[Baren] Daily Digest

Today's postings

[Baren 34421] RE: I'd appreciate your comments on new print... ("Mike Lyon")
[Baren 34422] Re: Year of the Rat ! (Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com)
[Baren 34423] Re: I'd appreciate your comments on new print... (Dave Bull)
[Baren 34424] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification (Blog Manager)

Message 1
From: "Mike Lyon"
Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2007 12:29:22 -0600
Subject: [Baren 34421] RE: I'd appreciate your comments on new print...
Send Message: To this poster

Printmaking by consensus - how very cool!

Thank you all for your comments/votes about the wood grain background in my
"Jim" print - I'd imagined that you woodblock printmakers would all lean
toward the wood grain version, but 7 to 2 preferred the PLAIN background to
some extent, at least:

PREFER WOODGRAIN:

1. Mike, terrific portraits. Congratulations!! I prefer the textured
wood grain background. It looks good and makes it more personally you..
Carol Lyons (NYC)
2. Dear Mike, I am soooo proud that I have some of your prints in my
Baren collection. I expect you to be on the cover of ART IN AMERICA
someday!!!! To the point; I like both prints but the one on the wood grain,
to me, is so much more interesting. Do not know how you find time to do all
that you do. I am lucky to complete one task a day, and I do not work. Good
news is; after about 6 years, I started painting again. I am very happy now
as I thought I had lost it. Damaged tendon in right wrist is making
woodblock printmaking difficult now. But linos seem to be ok if they are
warmed. Congratulations. you are ONE OF A KIND!!!!!!
Jeanne Norman Chase, Florida

PREFER PLAIN:

1. Mike, I really like the richness of tone you've achieved with the
moku hanga color applied underneath the litho. I think I prefer a plain
background. It's stark, especially at that scale, and forces the eye to look
at Jim and Jim only. Good luck with your proofings.
Annie Bissett, Massachusetts
2. Mike, I'm a sucker for the wood grain every time. This says to me
that this man worked with wood, or has some tie to the wood. Does he or is
it only for effect? Maybe it doesn't matter, but personally, I would want
it mean something - otherwise I would leave it plain. Stonehenge used to
make a darker tan paper, which I believe you could get in rolls. It is not
quite as soft a paper as BFK, but the color might be right. Great work and
always a privilege to see.
Cheers, Sharri LaPierre (Vancouver, WA)
3. Mike, I always enjoy your blogg and the way you illustrate your
projects. It also gives me an insight into the possibilities of working in
the city with printers like Lawrence and the Galleries to exhibit. It's also
fascinating to see that Lithography is alive and well!
4. So, which print do I prefer, both are magnificent........maybe
because I like wood textures there is a distraction in the background of the
portrait, so maybe the plain print for me so that I can concentrate entirely
on the portrait.
Regards, Harry French in Rural England
5. Mike, your work is just great -- I thought of your dramatic larger
than life portraits when I went to the Chuck Close show. There was a
scribble portrait done in eight or so colors on woodblock in moku hanga --
amazing, and they had the blocks on display with each color printed
separately. I am partial to the tan background for the Jim print, however I
wish it were a deeper tan(and I like the wood grain for that reason, but I
like the plain better) or maybe a little toward burnt sienna. It is a very
powerful image.
Renee Augrin in Foggy and Sunny western Oregon
6. Wow! It's amazing what a difference the woodgrain background makes.
They're equally wonderful, IMO; it's just a matter of choice as to what you
want. The one with the plain background emphasizes the image, with all the
color, texture, etc., being dominant. The woodgrain background tends to add
a sort of "story" to the image and makes me want to know Jim. Is he a
woodworker, a carpenter, maybe an instrument maker? It's also a little
claustrophobic, as if there's a wall moving in on him. Personally, I'd
probably choose the background without the grain, just because I like plain
stuff. Thanks for asking.
Barbara Carr, Salisbury, New Hampshire
7. I prefer it with the flat background, but on my monitor the wood
grain one looks like it is printed quite a bit darker that the flat one.
Darrell Madis, Texas

Thank you all for your comments! Very helpful! Yesterday I completed
printing the two blocks onto four additional sheets for more proofing.
Personally, though, I'm leaning toward the 'plain' background without the
woodblock grain component - as some of you mentioned, it's 'purer' that way
- but I won't make any final decision until I review this next batch of
proofs.

Best,

Mike

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

[Back to message index]

Message 2
From: Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com
Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2007 12:56:31 -0600
Subject: [Baren 34422] Re: Year of the Rat !
Send Message: To this poster

Mark writes:
"Could I ask if there's to be a New Year Print Exchange coming up for Year
of the Rat?"

For sure. There have been some issues in the past with participants not
sending their prints in....but for the most part the
exchanges have been fun and successful and most realize that is an
informal exchange and that there will be some
procrastinators and others that just drop out. I am updating the webpages
with new pig images that Carol sent me and I'll try to
get a count by the weekend...I think probably 70-80% of the participants
sent pig prints this past year.

I will setup the signup screen in a day or so and look for an update
letting everyone know when signup is open....I would ask that
everyone considers if this is something they really have time for before
signing up......if you feel that you only want to send to those you have
received prints from in the past, please do so, but remember the light in
which this exchange is conducted.

There are still piggies, chickens and doggies arriving so if you meant to
or are still working on your past prints go ahead and get them done and
mail....better late than never...

thanks...Julio

[Back to message index]

Message 3
From: Dave Bull
Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2007 08:20:52 +0900
Subject: [Baren 34423] Re: I'd appreciate your comments on new print...
Send Message: To this poster

Mike wrote:

> Thank you all for your comments/votes about the wood grain background
> in my “Jim” print – I’d imagined that you woodblock printmakers would
> all lean toward the wood grain version, but 7 to 2 preferred the
> PLAIN background to some extent, at least

Late to the party here ... sorry. I'll toss my hat into the 'no wood
grain' side too ... It's the _scale_ that bothers me. You're already
playing with our heads here, by giving us this huge blown-up face; as
the viewer stands and looks at it, he doesn't know whether he's looking
at a giant, or just somebody _really_ closely. That's a main part of
what this picture is about - that disconnect ...

But the woodgrain - because it's a scale we are familiar with - clashes
with that. Now how do we interpret the scale of this image? Where
before it was just ... wow ... now it's more muddled and confused.

But what do I know - each one of your works is equal to ten years of
mine .... (in surface area, that is!) ...

Dave

[Back to message index]

Message 4
From: Blog Manager
Date: 10 Nov 2007 04:55:26 -0000
Subject: [Baren 34424] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification
Send Message: To this poster

[Back to message index]

End of [Baren] Digest

Subscribe/Unsubscribe to [Baren] here
Switch your Digest subscription between 'Plain Text' and HTML here
Upload your image to be used in these Digests here
Most recent statistics on our website are here
Contact the group managers here

--- Go to the Opening Page of the [Baren] web site ---

Baren Archives

[Baren] - the International Forum for Woodblock Printmaking

Volume: 41 / Number: 4110

Saturday, 10th of November, 2007

Today's postings

End of [Baren] Digest