[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Tuesday, 20 July 1999 Volume 08 : Number 634 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 09:51:00 -0400 Subject: [Baren 4990] Re: Baren Digest V8 #633 Dave, in looking at the picture of the common way to use the 'aisuki'--am I seeing you cut WITH or AGAINST the grain of the wood? Let's say you've cut out your line with the To (or in my case, a razor blade, and you've pulled out the little sliver of wood. Now do you go alongside the line with the aisuki? That's how I see it in the photo. I thought you had to go away from the line by placing the tool at the line or close to it and pushing away from it, removing a layer of wood. Graham, you suggested I'm doing it backward. If I aim the tool toward the line it seems I could slip and go right through it. Yes? Gayle ------------------------------ From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 09:57:52 -0400 Subject: [Baren 4991] Re: Baren Digest V8 #633 > On more thought......Using a tilted Hori-dai. The thingie I designed does > keep the angle of your plate such that marring the block is more > problematical. Does this mean it's more of a problem to use the Hori-dai? That's what I'm reading here. In other words, to use the Hori-dai means I will have even more trouble with marring the wood? Gayle ------------------------------ From: April Vollmer/John Yamaguchi Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 10:18:58 -0400 Subject: [Baren 4992] Sarah's baren cover Gregory, thank you for your vivid description of Graham's class. A hard act to follow! (Glad to hear Gayle's interested!) Sarah and I re-covered her Murasaki baren yesterday. It took two of us, twenty fingers, and we wished we had more! It's not real beautiful, but once it dries and tightens up, I think it will be usable. McClain's bamboo sheaths are definitly smaller than Graham's. By a whole inch! So watch out if you have a large baren. Fine for the Murasaki, (with a string coil). Woodlike Matsumara??? I got my e-mail returned...could someone give me the right address? Thanks April Vollmer ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 08:17:18 -0800 Subject: [Baren 4993] Re: Baren Digest V8 #633 >Gayle wrote.... >Graham, you suggested I'm doing it backward. No just the wrong angle..... >If I aim the tool toward the line it seems I could >slip and go right through it. Yes? No...At sometime or other you will find it necessary to cut into a 'to' cut line in order to remove material..... It is a matter of using two hands as illustrated in the image posted by Dave http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/005_03/images/colr06mini.jpg It takes much practice, to gain hand/eye co-ordination, cutting towards an existing cut line and not going beyond ... thus removing needed wood. To date I have carved 248 plates and made one slip. I stated clearly the following..... **I make sure that the angle is slightly TOWARD the 'to' cut edge.** The operative word here is SLIGHTLY..... The angle is such that the ferral of the 'aisuki' will not screw up your edges. Graham ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 08:20:40 -0800 Subject: [Baren 4994] Re: Baren Digest V8 #633 Gayle wrote.... >Does this mean it's more of a problem to use the Hori-dai? That's >what I'm reading here. In other words, to use the Hori-dai means >I will have even more trouble with marring the wood? No. It helps resolves to problem Actually two problems.. 1. Sore Backs 2. Marking the wood. Graham ------------------------------ From: Wanda Robertson Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 10:38:40 -0700 Subject: [Baren 4995] Re: Sarah's baren cover April, (and anyone else interested in Woodlike Matsumara's products) here is the reply I received when I wrote for a catalog. Charming, isn't it? It will be a pleasure to do business with him, I think. Wanda Subject: Re: catalog? Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 12:34:07 +0900 From: "woodlike" To: The manuscript of a Japanese catalog is done the half grade now. It is thought that that an English catalog is done takes several [ back] months. As soon as it is done, it sends. (This sentence is using translation software) ------------------------------ From: Wanda Robertson Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 10:44:06 -0700 Subject: [Baren 4996] Re: Belatedly, the workshop Great post Greg, So you're now in Bulgaria? Well, you're getting closer to home, eh? (Canadian question) It was certainly a pleasure to meet and get to know you better at the workshop. I hope that you and your family had a great vacation and got to see everyone you wanted to see. I have a bunch of pix to share, also. (As soon as I get them all sorted out) Wanda ------------------------------ From: Bella1yopp@aol.com Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 19:24:07 EDT Subject: [Baren 4997] New Member Hello, my name is Amanda Yopp and I've been a silent member for only a few weeks. However, a friend of mine turned me on to this group, Kim Kaschimer Medina. I graduated from the University of Arizona with a BFA (focus in printmaking). I have enjoyed reading the postings. I am not familiar with Japanese woodblock printing (believe it or not), but have been using oil based printing inks and lately hand printing. Since I am no longer in school, I struggle daily to be self motivated to create and develop my own work. Becoming a member of the Baren is part of that motivation. I just wanted to briefly introduce myself to the group. - -Amanda Yopp ------------------------------ From: Mary Krieger Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 18:47:49 -0500 Subject: [Baren 4998] Re: Baren Digest V8 #628 I have posted a few of my colour woodblocks at http://www.mts.net/~mkrieger/colour.htm. Hope you enjoy. The Pan American show is now on exhibit with at least one Baren member's work (Bea Gold). I am working with some other people to get the entire show posted on the web so we all can enjoy it. Seventy five percent of the scans are completed. I will post the address when it is ready for viewing. Thanks everyone for your interest and participation. Mary Krieger Winnipeg, Manitoba ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 09:43:18 +0900 Subject: [Baren 4999] Re: baren cover April wrote: > McClain's bamboo sheaths are definitely smaller than Graham's. By a whole > inch! So watch out if you have a large baren. Did you stretch them sideways? Most bamboo sheaths will stretch by around 20~25% sideways once they have been softened up properly. It's difficult to describe the method of doing so - here's a little pic of Gosho-san doing it ... http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/001_14/images/stretching.jpg It involves stretching the softened bamboo under your two hands ... pushing in opposite directions ... while pressing the hands tightly against each other ... while pressing the sheath tightly down on the table ... When I first learned this I was astonished to see just how much the sheath expands sideways. But I should add that anybody trying this for the first time will inevitably split some sheaths - be careful if you've only got one left! *** Wanda wrote, re Matsumura-san: > It will be a pleasure to do business with him, I think. They _are_ indeed, nice people ... Please to be noted although, that named is Matsumura (Pine Village), not Matsumara (which has not translation). (This sentence is using translation software) Dave ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V8 #634 ***************************