolor sketch. Then she looked at the cat, and did her. Then she started playing with the texture of the paper she brought and what started out as doodling just amazed us. It was all just black and white, but organic forms went around each other in such patterns, it was a joy to look at. All these paintings were small, but when she left she had ideas for larger pieces she wanted to do. For some reason, I think, Barbara, you aren't allowing yourself the freedom and time to let creativity happen. You are stopping yourself by saying you have to produce. You are seeing the studio too seriously, as a workplace that must produce (like your little family factory). You have the work ethic, for sure. Just see that in yourself; that will change everything and you will be able to go out there and let happen what will happen. Gayle ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V12 #1110 *****************************