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

Baren Digest               Wednesday, 2 June 1999       Volume 07 : Number 581

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From: amoss@mindspring.com (John Amoss)
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 09:07:14 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Baren 4497] exchange #2, con't. 

Jeanne wrote:
>If no one fills in for Graham, looks like we will have 2 prints by John Amoss!!!!!

No, Jeanne I wouldn't do that to you (or myself)...

I'm happy to say that Bobbie Mandel <rmandel@easystreet.com> has stepped up
to the plate and is taking Graham's place in the exchange! She seems very
enthusiastic about participating in the #2 and #3 exchanges and I'm excited
to see what she has been busily working on.

Has anyone heard from Maria HANLEY lately? Word is that she has
unsubscribed and is difficult to reach. Are you out there, Maria?

- -John

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From: BHearn2001@aol.com
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 12:27:19 EDT
Subject: [Baren 4498] Re:    Baren Digest V7 #580 

I am a new member but not the newest.  Have been on for about 2 months.  I am 
a retired college music instructor who has done artwork all of her life and 
now determines to enjoy music and make art.  I have been amazed at the amount 
of material and information available on this site.  I began art in college 
with painting and moved on to printmakng when I thought it was time to renew 
my teaching certificate( which I didn't do because of the sheer weight of the 
National Teacher's Exam book.) I basically make prints now.  I live in 
Charlotte, NC  where our only and wonderful print studio changed its mission 
and temporarily closed only to open soon as part of our new Tryon Art Center, 
a workspace for artists by application.  There is one other teaching studio 
in our area at Blue Pony Gallery.  I etch, drypoint, etc, do lino,sandblast 
stencil, woodblock, monotype and print and occasionally ink up anything I can 
find just to go through the process of inking and printing.  So much for a 
passion?  Music?
I taught theory, piano, history, education and appreciation.  Tastes? Mostly 
Baroque, English Choral, jazz and lately and wonderfully bluegrass and more 
jazz. In order to release the soul.  I don't have a scanner so I can't share 
my prints with you at this time but I am on the Baren 3 Print Exchange list - 
 never having done an exchange except in workshop settings.  Have studied 
with Michael Mazue, Kenneth Kerslake, David Faber at Wake Forest 
University,and in the middle of nowhere South Dakota for two too short weeks 
and in a  Lloyd Mennard setting (  Keith Achepol, Judy Youndblood and Jane 
Gregorious.)  Can't get much better than that. RE the exchange, what would 
you say is the normal paper size so I can get on with cutting a new block?  
Oh Yes and one wonderful wonderful short day was spent in the studio of Fumio 
Kitaoka watching him work then working with him.
Such a day.
You asked for information on new member.  You now have the right to read or 
not to read and delete forever. 
I am blessed to have found this exchange of information, 
personal,professional and artistic.
bhearn

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From: Jean Eger <jeaneger@LanMinds.Com>
Date: Tue, 01 Jun 1999 11:00:26 -0700
Subject: [Baren 4499] Re: Baren Digest V7 #580 

Dave, thanks for the reminder about Exchange #3.  This is a great motivator
for me.  I am currently (today) working on Exchange #2.  I thought you'd
like to know something that is working well for me so far.  I made a
watercolor picture and scanned it.  Then I selected the color block areas
and made each one an individual file.  All are at the same size and
resolution.  Then I printed out on Tableau paper, an American-made thin
printmaking paper that is very strong.  The Tableau copies were pasted face
down to the blocks of basswood with Yes paste (including Kento marks).  

Today I am cutting through the paper and wood.  Glad to say it is working
great.  I look foward to NO PROblems with registration!  Those of you who
have never used the Kento registration method should try it. You'll be
amazed at how accurately and easily you can register blocks that way.

Also welcome to the newcomers from all over the world!  This is a wonderful
woodcutters support group, with benefits of enthusiasm that spill over to
affect other printmaking work.  

I have to add that McClains Shina is very good.  Also try cherry,
especially for details.  Pine is OK, also birch plywood.  Sand or plane to
flatten and finish.

Any good print shows in New York this summer?  Sarah, you could hone your
critical fluency by writing reviews for us!  (I'd better be careful, they
might want me to do the same in San Francisco.)

Jean Eger

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From: Arye Saar <saar1@degania-b.org.il>
Date: Tue, 01 Jun 1999 21:57:17 +0300
Subject: [Baren 4500] blocks&sharpening 

Hi,
I follow with great interest the last discussions about the type of
blocks and
sharpening\honing methods.
I would like to contribute to this discussion from my own experience:
Blocks - All my blocks are of plywood. I use any kind of plywood with no
problem. I work with oil based ink so after polishing and smoothening
the board a bit, not too much as I want the grain to show in the print,
I rub linseed oil all over the block.
It's ready to be cut when it's dry. I think the secret is the kind of
knives I use. You can't buy them, so I make them myself.
Sharpening - I made plywood disk about 8-10 cm diameter. On it, with
rubber cement I stick waterproof silicone carbide abrasive paper with
about 280 to 400 grit. The plywood disk I center on an electric motor
shaft. The motor can be very small - around 1/8 hp and does not have to
exceed 1250 rpm. The blades will shine like a mirror in no time.
Honing - This is what I really do most of the time, not sharpening:
On a similar electric motor shaft I attach either a felt wheel or a
wheel made of several layers of muslin or strong cloth (Jeans),
according to the special need. I dress the wheel\s with a stick used by
jewelers, its called Rouge, made of wax and abrasive material. After
applying the blade to the revolving wheel, the outcome is a razor blade
sharpness to all kind of blades, gouges or knives.
If you can not get the stick, use the second method:
Have gritting powder, carburundum or silicone carbide, between 280 to
400 grit. Melt a candle or any kind of wax in a double container. When
the wax is still hot and liquid, apply the hot wax with a stick to the
circumference of the wheel, at the same time spread some of the powder.
Carry on and cover it all around.
You are set for a razor blade honing. Luck!

Arye

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From: "Jeanne N. Chase" <studiojnc@prodigy.net>
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 16:57:32 -0400
Subject: [Baren 4501] Re:    Baren Digest V7 #580 

Barbara
Finally, met the real person. Have heard your comments etc, on the Baren and
wondered what you did, where you lived. Thanks for clueing us in.
Your history is really extensive and I will be anxiously waiting to see your
prints on the Third print exchange. Especially interesting is your
background and love of music. We have much in common. Guess this should be
on After Five, but what the hey. Music is my first love. In my next life , I
will come back as a musician. I, also love Baroque and Jazz. Actually ALL
good music. Glad  to read your history.

Dave

Yes, by all means, let us talk T.J. into putting his sharpening skills on
the Encylopedia. I am going to try his technique. You know I have been
having problems with sharpening my tools with stones. And I have read all
about it , but it still eludes me.

It would be so great to know how many people are from other countries. I was
keeping track once , but so many new people from different places have
joined that I lost  track.  Now we have Israel and Australia. What a
Group!!!!!!!!! Maybe we should hold a convention. Preferably in Japan with
David as our host.

Jeanne

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From: baren_member@woodblock.com (Lezle Williams)
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 19:06:41 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Baren 4502] intro 

Dear Baren,

I have been reading your postings for a month or so now
and really enjoy them, I saw that there has been some
speculation about the un-introduced memebers and figured
now was as good as time as ever...

My name is Lezle Williams and I live on the Rosebud
(Lakota/Sioux) Indian Reservation in South Dakota and
teach art at a tribal university.  My BFA is in
printmaking, but I hadn't pursued it since college due to
the use of acids and solvents.  About a year and a half
ago, I began wood engraving and joined the Wood Engraver's
Network.  Then about a year ago, I jumped back into
printmaking full-force when I began working on my graduate
degree in non-toxic printmaking with Keith Howard.  Very
recently, I have begun working with woodblock prints-
something I've always had an affinity for, but never have
done that much of.

About the time I began reading the Baren exchange, I was
lamenting the fact that there was no woodblock workshops
around here this summer (though I am signed up for a
couple of other printmaking ones at Frogman's/USD). 
Though I am relatively inexperienced with woodblocks- I 
tackled a 4 plate woodblock print for the Frogman's
portfolio exchange.  Also, about this time I found an
listserv for those learning Italian and began
communicating with those folks.  (I have been wanting to
relearn the language and return to Italy since I was
student there 10 years ago.)  So, I figured it was
serendipity when I saw on the Baren's mail that there is a
Leonard Baskin workshop in Florence.  I signed up for it,
talked my department into giving me the fall semester off
and will be going there in September.  So, my thanks go to
whoever passed on that info!

I also have a freelance art business (Laughing Crow
Studio) devoted to working with environmental groups and
magazines.  The only work I currently have up on the web
is my illustrations done for one of these groups.  I
eventually hope to get some of my prints up...

Again, I really enjoy the postings from all over!

Lezle 

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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Wed, 02 Jun 1999 08:04:22 +0900
Subject: [Baren 4503] Re: Who is Baren 

Jan wrote: 
> About ten days ago I sent you reproduction postcards of my woodblock
> prints that I exhibited in Oyama Japan in April 1998.  I hope they
> arrived safely.  

Yes they did, and now that you have reminded me of this (sorry!), I've
dug them out from under the rubble on my desk, and have updated the Who
is Baren page with your designs ...

***

Barbara wrote:
> RE the exchange #3, what would 
> you say is the normal paper size so I can get on with cutting a new block? 

I hadn't yet specified the paper size for Exchange #3, but now that
people are ready to get going, I see that it's time to do so.

I think it is best to stick with a few basically standard dimensions for
our ongoing series of exchanges, not all of them the same size of
course, but not every one a different size either.  So I think that for
#3, I suggest that it seems sensible to use the 'oban' dimension again.

> a standard paper dimension falling between a range of 10 x 15
> inches (25.4 x 38 centimeters) to 10 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches (26.6 x  39.4
> centimeters).

If there are no objections, I will post this to the sign-up page, so
that people can get started on their prints.

If any of the Exchange #3 participants have other suggestions, please
speak up soon ...

Dave

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End of Baren Digest V7 #581
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