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Message 1
From: April Vollmer
Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 14:51:52 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38929] Gentle Gotou!
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It is wonderful to hear that Dave can telephone Mr. Gotou! I would like him to know that his politeness and care in including a note with his barens is greatly appreciated. His meaning is clear, and I hope he doesn't stop, just because we foolish westerners can't communicate in Japanese!

This discussion prompted me to find a hand written note he sent me in 1996, when I bought my first baren, a ki urushi (wood ategawa) 16 strand, 1.5 mm, very strong, for $546 US. My number is 96111134! I can't believe he made THAT many! Perhaps 96 is the year, with some other coded information.

I have another computer-printed note for a murasaki baren I bought in 2007 which says: "Forwarding of the product became late and was to be extremely sorry." I will always keep these nice notes with my barens!

Anyway, I must practice re-covering them so I can do more printing! It is a good thing he sells practice sheaths too!

Thank you all, especially Mr. Gotou!

April



> Dave, my barens were numbered with 1366/1367.
> Do you maybe know: did Mr. Gotou in fact make
> so many barens?

>I just phoned him to find out, and he says that those are the numbers
>for the _coils_ he has made (the 'shin'), starting with the first one
>he produced professionally, 30 odd years ago. That's the heart of the
>baren, so that's what he considers the main piece of work. (He also
>makes replacement 'ategawa', but those aren't part of the numbering
>sequence.)
>
>He has a separate numbering sequence for the Murasaki barens.
>
>Also, he apologized to everyone for his 'terrible' English, but I told
>him that the general feeling was that we 'got the idea' behind what he
>was trying to say, and that his writing style helps us understand his
>gentle character.
>
>He's glad to hear that his work is being appreciated ...
>
>Dave

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Message 2
From: April Vollmer
Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 14:58:55 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38930] same guy?
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I just googled Gotou, and found this entry at the Verne website:

Gotou was born in 1953 North of Kyushu, Japan. The images depicted in his prints are based on his walks with his dog along the beach in Oiso, Japan.

As well as being a printmaker he is a master baren maker for many of the elite Japanese printmakers.

Museum collections: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Suzaka City Museum of Graphic Art, Nagano.

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Message 3
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 16:30:50 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38931] Tying a Baren
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April Vollmer wrote:

> Anyway, I must practice re-covering them so I can do more printing!
> It is a good thing he sells practice sheaths too!


The file was too big to send out as an e-mail .... Quicktime movie for
web.... 43MB.
10 MB is the maximum allowed.

I have posted it to my site.... It will only be there till the end of
this day....
I must respect the people that purchased my DVD so leaving it there
any longer would not be appropriate.

http://www.woodblockart.ca/how-to/

Click the title Tying a Baren.

Here is a heads up.... If you say to yourself that tying a baren is
hard and I have such trouble.... It will be hard to do. Tell yourself
it is a walk in the park and go for it. It truly is a frame of mind.
(this is advise from my buddy Noboru Sawai)

This will save you tons of Bamboo. Cut a piece of light weight
canvas (or cloth) to the shape and use this to practice... It will
save you wasting those precious bamboo husks.

Regards
Graham

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Message 4
From: David Bull
Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 22:51:44 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38932] Re: same guy?
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April wrote:

> As well as being a printmaker he is a master baren
> maker for many of the elite Japanese printmakers.

The Yoseido Gallery in the Ginza has a couple of pages of Goto-san's
prints:
http://www.yoseido.com/catalog/default.php?manufacturers_id=327

More here:
http://jp.prints-prints.com/bandao/artist/hidehiko_goto.html

Dave

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Message 5
From: Albert Andersen
Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 22:56:05 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38933] Introductions
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Hello, my name is Albert Andersen and Im new to wood block printing. I've
been lurking for a few weeks, but thought it was time to jump in and
introduce myself.

I've been a fan of Ukiyo-e and other Japanese prints for most of a decade
now, especially Shin Hanga, but it's at least partly David Bulls fault that
I'm here, now, making them. Stumbling across his web site a few years ago
started my collection, and seeing new and vibrant prints being made by a
real person put the possibility into my head....

Where it sat until I found McC'lains a few months ago. I got their starter
kit for my birthday, and havent looked back. I've made a couple of simple
designs so far, trying to learn as much as I can from each attempt. I'm
working on a third, which will be my first foray into actual color. I'm also
looking forward to taking the class at Cabrillo in a few weeks; the
resources here are great, but it's still hard to cobble together technique
from words on the internet.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/doublefeh/sets/72157617203904752/

-Albert

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Message 6
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 23:03:06 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38934] Re: Introductions
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Welcome to the baren...
nice work, you are on the right track and if you take the class from April you will really have it together.
My best
Barbara

http://www.flickr.com/photos/doublefeh/sets/72157617203904752/

-Albert

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Subject: Carving up my new floor
Posted by: Robert Simola

This item is taken from the blog Robert Simola.
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