[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Sunday, 17 January 1999 Volume 06 : Number 415 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Jeanne N. Chase" Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 09:58:29 -0500 Subject: [Baren 2702] Re: editioning, critiques Jean I think it would be "cool" to have a critique on line. What great benefits we could derive from this !!! A story; While teaching a painting class I had a guest artist critique my class project. He really tore those students up and down. They were in shock. Nothing nice was ever said, only harsh critiques. The next day only half of the class showed up. I stressed to the few students who were in attendance that I had a very important message to impart the next day. BE THERE! I brought in one of my old paintings and put it on an easel in front of the class. I wanted them to find out what was wrong with the painting, that there WAS something very wrong, so what was it? Do not be afraid to hurt my feelings as this is NOT one of my better works. Slowly they raised their hands, and one by one they found dozens of mistakes. They felt SO good! When the critque was completed I told them that this painting had been in three museum competitions and had won one very nice award. The message there was; No one is perfect. No painting is perfect. And you should not be afraid of critiques, they are a learning experience. Every class critque after that was met with anticipation.No baby feelings were hurt. Any way , perhaps we could get our "puter heads" together and figure out how to hold a viable critique. I am sure that even the very pros among us would gain from our constructive thoughts. Any takers? Jeanne ------------------------------ From: "Jeanne N. Chase" Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 10:22:30 -0500 Subject: [Baren 2703] Re: Exhibition update ... Dear David Thank you for sharing your wonderful success with us. I feel like I know you, as I am sure that we all do. What a great gift you have given. I can hardly wait for the Print Exchange so that I can really examine UP CLOSE the way that you do your art. I also enjoyed the essay by Michener. I have read Hawaiil 5 times. He was truely , a man for the ages!!!!! Jeanne ------------------------------ From: jimandkatemundie@juno.com (James G Mundie) Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 13:49:53 -0500 Subject: [Baren 2704] answers to some exchange questions Julio wrote: >I know Dave is doing the colophon page, but, are we not suppose to >send you info on the print as far as techincal data (number of blocks, colors, >paper brand, etc) to be distributed to each recipient ? I don't think we came to any kind of consensus on this. Dave's colophon form seems to take care of most of the relevant information. I just assumed that any other information would be imparted here on the forum after everyone had the complete set. However, if you want to include a little card or essay to go with each print, you are welcome to enclose it with your prints. I'll interleaf them with each of your prints if that's what you want to do; in which case I recommend finding an archival paper to print the info on. >Is there a format for all to follow ? Or do we just do our thing ? >Will this be in the format of of like an index card ? I need help here. Sorry to be vague, but it's up to you. >Also, I won't be mailing (FedEx) till about the 23rd-25th...that >should give it enough time to go from Chicago to Philly right ? That will be plenty of time... FedEx could have it here the next morning if the need arose and you felt like paying the extra charge. Incidentally, if you (not just you, Julio... I mean this to apply to everyone in the exchange) do send your prints to me via FedEx or similar shipper, I will try to return them to you at the lowest possible rate [for instance, '3rd business day' instead of 'express overnight']. They should get to you very quickly, but not cost an arm and a leg (maybe just a leg, below the knee). **** Roger wrote: >I mean, >"Roger A. Ball >West Jordan, Utah >Bumblebee and Henbane >Six impressions >Rising Stonehenge Warm White" Just out of curiosity, what other information would you want to include? Presumably, if your's is a numbered edition that information is marked on each print with your signature. So, what else did you have in mind? **** Ray Hudson wrote: >I'm not certain of the final number of prints to send. Is it 29? >And, after 709-721 Catharine Street--what comes next? Is it >Philadelphia and the ZIP is? Many thanks in advance for all your work! That long post must have gotten cut off on its way to you, Ray. Please send twenty-nine (29) prints to: >>James Mundie >>c/o the Samuel Fleisher Art Memorial >>709-721 Catharine Street >>Philadelphia PA 19147 USA > >>(if you choose to send via FedEx, you will also need the phone number, >>which is 215-922-3456) Mise le meas, James Mundie, Philadelphia USA ------------------------------ From: Mariten@aol.com Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 17:22:27 EST Subject: [Baren 2705] creative paper choices (From: Maria, Las Vegas, NV, USA) Greetings all from 76 degree sunny desert weather (I'll send some your respective ways), I am somewhat of an experimenter and I like to sometimes use different types of paper within the same print run. I vary the color of the paper, and try out non-traditional printmaking paper just to see how it responds. I think paper is a beautiful thing and feel like I will not have enough lifetime to lay my grubby paws on every sheet ever made. Anyway, aside from the fact that I sometimes waste some precious paper and muscle power, I would like some opinions from this experienced group on the subject if you can spare your brains for a second or two. I currently use oil based inks and print by hand most of the time, but before the summer I will embark on the traditional pigment/paste adventure in a humble attempt to honor the craft. Regards to everyone, Maria ------------------------------ From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 19:08:49 -0600 Subject: [Baren 2706] re: what to include with your print, books JAMES writes: "Just out of curiosity, what other information would you want to include?" As a newbie...in this style, I would like to use the prints as a learning tool. Because of such diversity among the "29" I thought it would be helpful if we were to include a small essay or card with a "this-is-how-I-did-it-stuff". We can go about details online, but when I am looking at a print later (months/years) it would be nice to know things offline like: baren or press ? brayer or brush ? dry or wet paper ? paste & pigment or just color ? watercolor or oil ? brand ? number of impressions to achieve each color, if multiples total number of prints in batch pine, cherry or plywood ? any patches or inserts ? special tools used for special effects printing multiple colors in one block ? origin for idea Is this your usual style ? or is this new for you ? Do you do mostly colors or B&W ? This is beyond what Dave can & should include in the colophon. I think you get the idea here. Not looking for something formal but just something I can throw inside my folio case and refer back to eons from now. I am sure others may have other suggestions that may be beneficial. A xerox piece of paper is just fine. I am not trained enough to determine these things by mere inspection of the prints. MARIA: I just purchased a book today at Aiko's called "Color Woodblock Printmaking, The Traditional Method of Ukiyo-e", by Margaret M. Kanada. It's a 1992 printing and has beautiful plates, book cover and many fine photographs of current carvers & printers at work. The cost was $16.95. The only reason I mention this is because it is sometimes hard to get some of the older literature normally talked about here at Baren and it sounds like you are interested in this water printing stuff. Check the Baren encyclopedia first and if you feel you still need a book by your side this might be one to consider. RAY: I hope everything is okay and we hear from you soon. EXCHANGE PRINT UPDATE: Took a trip to Aiko's Supply today and purchased enough paper for my batch (40-50 prints). Paper is being cut to size now and will be wet later tonight. Start printing first block tomorrow morning. Making room in the refrigerator to stack prints overnight as needed. Will complete printing by next weekend (01/24) or earlier. Mailing on or abouts 01/26. Hope everyone is enjoying their printmaking. Good luck. JULIO ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Sun, 17 Jan 1999 14:29:32 +0900 Subject: [Baren 2707] A bit of bad news ... I went down to the 'shin nen kai' (the first meeting of the new year) of the craftsmens' association last night, and heard a couple of items of rather bad news. The first was that the last blockmaker here in Tokyo, Mr. Shintaro Shimano, was admitted to hospital in mid-December, and has since had his entire stomach removed. He's going to be laid up for quite a while, and it is far from clear as to when, if ever, he will be returning to work. The association has been thrown into quite a bother about this, as not only is he a good friend of everybody, he is the sole source of blocks for the group. People are scrambling around trying to find wood wherever they can get it, and I'm very very glad that I have a pile tucked away here, enough to get me through the first half a year or so of my new project. I've also lined up a supply source at the main wood market here, and will hopefully soon be receiving a shipment of boards that will probably fill up my balcony ... The second news was quite a whammy for me. Carver Mr. Susumu Ito, about whom I wrote in my newsletter recently, passed away the day after I finished the final printing on my poets' series. It seems that his 'interview' with us for the upcoming documentary was his last communication with anybody other than his wife ... I've talked to the producer of the program, and although it is too late to change anything now, she is going to see if she can wangle me a copy of the raw tapes from that session. He chatted with us quite merrily about 'the good old days', and how I wish the visit had been longer ... For me also, from a purely selfish point of view, his death is a great tragedy. He was the oldest active carver, and he has taken away with him an immense store of knowledge that I will now never be able to hear about. His tools are going to be donated to a local museum, so I will presumably have a chance to get in there and study and measure them, but that's only a small fraction of what I could have learned. Julio: On page 31 of that book you just bought is a bunch of pictures of Ito san. Enjoy them, because there aren't going to be any more ... Dave ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V6 #415 ***************************