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EDITOR'S NOTES
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Welcome to the January/February issue
of Baren-Suji, the newsletter of barenforum.org.
This issue was prepared carefully long ago by our tireless editor Julio
Rodriguez. In any all-volunteer organization, a few individuals continue
to plow forward in order to continue what is now a tradition. I decided
to take the reins of Baren-Suji back to alleviate Julio's load. Long ago
my life got so busy I did not even have time to read Baren emails; the
same is now true for Julio's life.
Recently I had the immense pleasure of hosting a visit by Barbara Mason,
another tireless Council member and Baren Mall Manager. Barbara is also
president (and many other things) of the Northwest Print Council, a printmaking
organization that spans the Northwestern U.S. states. Barbara volunteered
to help me with the now infamous (and completed!) puzzle project. We both
spent some 30 hours printing the project.
In more personal conversations with Barbara and in many conversations
with Julio and other members of the council, I realized that our lives
are also busy outside of printmaking. We share personal family burdens
and other "life things" that keep us all extremely busy in and
out of Baren.
So why do we continue to volunteer and spend every ounce of free time
on activities like Baren and the Northwest Printmaking Council and Skokie,
New York, Ohio and other exhibitions? Why do individuals continue to step
forward to coordinate exchanges and extra exchanges and other exciting
projects? I can only speak for myself on the answer, but the questions
are worth introspection by all the Baren members.
I simply do what I do to give back to Barenforum.org the priceless contribution
that this spunky organization has given my life. I sign up for exchanges
because I love to make prints and I want to share with other people who
love to make prints. In short, I do things for the love of printmaking
and for the love of Baren, corny as that may sound. Why do you? and perhaps
more importantly...What have you done for Baren lately?
Maria Arango
"CUT, PRINT !"
- David Bull, Baren founder
"We must, indeed, all hang together,
or most assuredly we shall all hang separately"
-Printmaker Benjamin Franklin
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*Print above by Barbara Mason, "Red Bridge" from Exchange #15- Hanga-only
A special thank YOU! to the contributors this issue:
Julio Rodriguez |
April Vollmer |
Sharen Linder |
Barbara Mason |
Mike Lyon |
David Bull |
John Amoss |
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As always, an extra thank you to our friendly Baren graphic
designer,
John Amoss, for the Baren-suji masthead design and the
many logos that keep popping up in the Barenforum web site and also to our webmasters David Bull, Maria Arango and Mike Lyon for all the behind the scenes work.
Enjoy!
Julio Rodriguez, Editor of Baren-Suji hereby giving the reins to Maria
Arango
Please direct letters to the editor and comments to:
Editor
Remember that your contributions will continue to make
this newsletter interesting and palatable for all. To contribute a feature
article or an item of interest, please contact: Contributions
EXCHANGES, EXHIBITIONS, ACTIVITIES...
Print
by Bea Gold, Yellow Bird
First and foremost, I think we all owe a standing ovation to Mike Lyon.
Without much of the membership noticing, Mike Lyon took over as Exchanges
Coordinator, undertaking the responsibility of overseeing all exchanges and
related activities. It is indeed Mike who coordinates with coordinators, updates
the website, uploads new exchange pages that seem to come faster every year,
communicates with members, guides newbies, and a host of other activities
that some of us don't even want to think about. Thank you, Mike Lyon for keeping
us all in line.
And now...can you believe sign up for Exchange #20 is closed? 20 exchanges,
30 prints each, do the math...some of us have been accumulating awesome collections!
As usual, think of volunteering to coordinate the next exchange; it is a huge
job and pays nothing, but the intangible rewards are many. Or just sign up
for the next exchange and get involved in the fun.
Remember! General information and links to all exchanges can always be
found here: http://barenforum.org/exchange/index.html
And in case you missed them, the prints in the Exchange Gallery can delight
you here: http://barenforum.org/exchange/exchanges.html
"WHAT IS BAREN?" A fun collaborative puzzle project idea by Maria
Arango. Complete update on this project in next issue, after the mailing tube
dust has settled. The project has been printed thanks to Barbara Mason and
the ink is drying as we speak. Each participant will receive their prints
and a colophon. Details are here: http://www.1000woodcuts.com/puzzle/project.html
(Secretly, Maria is already thinking of the next all-encompassing collaboration
among Baren members).
CALENDAR-2004 Project. Another project has been completed! Full update
on next issue. Julio Rodriguez and some of his Chicago buddies managed to
put together a huge number of calendars which are on their merry way to participants.
Baren members created prints for several calendar types. Each participant
will receive a free calendar and the remaining stock is currently on sale
with funds going to help cover the operating costs of barenforum.org. For
more information and details on Calendar-2004, head over to the Calendar
Page
LARGE PRINT Exchange II. Format for this exchange is open, maximum
size 22" X 32", 25 prints required. For more information and details on LPE
II, head over to the Large Print
Information Site. Coordinator Sharri LaPierre and Rudolf Stalder. Prints
are due March 1st, 2004.
CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR is here! This is the Year of
the Monkey, with Julio Rodriguez coordinating (again). The current
page is here: http://barenforum.org/new_year/index.html
We do one of these every year, with the advantage that cards will come in throughout
the first few months of the year. In the past, some participants have been quite
late, so be patient as this is the nature of this particular fun exchange.
DECK OF CARDS Exchange. Member Colleen Corradi (Italy) is coordinating
a side exchange at Monoprint.com.
Each participant is assigned a playing card to print and will make an edition
of 53 prints to exchange with the group.
LEFTIES CAN CARVE! Member Carol Lyons has started a great project
for lefties and wannabe lefties. Contact her about all the details ArtfulCarol@aol.com
For
those wanting to work at their own pace and perhaps do smaller editions, The
Baren International Swap Shop is awaiting your prints. James Mundie
presides over the Swapshop and is looking forward to adding your prints to
those already received.
The Swapshop Gallery can be seen at: http://barenforum.org/swapshop/intro.html
This program is also open to non-members. We hope that you will also encourage non-members to participate so that we can promote the traditional exchange of prints among printmakers throughout the world.
*Print left "Jake, Rescue Dog" by Sarah Hauser
EXHIBITIONS
contributed by Sharen Linder
University of Virginia http://www.virginia.edu/artmuseum/exhib.html
"The Moon Has No Home: Japanese Color Woodblock Prints from the Collection",
Exhibition through March 7, 2004
SYMPOSIUM February 6-7 Friday-Saturday, Ukiyo-e Symposium - Japanese Color
Woodblock Prints in the Museum
Friday 4:30 Keynote Address by Sebastian Izzard, formerly with Christie's
and author of Kunisada's World
Saturday 10:00 - 3:00 Symposium Herman Ooms, University of California, LA
Dr. Sandy Kita, University of Maryland and co-curator of the Exhibition "The
Moon Has No Home" Mr.Timon Screech, University of London
Feb 21 Saturday 12:30 - 4:30pm Japanese Family Festival
New York Museum of Modern Art
http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2003/kiki_smith.html
Kiki Smith: Prints, Books, and Things December 5, 2003-March 8, 2004
If you are missing out on the exchanges and
exhibitions, be sure to tune into the Baren
forum and take a gander through the Encyclopedia. Opportunities abound
and await!
MEMBERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT...
(Although these are outdated, I chose to leave here to give overdue credit to
our members. Apologies for the delay.)
Georga Garside - 3 of my woodcuts are included in the summer issue
of the BLACK BEAR REVIEW and 2 more will be coming out in the LYNX EYE both
are literary magazines Black
Bear Review
Steve Goddard - Just thought you'd like to know that the exhibition
"Inspired by Japan" which includes selections from the Baren Moku-hanga portfolio
received a very positive response. I neglected to mention that Kat's print
is also on display.
Member John Center took part in two group printmaking shows at Anchor
Graphics, Chicago. "Printmaker's Ball benefit and art auction" exhibition
took place April 26-may 3, 2003. The Art auction was held on Saturday, May
3 7-10 PM. The second show was a group print show of relief printmaking. The
opening was held on May 17. Anchor graphics, 119 west Hubbard Street, Chicago,
IL 60610
312-595-9598
Members Sarah Hauser and Myron Turner exhibiting their prints at the
recent International Print Center of New York's New Prints/Spring . Myron's
print was an image taken from a Muybridge image of a cat walking, and it had
been distorted and pixelized. Sarah had two solarplate etchings on display.
Congratulations to both!
AIKO'S OF CHICAGO
by Sharen Linder
For printmakers visiting Chicago, a stop at Aiko's, on Clark Street, heads
the agenda!
Aiko Nakane, the founder of Aiko's Art Materials, has been instrumental in
bringing handmade Japanese paper and its aesthetic to the United States.
Born in Seattle in 1908, Aiko attended high school in Japan and was exposed
to such traditional crafts as calligraphy and Ikebana, flower arranging. She
remembers the daily household use of Japanese paper whether to simply wrap
a gift or to present an item of food at a meal. She likes to tell of the time
her mother tightly rolled a piece of paper to tie her daughter's hair back
when a ribbon or hair band could not be found. Back in the United States as
a student at the Chicago Institute of Art in the early 1950's, Aiko would
give Japanese art supplies and papers as omiyage (gifts) to fellow students
and friends in the art community upon returning from trips to Japan. Her friends
loved the items and clamored for more--thus the beginning of Aiko's Art Materials.
Since the mid-1950's Aiko's Art Materials has provided both supplies and
services to its customers. What began as a small concern for a select few
in the Midwest has gradually evolved into a world-wide business with orders
routinely shipped out to such far-flung destinations as Mexico, England, South
Africa and Switzerland. Yet, in spite of this expansion, Aiko's still provides
that personal, distinctive style that has been a hallmark of the store since
its inception.
Specializing in washi, handmade Japanese paper, Aiko's carries over five
hundred types of paper. Japanese handmades, both plain and decorated, make
up over ninety-five percent of the inventory. An infinite variety of colors,
textures and designs is displayed - enough to tempt every imagination with
endless possibilities. The shop serves paper and book artists, bookbinders,
painters, and crafters and those in book restoration and conservation. To
buy paper at Aiko's is to participate in a ceremony!
Aiko's also carries Japanese woodcut tools, bookbinding tools and supplies,
watercolors, inks, and a large selection of imported brushes.
Brushes are an important aspect of Aiko's Art Materials. One hundred different
brushes can be found in the store. They are made up of materials ranging from
badger and horsehair to sheep and cat hair. Shapes and sizes are specially
formulated for use, be it calligraphy, brush painting, stencil dying or painting.
Almost all of the brushes are produced in Japan.
Although the specialty of the house is art materials - books on Japanese
art and culture, contemporary prints, pottery, cards and stationery, calligraphy
supplies and gift items are also available. Contemporary Japanese prints and
reproduction prints of the old Japanese masters are on hand. Also, Aiko's
carries a large selection of pottery, tea sets, and vases from various kilns
in Japan. Included in Aiko's gift area are iron teapots and teacups from Iwachu.
The Aiko Fellowship
is an endowed fellowship which honors Aiko Nakane. The Aiko Fellowship is
given yearly to an MFA or MA graduate student in the Book & Paper Subdivision
of the Interdisciplinary Arts Department at Columbia College, Chicago, in
order to encourage young artists, as Mrs. Nakane has done for so many years.
Aiko's Art Materials Import, Inc.
3347 N. Clark St.,
Chicago, IL 60657
773.404.5600, Fax 773 404 5919
Website: http://aikosart.com/
PEEK
INTO OUR RESIDENT EXPERTS' STUDIOS
In preparing for this issue, I thought it might be of benefit to all to find
out what some of our more experienced members keep in their studios. Conversing
in Barenforum usually brings out the recommended tools and supplies from many
of our members, but in order to improve, what I wanted to know is the real
stuff that the pros use in the privacy of their studios when newbies
aren't watching...so I asked!
What I received in reply will fill a dozen Baren-Sujis, so I decided to divvy
up the stuff into sections. The topics of this issue (let's start
at the beginning!) are wood and tools.
The Experts' Favorite Wood
"Hmmm... Well, honestly that varies. I've tried a lot of different
woods which I admire for different reasons -- planks tend to warp when one
side is wetter than the other -- plywood is more stable but presents a characteristic
surface as the veneer seems to 'micro-crack' when it is shaved from the logs...
- Cherry -- relatively hard wood resists the knife and very consistent throughout
the plank -- not perceptibly harder and softer when cutting across the grain.
Easy to carve very fine details and very thin lines and dots which hold together
well during extended printing. Cherry's relatively stable when reduction printed
in that fibers hold together very tight, so wood doesn't change overmuch during
repeated wettings and dryings and recarvings of reduction printing. Planks
are capable of lightly reproducing their attractive grain pattern during printing,
both relief grain (grain pores print light) and intaglio (grain pores print
dark). Heart wood and sap wood on same plank feel similar during carving print
very differently. Sap wood (lighter in color) absorbs much more water and
expands more than heart wood. Best to pick planks which do not contain sap
wood.
- Basswood -- relatively soft wood very easy to carve. Very consistent throughout
the plank. Has pronounced grain which tends to reproduce unaesthetically in
printing as open areas are softer and more absorbent (and hence print darker)
than grain lines. After repeated printings, grain lines can stand up quite
a bit above areas between and print very pronounced. This can be a problem
in reduction printing.
- Luan Plywood -- splintery during carving (and glue can be quite hard between
plys) so carving fine details can be problematic, but prints very pronounced
straight-line grain
- Red Oak -- softer than cherry, harder than basswood, tremendous variation
in hardness between grain lines -- the grain is very large and open, so the
knife tends to skip through them. Prints extremely pronounced grain (intaglio)
when pigment is brushed across the grain, and more subtle grain (relief) when
pigment is brushed with the grain.
ash -- similar to oak, but a bit harder and grain a bit less open.
- Spanish Cedar -- very soft and very aromatic, it has an open straight grain
which prints (relief) in a pronounced way. Fibers don't hold together very
well, so it is difficult to retain small islands.
pine -- grain prints very pronounced and runs from very, very hard to very
very soft crossing grain lines. Grain tends to 'raise' during repeated rewettings
of reduction printing.
- Shina Plywood -- soft like basswood and 'cracked' like birch ply, the splitting
process seems to leave little parallel 'bumps' in the wood which print sort
of goma-like. Difficult to carve fine details as plys tend to delaminate.
- Birch Plywood -- the process of splitting the veneers from the logs seems
to leave little bumps and cracks parallel to the center of the log and those
tend to show up in the printing like very mild luan, sort of...
- Magnolia -- I've heard this is good and look forward to trying it."
"Mostly birch or cherry veneered plywood (3/4") but more and more
turning to solid cherry or maple for delicate carving of lines. Most blocks
I use are salvaged from construction sites or rescued from the dumpster of
the local cabinet-making shop. Lumber stores specializing on hardwoods and
exotic species are good sources for cutoffs at reduced prices. Ideally for
the style of prints I make, a good compromise is to cut the keyblock on solid
cherry and the less demanding color blocks on birch-plywood."
"Yamazakura (mountain cherry), tsuge (boxwood). Nothing else used."
"I love clear bass, and the sharp detail of cherry, but I have to admit
I mostly stick to 5-ply all-shina from McClain's because it is so light, easy
to carve, and can be cut on both sides. My editions are small so I don't loose
too much detail."
The Experts' Favorite Tools
"I guess my favorite tool is a 1 1/4" wide ultra-shallow Swedish
gouge which I've had since my days as a sculpture student in the early 1970's.
Now I use it as you'd use a bull-nose, for smoothing large carved-out areas.
Very shallow blade angle and very hard (but somehow durable) steel stays super-sharp
almost forever, it seems.
Next-most favorite is a Japanese 12mm shallow gouge, a relatively cheap one
with blade fixed in a long wooden handle -- stays sharp, cuts easily, I do
all my clearing with this.
Actually, any very sharp tool seems to be my 'favorite' of the moment."
"My favorite tools are a set of three japanese knives I got from David
Bull. I think they were hand-me-downs from his teenage daughter Fumi. The
set consists of a traditional hangi-to for cutting lines, a small 1/8"
aisuki (bull-nose chisel) for delicate clearing around lines and a wider 3/8"
aisuki for clearing out larger areas. I have used these three tools exclusively
for the last three years but I am looking to supplement the set with 2-3 similar
tools for added flexibility in carving."
"Easy question to answer ... a knife given to me by the widow of Mr.
Susumu Ito, the carver who was most helpful to me in my earlier days here:
http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/014_06/014_06_frame.html
I oil it and preserve it ready for instant use, but will never touch it to
wood ..."
"If you can afford it, get the best toh, aisuki and u-gouge you can
afford, McClain's has been a good source for me. The
inexpensive 7-piece Power Grip set from Japan woodworker is a good beginner's
set.
Best Places to Shop:
McClain's www.imacclains.com
Baren Mall (See bottom of newsletter!)
Japan Woodworker www.japanwoodworker.com"
BOOK REVIEWS
by Barbara Mason
“One Hundred Aspects of the Moon” Japanese Woodblock
Prints of Yoshitoshi, by Tamara Tjardes, published by the Museum of New Mexico
Press
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) was born in Tokyo shortly before Japan’s
violent transition from a feudal agrarian to a modern industrial society.
In the midst of shifting values Yoshitoshi struggled to make woodblock prints
for the changing tastes of the general public. Woodblock prints were designed
by the artist, carved by master carvers, printed by master printers and sold
by publishers. His work reflected the violence of his times but later in his
career his work underwent a distinctive stylistic change. Influenced by western
art he experimented with concepts of perspective, space and dissonant color
combinations. By the 1880’s his series “100 Aspects of the Moon”
took on a quieter feel, still using native themes in his prints. His approach
to creating individual portraits of the ordinary citizen became groundbreaking.
Yoshitoshi was considered a leading designer at the time of his death.
The prints and poetry are beautiful and as always, give a new appreciation
for a complex society that we in the west barely understand. Collected from
all over the world by Else and Joe Chapman of Santa Fe over two decades, this
wonderful collection, in almost pristine condition, is housed in the Museum
of International Folk Art. The only thing better than the book would be seeing
these prints in person.
“Arthur Wesley Dow and American Arts and Crafts” by Nancy
E Green and Joseph Poesch, published by Harry Abrams, Inc. New York
Arthur Wesley Dow taught at Pratt Institute, Columbia University, the Art
Students League and his own Ipswich Summer School of Art in the late 1800’s
early 1900’s. He was interested in all forms of American art and craft
as well as the international art and craft he studied in Paris. His interest
were far-ranging and eclectic but the art of the east, specifically the woodblock
prints from Japan were the ultimate source for the essential principals of
his teaching. . In an oft quoted letter to his future wife, Dow wrote “It
is now plain to me that Whistler and Pennell whom I have admired as great
originals are only copying the Japanese. One evening with Hokusai gave me
more light on composition and decorative effect than years of study of pictures.
I surely ought to compose in an entirely different manner and paint better.”
Dow’s students reads like a who’s who of 19th century leaders
in the field of Art and Art Education and included such notables as Max Weber
and Georgia O’Keeffe. And they carried his teaching ideas with them
as they moved away from the east coast to the west. Dow’s approach to
art was universal; it could be translated by any artist into any form based
on a few simple principles. Composition was the key and he always maintained
it was a learned skill, available to all.
This is a great book to add to your collection. It is a always
very interesting to see how the East and West borrowed from each other and
were sometimes better for it.
BARENFORUM.ORG
BENEFITS
by John Amoss
John Amoss would like to announce that Mr. Antoon Speters from Georgia
University has been named the recipient of Barenforum.org's second Printmaking
award. Along with his award for his winning woodcut, Mr. Speters also received
a Hiroshige calendar. Sponsorship made possible by the generosity of contributing
members. Photos and website update coming soon.
Print by Mr. Antoon Speters
Ms. Kay Hackl, student at William Rainey Harper College
has been named the recipient of Barenforum.org's third Print Award for exceptional
achievement in relief printmaking. Along with her award Ms. Hackl received
a calendar of Japanese Art from The Art Institute of Chicago. She will continue
her studies next year at Columbia College, Chicago. Sponsorship made possible
by the generosity of contributing Baren members.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRINTMAKERS
PRESS for Sale. Polymetaal press for sale: 4 years old/ bed 24" x 47".
5" upper roller. star wheel. $1750. w/blankets contact: dwaimon277@earthlink.net
Press is located in CT
WORKSHOPS:
Print by Ruth Leaf, Untitled
Lower East Side Printshop
59-61 East 4th Street
NYC, 10003 212-673-5390 or at http://www.printshop.org/
Frogman's Press & Gallery,
Workshops.
105 North Third Street, P.O. Box 142
Beresford, SD 57004 - 0142
Phone/Fax: (605)763-5082
Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710.
Workshops and class schedule.
Zea Mays Printmaking
Located in beautiful western Massachusetts and offering a wide array of summer
workshops. Zea Mays Printmaking is a studio/workshop dedicated to safer approaches
to printmaking. Workshops are limited to 6 people. For further information
and images, visit their website,
or call the studio at 413.584.1783
Course title: "Special Woodcut Workshop"
Instructor: Mike Lyon http://mlyon.com
(Back by popular demand)
Dates: April 21 - 25 2004
Location: Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk, CT http://www.centerforcontemporaryprintmaking.org
Mike Lyon, "Jessica", 2003, Ukiyo-e woodcut, 6.25" x 10.5"
Japanese woodblock printmaking offers precise registration and the luminous
brilliance of watercolor using non-toxic materials, minimal workspace and
simple hand tools. Japanese woodblock technique differs radically from western
relief-printing in that no press is used, no solvent other than water is needed,
the pigment sinks deeply into the paper and colors may repeatedly be overprinted
practically without limit.
Participants will design, carve and print images using primarily traditional
techniques and materials. The instructor will demonstrate kento registration,
image transfer methods, tool maintenance and technique, characteristics of
wood and paper, types and uses of color brushes, special techniques including
over-printing, goma-zuri (grainy printing), bokashi (gradation printing),
metallic pigments, mica, and more.
Mike Lyon (b. 1951), BA. University of Pennsylvania, BFA, Kansas City Art
Institute. Mr. Lyon manages the quarterly print exchanges for the Baren International
Forum of Woodblock Printmaking http://www.barenforum.org His solo print show
in Kyoto, Japan opens October, 2004.
"Mike taught this class last fall with patience and provided clear,
detailed instructions. I recommend this class for any printmaker, beginner
to advanced. This technique is adaptable to any artistic style." -- Leslie
Giuliani
Course title: "Moku Hanga: Japanese woodblock printmaking"
Instructor: Mike Lyon http://mlyon.com
Dates: June 21 - 25 2004
Location: Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass, CO http://www.andersonranch.org
Mike Lyon,
"Dana", 2003, Ukiyo-e woodcut, 16" X 11"
Skill level: Open to all
Concept: Japanese woodblock printmaking enjoys the luminous brilliance of
watercolor using non-toxic materials, minimal workspace and simple hand tools.
Japanese woodblock technique differs radically from western relief-printing
in that no press is used, no solvent other than water is needed, the pigment
sinks deeply into the paper and colors may repeatedly be overprinted practically
without limit.
Media: Transparent water colors, gouache, paper, rice paste, carving materials
and wood blocks
Techniques: Mike will describe and demonstrate kento registration, image
transfer methods and carving tools and techniques including sharpening. The
workshop will cover the characteristics of a variety of wood and paper; types
and use of color brushes and the use and maintenance of the baren, a traditional
printing disk. Students will also delve into a variety of special printing
techniques including over-printing, goma-zuri (grainy printing), bokashi (gradation
printing), metallic pigments, mica and much more.
Activities: Participants in this five-day intensive workshop will design,
carve and print images using primarily traditional techniques and materials.
The instructor will provide a broad overview of the history of the medium,
showing masterpieces of 19th- and 20th- century Japanese printmaking from
his own collection.
Prerequisites: All are welcome, so a wide range of skill levels may be represented
in the workshop.
Faculty: Mike Lyon will be featured in his first solo exhibition in Kyoto,
Japan in October, 2004. He is an avid collector of 18th- and 19th-century
Japanese prints, and manages the quarterly print exchanges for the Baren International
Forum of Woodblock Printmaking http://www.barenforum.org
Tuition: $575.00
Studio Fee: $60.00
Location: Anderson Ranch Campus
Workshop: R0301
http://www.andersonranch.org/workshops/temp.cfm?Include=Printmaking&EventID=845
Enrollment Limit: 12
Final Opportunity
Considering the date on which this newsletter is being published, the editors
thought it might be a good idea to send you off on a little journey to a place
that you might not have stumbled across if left to your own devices. Once
you have clicked this
link, will you ever be able to return ...?
ORGANIZATIONS FOR PRINTMAKERS:
The Wood Engraver's Network (WEN).
Since 1994 WEN is an organization dedicated to the education and enjoyment
of relief printmaking and, in particular, engraving upon end-grain wood.
WEN offers the delicate and engaging Block & Burin, a quarterly newsletter
(soon to be semi-annual) filled with wood engraving history and wisdom. Members
design the cover and it is always a beautiful surprise. Members also exchange
prints, called Bundles, on a quarterly basis.
Membership information can be found at WEN's new and improved web site:
http://www.woodengravers.net
Here are a few more:
- American Historical Print Society
- American Print Alliance
- California Society of Printmakers
- David Bull - World of Woodblock
Printmaking
- http--www.bostonprintmakers.org-
- http--www.printexhibits.com-
- Lower East Side Printshop
- Maryland Printmakers - Welcome
- Print Europe
- Printmakers Council
- Printmaking by Women in Austin,
Texas
- Southern Graphics Council-Welcome
- The Old Print
Shop.
- The Print Consortium
- The Society of Wood
Engravers
- The Spanish Printmakers
Collective
- The Wood Engraver's Network
Entry Page
- Welcome to the International Fine Print
Dealers Association (IFPDA) -- Print Fairs, Print Colle
- Wood Engravers' Network
- World Printmakers
Print at left (untitled) by Horacio Soares Neto from Exchange #14A.
EXHIBITIONS AND CALLS FOR ENTRIES:
Well, as you can see, this section is empty! I can refer you to several places
to gather information and I am requesting a Baren member get involved in gathering
these for us.
When I first took the plunge into full-time art, I did not know how to get
calls for entries and exhibition notices. Now I get them daily! The strategy
goes something like this:
- First subscribe to some of the fine printmaking magazines and journals available
on the web and in actual paper. Second, start entering some of the competitions
and calls for entries. Also search the web and especially the printmaking
forums for calls for entries. Third, you will eventually be showered by opportunities
and be unable to enter all of them.
Here are some for starters, do send me additional resources if you know any:
-
Publications
- Art Calendar - The Business Magazine
For Visual Artists
- ART DEADLINES LIST
- Art on Paper - Navigation
- ArtDeadline.Com
- ArtNexus magazine -
Latin American Art
- Arts JournalDaily Arts News
- Festival Network Online art &
craft show, music festival, fair & event guide
- Maryland Printmakers - Welcome
- Seattle Public Library
- Fine and Performing Arts Department, Informed Artist
- The Journal of the
Print World
PRINTMAKING SUPPLIES FROM TRADITIONAL JAPANESE CRAFTSMEN
The search for good tools and materials is a
never-ending activity for the woodblock printmaker. Unlike days of old, when
the technology had wide commercial applications and supplies were thus readily
available, in the modern world woodblock printmaking has ... how shall we put
this ... a rather limited appeal.
In consequence, supplies - good supplies - are difficult
to come by in many parts of the world. But there is one place where woodblock
printmaking is still practiced widely, and that is Japan. Hobby-level supplies
are available locally in any town, in stationery shops and do-it-yourself
centers, and professional tools are still made for those who need them.
But Japanese suppliers are focused on their domestic
market and have no ability or experience in dealing overseas. The foreign
customer too, finds it very difficult to obtain knowledge about the products
that are available in Japan, and how to get them.
This is where the printmakers of the [Baren] group
are stepping forward - to put these two 'worlds' together.
The [Baren] Mall is a buying service - it has no physical
store, there is no inventory, and there are no employees. Orders placed on
this website are transmitted to the mall manager (a [Baren] member), who also
processes the payment. The manager forwards the order to the appropriate suppliers
in Japan, where the goods are immediately packaged and shipped directly to
the customer (by Air Post). [Baren] settles the account with the Japanese
suppliers later - receiving a small commission in return for acting as 'go-between'.
The dealers are happy to have their products exposed
to a global market - the consumers are happy to be able to have easy access
to the supplies - and the [Baren] group gets a small boost to its treasury,
to help this non-profit group fund some of the exhibitions and activities
it undertakes around the world.
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