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Message 1
From: Diane Cutter
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:17:52 GMT
Subject: [Baren 41526] URGENT HELP IS NEEDED PLEASE!!!
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Message 2
From: David Bull
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:24:46 GMT
Subject: [Baren 41527] Re: URGENT HELP IS NEEDED PLEASE!!!
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Message 3
From: ArtfulCarol # aol.com
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:30:02 GMT
Subject: [Baren 41528] Re: URGENT HELP IS NEEDED PLEASE!!!
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Message 4
From: Diana Moll
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:32:21 GMT
Subject: [Baren 41529] Re: URGENT HELP IS NEEDED PLEASE!!!
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Message 5
From: Annie Bissett
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:21:08 GMT
Subject: [Baren 41530] WARNING: Spam Email
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Message 6
From: jennifer kelly
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:55:20 GMT
Subject: [Baren 41531] Re: Baren Summit 2011, San Antonio
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Message 7
From: jennifer kelly
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:01:43 GMT
Subject: [Baren 41532] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V51 #5289 (Jun 25, 2010)
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Subject: God Blesses John Alexander and Thomas Roberts, 1637
Posted by: Annie B

GOD BLESSES JOHN ALEXANDER AND THOMAS ROBERTS, 1637 Japanese woodblock (moku hanga) Paper size: 20.5" x 14.5" (52 x 37 cm) Image size: 17.75" x 11.5" (29.2 x 45 cm) 6 shina plywood blocks 9 hand-rubbed impressions Paper: Nishinouchi Edition: 12 In 1636 two Plymouth Colony men, John Alexander and Thomas Roberts, were brought to trial and found guilty of performing ongoing homosexual acts with each other. Although by law homosexuality was punishable by death, the two received less severe punishments. (Apparently Massachusetts magistrates have always been soft on gays!) John Alexander, a free man, was whipped, burned on the shoulder with a branding iron, and banished from the colony. Thomas Roberts, an indentured servant, was whipped and returned to his master but forbidden to ever own any land within the colony. In a way, one could say that their trial and punishment was a blessing of sorts. The court records "immortalized" the two, allowing us in the 21st century to at least know the existence as well as the names of two Puritan homosexual lovers at the founding of our nation. I'm glad I went ahead and reprinted this piece a second time as I like it much better in green. Copyright Woodblock Dreams blog

This item is taken from the blog Woodblock Dreams.
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Subject:
Posted by: Dean Clark

I have a firm policy to write a minimum of one blog posting per month. In the month of June, it's been a bit of a strain due to travel. I generally don't travel with a computer - they're heavy and I rarely find time (or a usable network) to use them, so I remain the unrepentant troglodyte. Susan and I did have a reasonably unique experience during our recent trip to Italy. We visited the Magnani Paper Mill in Pescia, Italy. Our host, and good friend, was Francesco Natali. The journey began from Florence. with a train trip to Pescia. Francesco met us at the station and drove us to the mill. The mill tour is something that every printmaker should do at least once in their careers. Everything about Magnani was exactly as I expected it to be...very hands on, and very professional in every aspect. The vat of cotton linters at the left was, just seconds before a pile of what looked like blotters floating on pure spring water. With the flick of a switch, the process of making high quality printmaking paper begins. We were able to follow the process from linters to inspection in great detail. It isn't often that you have a chance to inspect the watermark form in great detail, or handle the felts that form the paper. We've been fans of the Magnani sheets for years, but we've developed a new found respect for what goes into these fine papers. As if that wasn't enough, we were Francesco's guests for dinner back in Florence at an absolutely superb restaurant - a place called Pandemonia. If you ever get to Florence, go there and tell them Dean sent you. It won't mean a thing to them, but I'll feel pretty good about it. I especially want to thank everyone at Magnani for making this visit remarkable.

This item is taken from the blog Printmakingblog.
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Subject: Support Group, again,again
Posted by: Sharri

I'm hoping that the third time is a charm.  This print has been trying (and succeeding very well) to drive me crazy.  I could not  understand what it was that was nagging non-stop.  Finally, a friend said she thought that the central figure was too dark.  I looked closer and the original drawing was not dark, so I must have over-developed the plate.  Back to platemaking and a 30 second developing time and this is so much better.  It reminds me of a story another friend, who just happened to be a poet, told me years and years ago.  She said she had a friend who helped her with her poetry and the problem was always the line above or below the problem line, and never the "problem line" at all.    Right after that I was painting a portrait commission and could not get the nose right.  Finally, I redid the mouth and the nose was fine.  Such was the case with this print.  I thought it was the amount of white space that was wrong, and it was instead the darkness around the hair and face of that center figure.  Thank you to my good friend for turning me around! Another lesson learned again.  I don't know if I have time to learn every lesson over and over and over.  I would really like to get to that woodblock someday.   I'm assuming everyone recognized these three women as the Three Graces: Aglaea (beauty), Euphrosyne (mirth), Thalia (good cheer).   This image has the central figure, Aglaea, needing her support group.  She is traditionally the grace dealing with beauty and is also the oldest, so I'm wondering if she is worried about losing her beauty because she is aging.  Maybe she is considering a face lift... or maybe not.  I'll leave it to the viewer to make up the story. ;-)

This item is taken from the blog Rag & Bone.
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