[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking.

Baren Digest              Friday, 6 February 1998      Volume 02 : Number 061

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From: Ray Esposito <brassring@brassring.org>
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 1998 16:38:19 -0500
Subject: [Baren 331] cutting circles 

I finally settled on a theme for my color blocks but have a problem.
Actually, I have two problems but the first is I want to include the
Society's logo on each print.  For those who have not seen our logo, it is
a silouette of a girl on a carousel horse within two rings.  My problem is,
how do you cut a circle in a wood block and keep it looking round?  Is it a
matter of just careful cutting or is there is secret to cutting circles?

Thanks

Ray Esposito

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 1998 09:28:43 -0800
Subject: [Baren 332] In the Buff 

>Graham talked about using a router, and seemed to think that I would
>disapprove!

Well David, if you don't I sure would.  I have to tell you a little story.

All the time I was taking from Noboru I kidded him about using a Router
when ever he demonstrated the carving technique where removing a large area
was happening.  We both had fun as he played along protesting about the
tradition of the medium.
A couple of years later he phoned me to ask what Router I owned and wanted
a recommendation as he was going to buy one.

I always have to ask him how his router is doing.


>By the way Graham, will you be posting any photographs of your nude
>demonstration at City Hall?  That should be a sight!

No, I think you'd have to be there ...in the Buff so to speak ...to
appreciate it.

Graham

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From: Ray Esposito <brassring@brassring.org>
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 1998 18:37:24 -0500
Subject: [Baren 333] books 

I just received two books from amazon.com

Yokohama - Prints From the 19th Century, is a beautiful book on prints
about the western invasion of Japan from the Japanese viewpoint.  A
different kind of color woodblock print from the purely Japanese prints of
their culture.  Worth the money and a lot to learn about the period.

A Guide to Japanese Prints and Their Subject Matter is more like what you
would get for a college art course.  I am learning a lot just from the
first couple of chapters.  Less romantic than Floating World but very
informative.

I recommend both to anyone who, like me, just wants to learn more about
Japan and its culture to better understand the world of Japanese color prints.

Cheers.

Ray Esposito

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 1998 15:39:09 -0800
Subject: [Baren 334] Re: cutting circles 

Ray wrote:
>  My problem is, how do you cut a circle in a wood block 
> and keep it looking round?  Is it a matter of just careful 
> cutting or is there is secret to cutting circles?

There is an expression......toe the line.
OR
 translated .... cut the line.

There is not secret or fast track.

Graham

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From: David Bull <davebull@asahi-net.email.ne.jp>
Date: Fri, 06 Feb 1998 09:54:01 +0900
Subject: [Baren 335] Archive delay ... 

Sorry for the 'no-content' post - but I just wanted to let 'archive
browsers' know that as I'm going away until Sunday night, the archive
won't be updated for a couple of days ...

(It's a niece's wedding, up in snowy Hokkaido - a very expensive train
trip away.  But she very intelligently scheduled it at the same time as
the famous 'snow festival', so all the attendees get good 'value' for
our travel expenses!)

Dave

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From: Matthew.W.Brown@VALLEY.NET (Matthew W Brown)
Date: 05 Feb 98 20:45:56 EST
Subject: [Baren 336] Drying 

Graham,
	Am curious to ask a bit more of your drying. Do you do anything to
remove moisture before putting prints into that 3-day stack (as for instance
Dave does by leaving them out for a bit)? i.e. do they get stacked more than
once? Do you ever have them move (wrinkle and warp) after the 3 days? I have
found it seems everything is set, I sign and stack prints, place in a poly
envelope, and then a few days later the prints develop a gentle 'wave' here or
there in the pile. This must be because their moisture content is not the same
as the ambient air moisture; the question being how to improve my technique to
get the stack dry (totally dry) sooner (often I leave stacked for five days or
longer). In the summer I don't have this problem, the air is so much more
humid. I was interested to hear of Dave's method of giving them a good head
start to drying at the outset. Sounds like he's not using a great deal of
pressure on the stack whereas you are. I have been thinking that a lot of
pressure might impede the progress of moisture out of the stack, but maybe
there is something else going on? (Mind I am speaking of drying rag papers, I
print primarily on a Rives Heavyweight; the washi seems to dry more easily, but
the principles one would assume are the same.)
	
	For the record: any solid wood less than 3/4" thick (unless it is a
tiny block), is going to warp a great deal under the uneven moisture of
printing. And, though re-sawing seems a way to conserve wood, the planing and
flattening involved means there is bound to be a lot more lost than just the
thickness of a saw blade.

Matt

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 1998 21:34:04 -0800
Subject: [Baren 337] Supplies from Canada 

To all.

Phil Bivins has requested information about the Supplier of woodblock
equipment I know in Vancouver (My Teacher) Noboru Sawai.

Here is a copy of e-mail to Phil and decided some of you may be interested
so post it here.

**************

I was talking to Noboru Sawai to night about supplying equipment.  He can
do this and would mail anything so the time factor would be longer than by
courier but a lot less expensive.   With the Can $ where it is there could
be some good prices.

By the way the Baren (the plastic one) that is sold by McClain's is the
same that Noboru did sell for $50.00 Can.  I see McCains is $100.40 US
This baren is the same as designed by Yoshida.  (Noboru's teacher). I have
used it and it certainly is adequate.

The method of contact is to fax Noboru Sawai at 604 - 255 9785 (this is a
phone/fax) requesting a price list.   He will need a return fax number and
you will get the latest price list.  If you don't have a fax then include
your postal address and he will use Snail Mail.

Keep me posted as to how you make out.

Graham

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 1998 21:59:55 -0800
Subject: [Baren 338] your trip 

Have a good time Dave.

That sure is a long way to go. Looks like 500 miles to Aomori then you have
that long swim.  If you are going by train I was wondering if it had Jesus
Boots.  You know those things that walk on water so you can get over to the
Island.
Be glad its not in the direction of Nagano where all the jocks will be for
a few weeks.

cheers

Graham

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End of Baren Digest V2 #61
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