[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Wednesday, 8 July 1998 Volume 04 : Number 206 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Ray Esposito Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 16:20:51 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1090] Re: print no.1 John wrote: >Hello again y'all- >I just posted my first real woodblock print on the web. It's a 6" x 7" >image of a crab done in four colors from three blocks. Wonderful first effort. Look forward to seeing more. >Pine was used for the grain textured background. I have been adding wood textured backgrounds to all of my prints lately and like the effect you have obtained. >I can't wait to do another! >Have I flipped? (comments are welcome on this). Far be it for me to ever disagree with Graham but I do think you have flipped. Sane people would not do this. Hours and days carving - mixing pigments - then all that energy printing and hoping the effort is worth it. Yes, you do have to be a little crazy. But ain't it fun???? Cheers Ray Esposito ------------------------------ From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 09:40:16 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1091] Re: Baren Digest V4 #205 Baren, John, seeing your crab makes me want to try again. Hearing about the messes you made, makes me realize I'm not the only one (though Ray in his Encyclopedia entry certainly let us know about messes on the way to success). That crab is charming! Jean, thanks for showing us you. > You can see I am no spring chicken. It's what's in the heart that makes us springlike. And, I too, wonder about the winter clothes you people are wearing out there on the sunny coast. However, I do remember certain cold times of day when I visited my sister in L.A. But I believe that happened at night. ------------------------------ From: amoss@mindspring.com (John Amoss) Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 10:05:36 +0300 Subject: [Baren 1092] thanks, 3 blocks Thanks to all for your kind words about my crab. I feel a little less "ham-handed" now. D.B. asked: >Three blocks? I don't quite get it. Black outlines - one. Background >pattern - two. Red crab body plus body gradation - three. Red crab >arms plus arm gradation - four ... No, three. D.B. asked: >The only other way I could guess this is done, is that you delicately >brushed the shading on the arms on the _same_ block that covers both >arms and body, but somehow without getting that deeper red onto the face >area ... Dave, you guessed right. If this wasn't my first print, I would have made the crab arms a seperate block. But as it turned out, while printing, the black keyblock ink transferred onto the color block which gave me a nice guide to follow. I suppose the black ink was way too heavy, but it became an example of two wrongs righting themselves. I really didn't have much trouble keeping within the lines- I used a large sanded-down watercolor brush that allowed for localized brushing. D.B. asked: >Also, does the background block extend _under_ the red? It seems like >the woodgrain lines match up. Or is that just because you used a >similar type of wood for both? No, the background (yellow ink) is pine and the body color (red) is from the basswood. I was a little choosy about the background grain- I wanted the pattern to gradually get narrower toward the top to a simulate a receding perspective. - -john ------------------------------ From: Ray Esposito Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 17:09:41 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1093] Re: Jim and John Dave wrote: >I suppose that like anything, there is a middle ground ... The middle ground is for wimps Cheers Ray Esposito ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 08:12:10 -0700 Subject: [Baren 1094] Re: print no.1 Ray wrote... >Far be it for me to ever disagree with Graham but I do think you have >flipped. Sane people would not do this. Hours and days carving - mixing >pigments - then all that energy printing and hoping the effort is worth it. > Yes, you do have to be a little crazy. But ain't it fun???? They say you don't have to be crazy to do woodblock printmaking .... but it helps! Graham ------------------------------ From: Jean Eger Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 08:42:08 -0700 Subject: [Baren 1095] Re: B&B, weather Bill Ritchie wrote: >I don't know if he still does, but Carol Summers and his wife had one in >Mexico; I saw it featured in an Architectural Digest years ago but I never >went there. Bill: Carol Summers lives in Santa Cruz, CA, where he did a brown bag demonstration for the California Society of Printmakers a couple of years ago. It was written up in the California Printmaker, the illustrious quarterly which is now published once a year. I was there, and he really has great technique. Beautiful large, bold prints. An ad for his 1996 Mexico workshop appeared in a 1996 edition of The California Printmaker. It cost $750 for seven days, which included tuition with full board and shared room. If you are interested, you can contact him at: Carol Summers Ex-Hacienda La Trinidad, Marfil, Gto. 36250 Mexico. Phone 011-52-473-31013 or in Santa Cruz, CA (408)423-0181 Graham, When you are thinking about sunny California, you are thinking about southern California. Remember the fog that comes in on little cats feet? The fog comes into San Francisco Bay all summer. We call it our natural air conditioning. If you drive over the coast range to Walnut Creek or Pleasanton, it is 10 degrees warmer. Sun-seeking tourists are discouraged from a San Francisco vacation. What's it like in Vancouver? Sincerely, Jean ------------------------------ From: Ray Esposito Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 19:05:51 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1096] Re: B&B, weather Jean wrote: >When you are thinking about sunny California, you are thinking about >southern California. Remember the fog that comes in on little cats feet? >The fog comes into San Francisco Bay all summer. We call it our natural >air conditioning. If you drive over the coast range to Walnut Creek or >Pleasanton, it is 10 degrees warmer. Sun-seeking tourists are discouraged >from a San Francisco vacation. What's it like in Vancouver? Jean I linved in SF for a number of years. One of the more fun things to do in summer was go down to the piers and watch the tourists in shorts and t-shirts freezing their buns off. They couldn't figure out why it was so cold. The trip of a lifetime and they arrive in S.F. the one week in the century when it was as cold as Vancouver in March. If only they knew. On the positive side, it may have convinced as lot of them not to move to SF. Cheers Ray Esposito ------------------------------ From: StudioJNC@aol.com Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 14:44:29 EDT Subject: [Baren 1097] I Love You Guys Hi I am a newcomer to Baren, and I love it already. I sure did not have to take a Woodblock Printing workshop I am learning a mountain ful of info. on printmaking just by reading all of the e mail. You sound like such a neat group, friendly and "funny" !!!! I have gone through my watercolor phase, my oil painting phase and now have discovered the most fascinating art yet. Have done a few woodcuts in the past but nothing that compares to Daves wonderful, technical prints . And might I add the beautiful, colorful work of Aprils !! Am having a Web site made up as I speak and with the permission of "you all" I lived in Georgia once. I will do what it takes to get my page out there for your perusal. Take Care Jeanne {with an extra n and e} ------------------------------ From: Ray Esposito Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 22:07:29 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1098] relocation As you all know I am relocating The Brass Ring Society to Maryland. My first thought was Baltimore because that is where what is left of my family lives and I was raised. I have decided however to move to the Fairmount, Maryland area which is on Maryland's Eastern Shore. They tell me half the town are artists and the other half are crab fisherman. I think it will be exciting living in a community with so many artists. Anyone had any experience living in such a community? One person told me her keys were in the car and they never lock their doors. My kind of town. An only two hours from Baltimore (relatives have to think first before visiting) or Washington (all those great museums). I have talked to a number of the artists and they have already begun talking about holding a show to benefit the kids. Sounds like a great place to live. And think of the side benefits. Chrisfield is the crab capital of the world. Just think of it. When I croke, all they have to do is weigh me down and toss me in the Chesapeake Bay. Cheap! I would be fodder for the crabs. I could comeback as a crabcake. WOW!!!! Bite into that crabcake and you can say, "That Ray. He never had much taste but he sure tastes good". We will move sometime between October and March depending on when I can find a place to live. I will let you know. And all are invited. Ray Esposito ------------------------------ From: Ray Esposito Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 23:41:35 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1099] Re: I Love You Guys Jeanne wrote: >I am a newcomer to Baren, and I love it already. I sure did not have to take a >Woodblock Printing workshop Hi Jeanne with the extra n and extra e: Welcome aboard. You will have fun and learn a lot because everyone is willing to share everything they know about woodblocks. We all look forward to seeing your new web page and your work. You will find a lot of support here. Thanks for telling us about the extra n and e. There are people who live in the more northerly and western climes who confuse easy. You have to be careful what you say. Cheers Ray Esposito ------------------------------ From: Gary Luedtke Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 17:15:40 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1100] I Love You Guys Welcome to the group, Jeanne. Is Jeanne pronounced jee-nee or jean? I've heard it both ways. I look forward to seeing some of your works on the web when you get your site up. Where are you from? Gary Luedtke Roeland Park, Kansas ------------------------------ From: Gary Luedtke Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 17:25:06 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1101] relocation Ray, Let us know when the crabs are on the table. Gary ------------------------------ From: Phil Bivins Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 17:27:50 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1102] Re: B&B, weather Jean, speaking of Carol Summers, I purchased from Bill Ritchie which featured Carol Summer showing his technique. The video is several years old and was taped in Washington state, I believe. I really think his stuff is great. Simple shapes with brillant color. After viewing the video, I said to myself, "Hey I can do that, or at least give it a shot!" I suppose thats the best compliment I can give. Phil ------------------------------ From: Phil Bivins Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 17:29:28 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1103] Re: I Love You Guys Jeanne, welcome to Baren. Looking forward to your website. Phil ------------------------------ From: Gary Luedtke Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 17:31:39 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1104] Re: I Love You Guys Ray, Are you confusing _me_into that Northerly group??? That's o.k., we're a fine bunch of folks, but I always thought of Kansas as being fairly Southern. You'll have to straighten me out on just where that Mason jar Dixie cup line is again. Gary ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 14:48:50 -0700 Subject: [Baren 1105] Re: I Love You Guys Hi Jeanne with an extra n and e. (Jeannnee) Did I get that right? You will enjoy the group. Some of us are very serious and then there is Ray. >I am a newcomer to Baren, and I love it already. I sure did not have to take a >Woodblock Printing workshop. >You sound like such a neat group, friendly and "funny" !!!! A judgement is yet to be made on Ray's humour. The juries is still out on him. >Am having a Web site made up as I speak Look forward to seeing it. >"you all" That a funny expression....it must be somethin' like the Canadian.... 'eh' >I lived in Georgia once. The "you all" was a dead give-a-way. We won't hold that against you! (<: Welcome to the Baren. Graham ------------------------------ From: Ray Esposito Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 01:31:32 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1106] Re: I Love You Guys Gary wrote: >Ray, >Are you confusing _me_into that Northerly group??? That's o.k., we're a >fine bunch of folks, but I always thought of Kansas as being fairly >Southern. You'll have to straighten me out on just where that Mason jar >Dixie cup line is again. Heaven forbid, you aren't even close. When I said north and west I meant WAAAAAAAY north and WAAAAAAAY west. Cheers Ray Esposito ------------------------------ From: Gary Luedtke Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 19:48:12 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1107] Re: I Love You Guys Ray, Then I take it you were referring to Graham crackers. Gary ------------------------------ Subject: [Baren 1108] Message duplicated in error ------------------------------ From: Ray Esposito Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 03:34:29 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1109] Re: I Love You Guys Gary wrote: >Then I take it you were referring to Graham crackers. moi? Ray Esposito ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V4 #206 ***************************