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Message 1
From: "Love Me"
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 23:26:46 +1000
Subject: [Baren 27633] Why varnish?
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Can anyone explain to me why you would want to varnish a block before and after carving? I am sure I am missing something here. I do moku hanga and I use birch ply without any varnish or oil and the timber seems to hang in fine. I dont wash my blocks unless I decide on a drastic change in colour. Is this varnish thing something needed for oil-based inks maybe?

Tom K

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Message 2
From: FurryPressII # aol.com
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 08:55:12 EST
Subject: [Baren 27634] Re: Why varnish?
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Varnish added to some blocks helps in the carving of some wood types that
tend to splinter. It also aids in clean up if you intend to print the block with
a different color ink. That is why they do it when they make wood type for
printing.

Except when I use plywood I don't varnish my blocks. It does not matter one
way or the other in oil based ink in the printing.

john c.

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Message 3
From: Aqua4tis # aol.com
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 09:42:37 EST
Subject: [Baren 27635] Re: fun sort of work
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wonderful work lezle and congrats
georga

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Message 4
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 07:18:33 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 27636] Re: Why varnish?
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Tom,
The varnish makes the wood stronger and will help hold fine lines and is used for moku hanga, but not necessary. I go both ways...and usually skip it now since I design my work to use few thin lines. But it is how I learned to do it and it does give you the smootheset surface you can imagine as you sand before and after at the beginning and as I remember we used two coats, one before carving and one after. Amazingly it did not seem to make any difference with the printing. I think mixed with thinner it goes into the wood but still seems to leave plenty of room for water to also enter the wood as I have never had any problems using it. My advise is to try it and see if you like it, it will help hold thin lines. The masters used such hard wood (like Dave does) that it was never necessary. That Japanese cherry wood is perfectly suited to woodblock. Plywood tends to splinter if your tools are not really really sharp and if you get going a little too fast, like some of us do (me).
best to you,
Barbara

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Message 5
From: P Rashid
Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2005 10:27:39 -0500
Subject: [Baren 27637] Re: fun sort of work
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Great job Lezle. Congrats!!!!When opportunity pours in you have to laugh and
scream! I think this is what's called "good stress"! :)

Princess
Jacksonville, FL
www.swordandbrush.org


http://laughingcrowstudio.com/Christmas_book.html )

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Message 6
From: L Cass
Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2005 10:38:24 -0500
Subject: [Baren 27638] Re: fun sort of work
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Lezle - the compositions and textures are very effective -partic the skies
and -it's good that they're in black and white - it must be difficult since
you have to use all the elements of a story that has been illustrated
zillions of times but I wouldn't call it clichéd - practically every
subject or theme in art (including abstraction,installation and conceptual
stuff) runs that risk - there's literally 'nothing new under the sun' so
probity and quality count more than ever but it's also great to be able to
have fun with projects of the sort you undertake!
cheers
Louise Cass

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Message 7
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 07:40:33 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 27639] Princess paintings
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If you did not go and look at the work of Princess Rashid you missed some nice work...
www.swordandbrush.org
http://nightvisionarts.com/Gallery.htm

I especially liked the woodcut but the fencers were fantastic too.What great dynamics, it almost made my heart beat faster to see these fencers in action. Good job, we love to see what the rest of our people are doing. So don't be afraid to send out those URL's so we can go look.
Even though this is a woodblock forum so many of us are doing other things as well and it all makes us better artists. After all, our harshest critics and best supporters are other artists.
Best to all,
Barbara

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Message 8
From: "Maria Diener (aka Arango)"
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 07:43:24 -0800
Subject: [Baren 27640] RE: fun sort of work
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Cool deals! Congrats Lezle, that's the way it's supposed to work, no? "They"
come to "us" and ask us to do stuff? :-)

Good going,
Maria

Maria Arango
www.1000woodcuts.com
Las Vegas Nevada USA

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Message 9
From: Bette Norcross Wappner
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 10:50:00 -0500
Subject: [Baren 27641] woodblock print published
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Hi Bareners

Congrats to everyone's accomplishments and doing great things with
woodblock! I don't want to mention names because I'd leave out someone,
but all are very great works.

A woodblock print of mine was published online today on the cover of
Full Moon, a haiku publication:

http://fullmoonmag.bravehost.com/index.html

Carved on birch plywood.
Black paper - 8" x 8"
Water-based white ink.
Hand-tinted with brushed on chalk dust.

Bette Wappner
(Kentucky)

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Message 10
From: Mike Lyon
Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2005 10:20:47 -0600
Subject: [Baren 27642] Exchange #25 is OPEN !!
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Hey folks, Exchange #25 IS open and I HAVE received your signups, Connie,
Eli, Gillyin, Nancy, Diane... I just 'zoned' while answering too much
email -- I'll 'fix' the reply so you don't get the error page anymore, but
never fear -- your sign-up forms are coming through loud and
clear!!!! http://barenforum.org/exchange/exchange_sign-up.html

-- Mike


Mike Lyon
Kansas City, Missouri
http://mlyon.com

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Message 11
From: Mike Lyon
Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2005 10:24:15 -0600
Subject: [Baren 27643] Whoops!
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There are MORE exchange #25 sign-ups than I mentioned -- the page has been
'fixed' to reply with the right 'thank you' page... I'll have the current
exchange list up within the hour -- no need to sign in repeatedly, and
REFRESH your browser if you DO sign in repeatedly so you can get the
correct thank you page and relax... The forms come through to me
regardless whether your got a 'too early' message or not, so don't sweat
it, folks!

Best,

Mike (your quarter-hour tardy exchange manager)


Mike Lyon
Kansas City, Missouri
http://mlyon.com

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Message 12
From: Robin Morris
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 09:02:53 -0800
Subject: [Baren 27644] Princess paintings, fencing...
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Thank you for mentioning this barbara- I have enjoyed Ms Rashid's art
already- I was unaware of the paintings. Thank you, Princess!
I fenced as a youth and loved it., but never reached any competitive
level. it was something to do in the summer when there was no ice at
the hockey rink.
A man named Max Garrett was fencing coach at the University of Illinois
and had coached the Israeli national team. my friend and i would go
there ( we were 11 years old then)as though we were students at the
college, and they welcomed us because they sometimes had a small number
or an odd numeber for paractice.
We would run up and down 4 flights of stairs several times as part of
warming up....You must be in great shape- it is such a demanding sport.
i tried to get back into it in my late twenties. The coach, a
hungarian, I remember well. He said. "Many of you Vill not finish this
class. You Vill DIEhere, on this floor." We llaughed nervously. he was
right. I couldn't hack it. You go girl! i mean, your highness! Lovely
action in your work here. Thank you I liked foil to watch or do. epee
was interesting, saber seemed quite violent and less graceful. Foil is
more akin to ballet dancers and archery.The target just happens to
move, and parry, and thrust and lunge...

RM

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Message 13
From: Wanda Robertson
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 09:18:03 -0800
Subject: [Baren 27645] Re: Why varnish?
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Personally, I think it is not at all good to varnish or seal a wood
block for hanga. It cuts off the absorption of pigment/paste into the
wood and I don't think it makes the wood less likely to chip or peel -
just a waste of time & varnish IMHO. I use birch ply too - no varnish
& it holds up just fine. Plus, I hate the smell of varnishes & thinners
-

Wanda

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Message 14
From: Robin Morris
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 09:54:41 -0800
Subject: [Baren 27646] Re: Exchange #25 is OPEN !!
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yayy1 Hi Gilda! hi Marilyyn!
Dreams and Visions...it's a description of my life.
You may say I'm a dreamer- but I'm not the only one.......(humming)
What am i giddy about? I just signed up for a "whole new world of
pain"...
(see," the Big Lebowski")
Maybe I can start this one early and try and get within a a week of the
deadline as a goal...
RM

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Message 15
From: ArtfulCarol # aol.com
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 14:46:10 EST
Subject: [Baren 27647] Congrats! and Why varnish?
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Lezle, CONGRATs those are lovely prints and the terrific news also!!!


I will definitely try varnishing because I am frustrated with chipping shina!!
Strange , I looked at blocks I carved years ago and surprise--perfect
lines. So the fault may be in the sharpening, or the lack of it.
Carol L
Irvington, NY

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Message 16
From: "Maria Diener (aka Arango)"
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 12:09:13 -0800
Subject: [Baren 27648] RE: Congrats! and Why varnish?
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Aaah...shhhh, a voice from the dark suddenly surrounds Carol and whispers
gently, persistently...chhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyy

Again, and again, the voice insists, "join us, grasshopper, it is
time...tryyy cherrrrry...join ussss..."

:-)



Maria Arango
www.1000woodcuts.com
Las Vegas Nevada USA

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Message 17
From: Robin Morris
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 12:35:27 -0800
Subject: [Baren 27649] Re: Congrats! and Why varnish?
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heehee maria, you are a riot! shhhhh...shhhhhina...shhhh
When again is King's Mtn art fair? Memorial Day? Labor day? i forget.,
duhhh..please inform ...

RM

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End of [Baren] Digest