Today's postings
- [Baren 38065] third graders and blog updates (Linda Beeman)
- [Baren 38066] Re: third graders and blog updates (David Harrison)
- [Baren 38067] Re: blog updates (Dave Bull)
- [Baren 38068] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V46 #4698 (Feb 5, 2009) (Marilynn Smith)
- [Baren 38069] Re: Third graders printmaking & art auction ("Clive.ca")
- [Baren 38070] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V46 #4698 (Feb 5, 2009) (Shelley Hagan)
- [Baren 38071] woodblocks with children (Raymond Hudson)
- [Baren 38072] Re: Third graders (Barbara Mason)
- [Baren 38073] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V46 #4698 (Feb 5, 2009) (Barbara Mason)
- [Baren 38074] Re: Third graders (carol Montgomery)
- [Baren 38075] Re: Third graders (reneeaugrin # aol.com)
- [Baren 38076] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification (Blog Manager)
- [Baren 38077] Re: Third graders (Diana Moll)
Message 1
From: Linda Beeman
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:17:11 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38065] third graders and blog updates
Send Message: To this poster
Check out the print I did with a local high school class who wanted to do a puzzle print. I consulted Maria - the Queen of Puzzle Prints - for help. The class came up with a self portrait of one eye for a theme. They carved "grab Bag" blocks from McClains. I glued them to a mat board using nori which is an amazingly great glue. Then each kid printed their own using sumi. Maybe not a great idea for grade school but watercolor would be more washable.
With third graders I like your idea of having them do a drawing and have you carve them. Good Luck and have FUN. www.lindbeemanprintmaker.blogspot.com
Blog updates.............I'm wondering why mine isnt' showing up this time? I thought I hit all the right buttons/code words.
Message 2
From: David Harrison
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:29:27 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38066] Re: third graders and blog updates
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Linda, I think you missed out a letter in that link! I found your blog at:
http://lindabeemanprintmaker.blogspot.com/
That's a great puzzle print. It must be hard work to co-ordinate all that
though -- from the outside it looks like packing the whole exchange process
into one print!
All the best,
David H
http://lindabeemanprintmaker.blogspot.com/
That's a great puzzle print. It must be hard work to co-ordinate all that
though -- from the outside it looks like packing the whole exchange process
into one print!
All the best,
David H
Message 3
From: Dave Bull
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:48:39 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38067] Re: blog updates
Send Message: To this poster
> Blog updates.............I'm wondering why mine isnt' showing up this
> time?
You're in there, no problem. Our script has an 'issue' with GMT and
timezones (people have their blogs set to all kinds of bizarre time
settings), and until I made a recent patch to it, it was skipping some
entries, and posting others twice. The entry you just posted will be
scraped tomorrow, I believe ...
Dave
> time?
You're in there, no problem. Our script has an 'issue' with GMT and
timezones (people have their blogs set to all kinds of bizarre time
settings), and until I made a recent patch to it, it was skipping some
entries, and posting others twice. The entry you just posted will be
scraped tomorrow, I believe ...
Dave
Message 4
From: Marilynn Smith
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:43:45 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38068] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V46 #4698 (Feb 5, 2009)
Send Message: To this poster
The mystery of changing color in drying prints. I feel stupid, I am
busy yelling at me. Things like ding bat, stupid, moron and several
other words come to mind. How do you dry your prints, in a stack
between blotters or heavy paper? Ever heard of using some kind of
slip sheet, well ummm I guess I never thought of that one. I have
never had a bleed through problem. But I have racked my brain and I
believe the problem is that I put wet print on top of wet print, put
them in a blotter stacked together, no slip sheet between and they
bled together. I know I had a nice stack of good clean prints with
the white areas showing clean from pigment until they dried. I am
using a very strong staining pigment and I believe they are staining
from the bottom to the top spreading ink from one piece to the next.
What a dodo bird I am. I will use a slip sheet from now on and I
believe the problem will be solved. A rather time consuming and
costly mistake, a lesson learned. Since the paper size is fairly
small my husband suggested I use a phone book and leave several sheets
between each print, outstanding idea! Boy do I feel stupid!
Thanks guys for all the support. I am feeling like I have an IQ of
about 4 at the moment!!
Andrew, I like your idea of having the kids do a drawing on a 2x2
block and putting them together for a final project. Had you thought
of creating a theme for the prints? Something appealing to those who
might buy one at auction and something the kids can relate to? The
one thing Maria did so well with her puzzle print was to give each of
us a different shape and created an interesting design with the
shapes, that might be a bit more time consuming on your part, but
might also be more interesting.
What makes printmaking appealing? It is always a challenge. There
are many problems that crop up that need solutions, even if the
solution is staring you in the face some times you just don't see if
right away! ARRRRGGGG
Marilynn
busy yelling at me. Things like ding bat, stupid, moron and several
other words come to mind. How do you dry your prints, in a stack
between blotters or heavy paper? Ever heard of using some kind of
slip sheet, well ummm I guess I never thought of that one. I have
never had a bleed through problem. But I have racked my brain and I
believe the problem is that I put wet print on top of wet print, put
them in a blotter stacked together, no slip sheet between and they
bled together. I know I had a nice stack of good clean prints with
the white areas showing clean from pigment until they dried. I am
using a very strong staining pigment and I believe they are staining
from the bottom to the top spreading ink from one piece to the next.
What a dodo bird I am. I will use a slip sheet from now on and I
believe the problem will be solved. A rather time consuming and
costly mistake, a lesson learned. Since the paper size is fairly
small my husband suggested I use a phone book and leave several sheets
between each print, outstanding idea! Boy do I feel stupid!
Thanks guys for all the support. I am feeling like I have an IQ of
about 4 at the moment!!
Andrew, I like your idea of having the kids do a drawing on a 2x2
block and putting them together for a final project. Had you thought
of creating a theme for the prints? Something appealing to those who
might buy one at auction and something the kids can relate to? The
one thing Maria did so well with her puzzle print was to give each of
us a different shape and created an interesting design with the
shapes, that might be a bit more time consuming on your part, but
might also be more interesting.
What makes printmaking appealing? It is always a challenge. There
are many problems that crop up that need solutions, even if the
solution is staring you in the face some times you just don't see if
right away! ARRRRGGGG
Marilynn
Message 5
From: "Clive.ca"
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:54:21 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38069] Re: Third graders printmaking & art auction
Send Message: To this poster
Hi Andrew, having worked a bit with the under 10 crowd I'd stay away
from anything too complicated and go more in the direction of letting
them 'draw' their designs into Styrofoam plates and pulling proofs
from that. It would give you the chance to work with them instead of
carving. A few colours of water based paint and a few brayers would
do the trick the styrofoam from meat trays works well.
A woman I know went into classrooms and did various art projects with
the kids, drawing, painting and the like, then took the artwork to a
local copy shop where she had a number of each run off and laminated
as place mats. She got quite creative at it and had the artwork
applied to cups and T-shirts etc; the ones I saw looked quite nice.
The parents loved it and bought a lot of it. She had worked out
prices and made up an order form she used in a lot of schools.
Another way to spiff up kids' art for sale is to mount them in frames
from the dollar store; they sell great frames for a buck and it makes
the prints look good. (They sell atrocious frames for a buck as well
but they only sell them to people with atrocious taste.) Then you
need only precut your print paper to fit the frames.
Good luck with it,
Clive
"The ultimate goal is to produce a print that can then be "auctioned"
off at
the school art fair to raise funds for the art program."
from anything too complicated and go more in the direction of letting
them 'draw' their designs into Styrofoam plates and pulling proofs
from that. It would give you the chance to work with them instead of
carving. A few colours of water based paint and a few brayers would
do the trick the styrofoam from meat trays works well.
A woman I know went into classrooms and did various art projects with
the kids, drawing, painting and the like, then took the artwork to a
local copy shop where she had a number of each run off and laminated
as place mats. She got quite creative at it and had the artwork
applied to cups and T-shirts etc; the ones I saw looked quite nice.
The parents loved it and bought a lot of it. She had worked out
prices and made up an order form she used in a lot of schools.
Another way to spiff up kids' art for sale is to mount them in frames
from the dollar store; they sell great frames for a buck and it makes
the prints look good. (They sell atrocious frames for a buck as well
but they only sell them to people with atrocious taste.) Then you
need only precut your print paper to fit the frames.
Good luck with it,
Clive
"The ultimate goal is to produce a print that can then be "auctioned"
off at
the school art fair to raise funds for the art program."
Message 6
From: Shelley Hagan
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:05:03 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38070] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V46 #4698 (Feb 5, 2009)
Send Message: To this poster
I'm carving my ox print on wood I actually purchased knowing it will be my
block. I had to this point been using wood left over from various projects.
The hardware store didn't have any cherry but they did have lovely maple
planks. Jeepers. I now need to practice my sharpening skills as this wood is
much harder to carve than the left over pine and mahogany I had been using.
In some ways it is easier though. I am loving that the wood doesn't splinter
easily and it is a little more forgiving. Interesting.
Andrew - I am not a teacher but a humble homeroom mom. Your project sounds
great but if you're looking for variations 3rd graders should be old enough
to do some basic carving. Perhaps if they drew on tissue paper then glued
that to the block they could start the carving and you could quickly do
clean-up carving. But 21 kids with knives sounds kinda crazy now that I type
the email. Does the project need to be completed in the classroom? You could
talk to them about the process, draw their images (maybe their initials with
embellishments? Or a self portrait? Their favorite school subject?) on
tissue and paste it on the blocks. Afterwhich you could simply take them
home, carve the blocks and arrange the puzzle block in the safety and quiet
of your own space. You wouldn't be so rushed carving and you could give the
puzzle layout some thought this way. If you want to involve the kids in the
printing you could return to do so. You could even do a bit of carving in
class so the kids could see. They'd like that. Good luck and please post the
final outcome somewhere!
Also to Jan in Australia - Thank you! I have a son in kindegarten and I plan
on using the various stamps and envelopes to enhance the geography and
social studies stations at school. He has been so excited to see where the
cards come from and the different postage they bring. Thank you!
Shelley
block. I had to this point been using wood left over from various projects.
The hardware store didn't have any cherry but they did have lovely maple
planks. Jeepers. I now need to practice my sharpening skills as this wood is
much harder to carve than the left over pine and mahogany I had been using.
In some ways it is easier though. I am loving that the wood doesn't splinter
easily and it is a little more forgiving. Interesting.
Andrew - I am not a teacher but a humble homeroom mom. Your project sounds
great but if you're looking for variations 3rd graders should be old enough
to do some basic carving. Perhaps if they drew on tissue paper then glued
that to the block they could start the carving and you could quickly do
clean-up carving. But 21 kids with knives sounds kinda crazy now that I type
the email. Does the project need to be completed in the classroom? You could
talk to them about the process, draw their images (maybe their initials with
embellishments? Or a self portrait? Their favorite school subject?) on
tissue and paste it on the blocks. Afterwhich you could simply take them
home, carve the blocks and arrange the puzzle block in the safety and quiet
of your own space. You wouldn't be so rushed carving and you could give the
puzzle layout some thought this way. If you want to involve the kids in the
printing you could return to do so. You could even do a bit of carving in
class so the kids could see. They'd like that. Good luck and please post the
final outcome somewhere!
Also to Jan in Australia - Thank you! I have a son in kindegarten and I plan
on using the various stamps and envelopes to enhance the geography and
social studies stations at school. He has been so excited to see where the
cards come from and the different postage they bring. Thank you!
Shelley
Message 7
From: Raymond Hudson
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:28:16 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38071] woodblocks with children
Send Message: To this poster
Andrew,
I tried replying privately, but it didn't work. Here are a couple of
suggestions regarding your proposed project. You might want to have
the third graders draw with VERY heavy crayons or marker pens so that
the lines are somewhat wide. I think 3rd graders are alert to details
and may want to include numerous fine lines that would be very
difficult to transfer to a woodblock and they would be disappointed if
these were missing. If they had to draw with a wide pen, this might be
avoided. A set of 21 "self-portraits" would be terrific. Another
alternative would be to have a "group drawing" (done by passing the
sheet from person to person), then you carve, kids and you print with
black ink, and the kids then watercolor the resulting prints
individually.
Sounds like you'll have a great time.
Ray
I tried replying privately, but it didn't work. Here are a couple of
suggestions regarding your proposed project. You might want to have
the third graders draw with VERY heavy crayons or marker pens so that
the lines are somewhat wide. I think 3rd graders are alert to details
and may want to include numerous fine lines that would be very
difficult to transfer to a woodblock and they would be disappointed if
these were missing. If they had to draw with a wide pen, this might be
avoided. A set of 21 "self-portraits" would be terrific. Another
alternative would be to have a "group drawing" (done by passing the
sheet from person to person), then you carve, kids and you print with
black ink, and the kids then watercolor the resulting prints
individually.
Sounds like you'll have a great time.
Ray
Message 8
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:46:49 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38072] Re: Third graders
Send Message: To this poster
Yes, have them draw on 3x3 inch squares of scratch foam (also known as picnic styrofoam plates of meat trays from you local store)
Print these with speedball ink on 4x4 squares of fusible pellon. This is suff used in sewing to stiffen fabric like in the collar of a shirt. It comes in different weights so get the medium weight.
Print all the squares twice, once with warm colors and once with cool colors.
Roll ink on the squares of scratch foam and lay ink side down on the side of pellon that does not have the iron on stuff on it, roll with a rolling pin to print. Drop the printed scratch foam pieced in a bucket of water to clean. The can be reused many times.
Then iron them onto a large piece of cloth when dry and hang as a banner.
You can also do this with paper but the fabric is unusual and fun. Try it at home first to work out any kinks.
This is an amazingly easy project but messy and you have to have a place to dry the pellon, I laid it on pieces of newsprint on the floor at the edges of the room.
Any parent would love to have it. You can also do one larger square for the center, that is always good. The speedball ink does wash our so if you get anything wet it will smear.
My best,
Barbara
Print these with speedball ink on 4x4 squares of fusible pellon. This is suff used in sewing to stiffen fabric like in the collar of a shirt. It comes in different weights so get the medium weight.
Print all the squares twice, once with warm colors and once with cool colors.
Roll ink on the squares of scratch foam and lay ink side down on the side of pellon that does not have the iron on stuff on it, roll with a rolling pin to print. Drop the printed scratch foam pieced in a bucket of water to clean. The can be reused many times.
Then iron them onto a large piece of cloth when dry and hang as a banner.
You can also do this with paper but the fabric is unusual and fun. Try it at home first to work out any kinks.
This is an amazingly easy project but messy and you have to have a place to dry the pellon, I laid it on pieces of newsprint on the floor at the edges of the room.
Any parent would love to have it. You can also do one larger square for the center, that is always good. The speedball ink does wash our so if you get anything wet it will smear.
My best,
Barbara
Message 9
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:53:38 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38073] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V46 #4698 (Feb 5, 2009)
Send Message: To this poster
Shelly,
I have done years of working with kids in the schools and never used real knives with kids under 7th grade, there motor skills are not good enough yet. You can use safety cut or e-z cut and speedball tools at third grade but 4th grade is safer. We did 50 4th and 5th grades with these tools and had no problems but we did not let the kids change out the blade, we made them ask an adult to do that.
Carving wood is way too dangerous unless you can work one on one with a child.
My best
Barbara
I have done years of working with kids in the schools and never used real knives with kids under 7th grade, there motor skills are not good enough yet. You can use safety cut or e-z cut and speedball tools at third grade but 4th grade is safer. We did 50 4th and 5th grades with these tools and had no problems but we did not let the kids change out the blade, we made them ask an adult to do that.
Carving wood is way too dangerous unless you can work one on one with a child.
My best
Barbara
Message 10
From: carol Montgomery
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:17:33 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38074] Re: Third graders
Send Message: To this poster
Hi, Andrew - I agree with some of the postings about sharp objects and small children. You could create collographs with cardboard and collage items - roll ink on with a brayer - and print on a small press. The kids have the collage plate and a print to match. Sincerely, Carol Montgomery, Helena, MT
Message 11
From: reneeaugrin # aol.com
Date: Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:53:46 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38075] Re: Third graders
Send Message: To this poster
Hi all,
Andrew, you might try monotypes. I had a lot of fun making white
monotypes. Just roll out some speedball white ink (water soluable) on
plexiglass plates (if needed add a little retarder for acrylics to the
mix -- you'll have to experiament with amounts and the kind of paper
you have and the time allowed), you'll have the kids make a reductive
print, they can use q-tips or something similar to draw directly onto
the plates. Print on a colored paper, no press needed, a baren, or a
clean roller on the back of the paper will transfer the image very
nicely. They could be all one color, or assemble the individual prints
of different colors, a la a puzzle or a quilt. Very safe and fun. Try
to discourage them from letters or words -- the backwards component --
visual is better anyway. A theme is nice.
Good luck and enjoy watching them struggle with the same ideas we all
wrestle with everyday -- form, line, shadow, light, expression, etc.,
etc., Have fun!
Renee
Andrew, you might try monotypes. I had a lot of fun making white
monotypes. Just roll out some speedball white ink (water soluable) on
plexiglass plates (if needed add a little retarder for acrylics to the
mix -- you'll have to experiament with amounts and the kind of paper
you have and the time allowed), you'll have the kids make a reductive
print, they can use q-tips or something similar to draw directly onto
the plates. Print on a colored paper, no press needed, a baren, or a
clean roller on the back of the paper will transfer the image very
nicely. They could be all one color, or assemble the individual prints
of different colors, a la a puzzle or a quilt. Very safe and fun. Try
to discourage them from letters or words -- the backwards component --
visual is better anyway. A theme is nice.
Good luck and enjoy watching them struggle with the same ideas we all
wrestle with everyday -- form, line, shadow, light, expression, etc.,
etc., Have fun!
Renee
Message 13
From: Diana Moll
Date: Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:55:30 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38077] Re: Third graders
Send Message: To this poster
Bareners have generated so many good responses to this, there is
barely anything to add. If you want to make some $$$$ through this
project in addition to auctioning off the piece you could make cards
from scans with a color printer. Kinkos probably could do it for you
if you are not set up for that yourself. There is usually a parent
with such capabilities in the class........Darco on Doyle St. has
nice, but reasonably priced envelopes.
Support the ARTS!
Enjoying rain in SC, too,
Diana
barely anything to add. If you want to make some $$$$ through this
project in addition to auctioning off the piece you could make cards
from scans with a color printer. Kinkos probably could do it for you
if you are not set up for that yourself. There is usually a parent
with such capabilities in the class........Darco on Doyle St. has
nice, but reasonably priced envelopes.
Support the ARTS!
Enjoying rain in SC, too,
Diana
Digest Appendix
Postings made on [Baren] members' blogs
over the past 24 hours ...
Subject: Winter Aspen (Exchange 39)
Posted by: Viza Arlington
 Artist: Viza Arlington Title: Winter Aspen moku-hanga (Japanese woodcut method) on Rives lightweight paper watercolor, mica and sumi ink three blocks (white with mica, blue, and black) hand printed paper size: 6.6 X 15 inches image size: 5.6 X 14 inches edition 100 signed and numbered original print |
This item is taken from the blog VIZArt.
'Reply' to Baren about this item.