Today's postings
- [Baren 23797] New member introduction - Steve Elliott (Consoft # aol.com)
- [Baren 23798] new member (Mary Brooks-Mueller)
- [Baren 23799] planer and dremmel ("Maria Arango")
Message 1
From: Consoft # aol.com
Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2004 17:55:04 EST
Subject: [Baren 23797] New member introduction - Steve Elliott
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Hi, I'm Steve Elliott and I live near Shrewsbury in England. I am an
amateur printmaker who has worked in Intaglio and lino but I have become interested
in Japanese woodblock printing. I am attracted to it for several reasons but
two in particular. First because of the simplicity of the tools and materials
and second because I don't have to use solvents and harmful chemicals.
I am an engineer by profession and I do tend to get absorbed in the
technicalities of the process itself and much of my work is "process led". I think of
myself as a craftsman/artisan rather than an artist. My work is both
abstract and figurative.
amateur printmaker who has worked in Intaglio and lino but I have become interested
in Japanese woodblock printing. I am attracted to it for several reasons but
two in particular. First because of the simplicity of the tools and materials
and second because I don't have to use solvents and harmful chemicals.
I am an engineer by profession and I do tend to get absorbed in the
technicalities of the process itself and much of my work is "process led". I think of
myself as a craftsman/artisan rather than an artist. My work is both
abstract and figurative.
Message 2
From: Mary Brooks-Mueller
Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2004 20:22:03 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 23798] new member
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Hello, I am a new member. Tried to send this before,
guess it didn't work. Typical printing problem.
I am 50 years old and live in on the southern border
of Arizona. Moving to central Mexico pretty soon. The
historical tradition of woodcut there is longitudinal.
Any members in Mexico??
I did my first year of college '71 as foreign exchange
in Florence, then my MFA from Univ. Kansas under
Master printer John Talleur. I would like to post some
of his prints. He was a student of Mauricio Lazansky
in Iowa. Both hardcore, but it was the best thing for
me at the time.
I prefer woodcut, wood engraving, some monoprint. I
also am a woodworker and furniture artist, but gave up
tha latter 3 years ago after a stroke. Just getting
back into my studio now and working on smaller color
prints that I combine with wood and glass, for what I
call "contructed prints".
My cultural heritage is very strong, Irish, Welsh,
Cherokee & Hungarian and I draw on that and the
materials to inspire my work.
I taught medical anatomy for 18 years and consulted as
a restoratorations artist for about 12 years. My work
is mostly figurative, archetypal, although I am
attmepting some abstractions when the other stuff is
cognitively overwhelming and I need a cellular calm.
I am grateful for this forum and look forward to
communicating. If my tying is off sometimes it's just
a bad fine motor day, but my hair if fine.
Mary (Mhairi) Brooks-Mueller, MFA
__________________________________
guess it didn't work. Typical printing problem.
I am 50 years old and live in on the southern border
of Arizona. Moving to central Mexico pretty soon. The
historical tradition of woodcut there is longitudinal.
Any members in Mexico??
I did my first year of college '71 as foreign exchange
in Florence, then my MFA from Univ. Kansas under
Master printer John Talleur. I would like to post some
of his prints. He was a student of Mauricio Lazansky
in Iowa. Both hardcore, but it was the best thing for
me at the time.
I prefer woodcut, wood engraving, some monoprint. I
also am a woodworker and furniture artist, but gave up
tha latter 3 years ago after a stroke. Just getting
back into my studio now and working on smaller color
prints that I combine with wood and glass, for what I
call "contructed prints".
My cultural heritage is very strong, Irish, Welsh,
Cherokee & Hungarian and I draw on that and the
materials to inspire my work.
I taught medical anatomy for 18 years and consulted as
a restoratorations artist for about 12 years. My work
is mostly figurative, archetypal, although I am
attmepting some abstractions when the other stuff is
cognitively overwhelming and I need a cellular calm.
I am grateful for this forum and look forward to
communicating. If my tying is off sometimes it's just
a bad fine motor day, but my hair if fine.
Mary (Mhairi) Brooks-Mueller, MFA
__________________________________
Message 3
From: "Maria Arango"
Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2004 20:39:17 -0800
Subject: [Baren 23799] planer and dremmel
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Good suggestions for planing and using a dremmel with router bit. I will
add a little from my own experience.
With a dremmel, you really need to keep the dremmel on a stand and move
the block under it in order to keep the routing level. This method (with
a standard router) is recommended for planing thick blocks square prior
to ripping the block into smaller planks. In any case, without a stand
that keeps the dremmel/router at an exact position there is a danger of
routing the block uneven.
On the questions about the planing of the block with hand plane, I use a
bench stop like the ones used for carving. After securing the bench stop
to my bench with clamps, I place my block so that it pushes against the
stops (away from me) as I plane away. It doesn't take a lot of practice
to keep the surface level and strokes even, just go for it and you will
see that the thinking about it is scarier than the doing it. The blade
must be very very sharp and I know it's a pain to take the plane apart
and get the blade back in there perfectly level, but it must be kept
sharp.
On the edges of the block isuue, I simply bevel the edges of my blocks
prior to planing with a flat chisel; a standard wood chisel does the
trick and a little practice on that skill keeps the bevels pretty close
to about 45 degrees. I bevel my blocks for printing anyway to keep them
from splintering off during carving and keeping the edges of the print
clean.
I have not used pieces of wood against the edge of the block when
planing, this seems like a great idea.
I forgot the other questions, sorry, I'm having way too much fun working
in the garden these days....well, okay, it's a desert garden but we
desert folks can dream, no?
Maria
Maria Arango
www.1000woodcuts.com
Las Vegas Nevada USA
add a little from my own experience.
With a dremmel, you really need to keep the dremmel on a stand and move
the block under it in order to keep the routing level. This method (with
a standard router) is recommended for planing thick blocks square prior
to ripping the block into smaller planks. In any case, without a stand
that keeps the dremmel/router at an exact position there is a danger of
routing the block uneven.
On the questions about the planing of the block with hand plane, I use a
bench stop like the ones used for carving. After securing the bench stop
to my bench with clamps, I place my block so that it pushes against the
stops (away from me) as I plane away. It doesn't take a lot of practice
to keep the surface level and strokes even, just go for it and you will
see that the thinking about it is scarier than the doing it. The blade
must be very very sharp and I know it's a pain to take the plane apart
and get the blade back in there perfectly level, but it must be kept
sharp.
On the edges of the block isuue, I simply bevel the edges of my blocks
prior to planing with a flat chisel; a standard wood chisel does the
trick and a little practice on that skill keeps the bevels pretty close
to about 45 degrees. I bevel my blocks for printing anyway to keep them
from splintering off during carving and keeping the edges of the print
clean.
I have not used pieces of wood against the edge of the block when
planing, this seems like a great idea.
I forgot the other questions, sorry, I'm having way too much fun working
in the garden these days....well, okay, it's a desert garden but we
desert folks can dream, no?
Maria
Maria Arango
www.1000woodcuts.com
Las Vegas Nevada USA