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

Baren Digest             Thursday, 14 October 1999     Volume 09 : Number 742

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From: "Roger A. Ball" <beckorro@inquo.net>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 07:40:57 -0600
Subject: [Baren 6246] Thanks and such 

Hello.

Thanks to Wanda for the kind comments and to others for their interest.
Graham, you can look stuff up on eBay in a number of ways.  For example,
you can search for woodcut or my email address using the search
feature.  This link takes you directly to the print:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=176897172

This monster one will just show you woodcuts in the "gallery:"
http://search.ebay.com/cgi-bin/texis/ebay/results.html?query=woodcut&ht=1&maxRecordsReturned=300&maxRecordsPerPage=50&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&st=1

Great to hear about all that's going on.  It appears to me also that
there seems to be renewed interest in our humble passion.  I've enjoyed
hearing other's perceptions and observations and conquests about cuttin'
and printin' wood... :o)

Cheers,
- -Roger

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From: "Ramsey Household" <cjramsey@mind.net>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 08:57:32 -0700
Subject: [Baren 6247] Re:  

I use masonite, and I use wood also.  I don't think it's any more
sacreligious than using a computor to make images.  I think it's the final
image that is important.  If it meets your needs, go for it!!  Rules are
made to be broken.   As you might notice though, there was mostly a
deafening silence when you brought this up.  But it is your art work and
your vision that is important.  Why worry about what others say.  Do you
think Picasso did?

There is a softer line using masonite, and it is easier to carve.  I have
found it works well with both oil based inks and water based inks.   And,
it is much less expensive than basswood.  You can make very large prints
with it.  It is not a traditional material.

Is there anyone out there in Southern Oregon?  I feel like I am alone here
in Jackson County.  

Carolyn 

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@home.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 10:01:17 -0700
Subject: [Baren 6248] Re:  

>     I have a question for the members of our group!  How sacrilegious do
>you think it is to use something other than wood to cut your  blocks on???

A purist might do hand stands and spit quarters.
An person who is interested in the end result of imagery and could give a
squat how it is achieved then use any damn thing you want.

One exception......a computer assisted image.   That is an absolute no no
no no no....Got the idea?

Graham

ps I can see Gary now.......standing on his figure tips spitting American $

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From: Shireen Holman <shireenh@earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 14:22:04 -0400
Subject: [Baren 6249] sharpening 

This is a question mostly for Graham, since you have such a good 
description of sharpening tools on your website. I have always used the 
type of stones that require oil when I sharpen, even for my Japanese tools. 
Is there a reason, other than personal preference, for using the water 
stones? Thanks.
Shireen

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From: Shimizu <shimizu@mail1.nai.net>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 14:29:25 -0400
Subject: [Baren 6250] Re: 

>I have a question for the members of our group!  How sacrilegious do
>you think it is to use something other than wood 

I think it's great to be creative and cut blocks from anything that
works... but I really don't think the prints could be called "woodcuts"
or "woodblock prints" if you don't use any wood.  What would they be
called... blockcuts?  (Gary, here's your chance to be clever.)

Lynita

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From: Shireen Holman <shireenh@earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 14:51:47 -0400
Subject: [none]

Prints made from masonite or materials other than wood would simply be 
called relief prints.
Shireen

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From: "Jeanne N. Chase" <studiojnc@prodigy.net>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 15:18:05 -0400
Subject: [Baren 6252] Re:In the beginning 

Hello Printmakers

I love the post made by John Amoss "In the beginning"
 I count my blessings that I found this group, thanks to Jean Egers Print
site.
 And to Carolyn, although you feel that you are isolated, you really are
not. All you have to do is to sit down and post a letter for all of your
"friends " to read.
I live in Florida, way South, and there is noone here who is a Baren, and
when I read the posts about all the get togethers that have been happening,
I wish that could be me.
But, gee, look at John in Australia, Michael in Vienna and members all over
the globe.
I have made so many friends; Graham who knows it all (not a pun), and the
great posts from all the guys; Julio, etc. re; the collecting a rebuilding
of presses,
All the great girls in red dresses; Gayle, Wanda, Bea, Maria and now
Josephine.
 The information network from Ruth, Barbara, Brad, James, Andrea, April, not
to mention our guru, Dave. And many more too numerous to print.
 I feel that if I met any or all of these great people they would become my
friends!
When I scan the Web sites I am in awe of the talent;

Congratulations to Andrea and Maria.
This should probably be on After Five but then some people would not see it
and I had to get it all out!!!!

Right on, woodblock printmaking should be made on wood.
There is a product out there now called Resingrave. It is supposed to be
able to take the place of wood. But it still would not be ON wood.

Looking foreward to seeing some pics of the Manhattan Graphics Society. Has
it received much publicity?
A catalog?

Roger your print looks great on the Ebay page and thanks for the info.
Wecome to the Baren , Frank Fell, since you have been a lurker then you know
what has been transpiring on our little family web site.

Sorry for the elongated post, but trying to get it all on one!!!

Jeanne

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From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 16:16:08 -0500
Subject: [Baren 6253] re: possible Baren exhibit 

I just had a phone conversation with the person in charge of Internet activities
at the local library here in Skokie. I mentioned my interest on having the Baren
exchanges displayed at the library and after a few minutes of browsing thru our
web site and looking at our folios online she happily agreed to go to bat for us
and escalate the idea up the chain of command. The library uses the walls of the
main lobby (approx. 100' X 100') as a revolving gallery hall  displaying work of
local artists and/or art groups.  The current show is sponsored the Skokie Art
Guild and usually each show is up for about a month.

Here is my question to the group........any opposition on the exchange being
shown at a library ? ......I would be willing to take care of all the work  &
expenses involved in matting and hanging the prints.

I think a library is a great place to share our work and to possibly "plant" the
seeds of printmaking in a young person's mind.

Any comments ?

Judy, April and others involved with MGC Show....could you share (privately if
you prefer) some details on the work you did to prepare for the show.....type of
mats, frames, sizes, etc . I have exhibited my work and setup displays of my
works at Art Fairs but never to this larger magnitude....suggestions would be
greatly appreciated...

Thanks......Julio   {:-)

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From: Gary Luedtke <GLuedtke@compuserve.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 17:20:55 -0400
Subject: [Baren 6254] 

Lynita wrote,
>I think it's great to be creative and cut blocks from anything that
>works... but I really don't think the prints could be called "woodcuts"or
>"woodblock prints" if you don't use any wood.  What would they be
>called... blockcuts?  (Gary, here's your chance to be clever.)

O.K.  I'll try.   I think these would simply be called, "block prints". 

(An art  formerly known as "prints?)  I better stop, I have to save some
cleverness for my response to Graham throwing down the gauntlet.

Gary

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@home.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 14:43:26 -0700
Subject: [Baren 6257] Re: sharpening 

>This is a question mostly for Graham, since you have such a good
>description of sharpening tools on your website. I have always used the
>type of stones that require oil when I sharpen, even for my Japanese tools.
>Is there a reason, other than personal preference, for using the water
>stones? Thanks.

Shireen

It is a lot cleaner.  Non of the greasy 'kid stuff' to clean up after
sharpening and honing.
It does an equal job.  I have an oil stone and have often wondered if I
soak it in a pot of gasoline....OUTSIDE..... if the oils would be disolved
out of it.   Hummm

Graham

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From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 16:45:18 -0500
Subject: [Baren 6258] MASOnite 

If an artist uses his fine crafted tools and tempered steels to cut into a
woodblock and create a print, that's a woodblock printmaker. If the same artists
uses those same magnificent tools to cut into MASOnite board and create a
print.......could he be called a MASOchist ?.............(from Webster's: a
taste for suffering!)

Julio

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From: Jack Reisland <reislandj001@hawaii.rr.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 12:22:01 -1000
Subject: [Baren 6260] Re: sharpening 

Graham Scholes wrote:
> It is a lot cleaner.  Non of the greasy 'kid stuff' to clean up after
> sharpening and honing.
> It does an equal job.

For what it's worth, makers of Japanese tools say that Japanese tools are a
harder steel  than their western counterpart, and cannot be sharpened as well
on western oil stones as on Japanese water stones.

> I have an oil stone and have often wondered if I
> soak it in a pot of gasoline....OUTSIDE..... if the oils would be disolved
> out of it.   Hummm

Oil stones do have to be cleaned every once in a while, and the preferred
method is indeed to soak them in some sort of solvent, otherwise they just clog
up with stone and metal fragments and stop cutting. Back in the old days before
I started using Japanese water stones, I had to do it, and no matter how long
you soak them, you can never get all the oil out, it just keeps oozing to the
surface.

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From: John Ryrie <j.ryrie@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au>
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 15:51:47 +1000
Subject: [Baren 6268] a woodcut by any other namewould smell but as sweet. 

Gary 
I had an exhibition early this year called (The Arts Formally known as prints)
no one got it.

I have used some strange materials I have used custom wood in the storyteller
print on Maria's site it buckles wen put through a press so I wont use it
again. I have also used chip board.  I have even done a venial cut (the venial
that is imitation lino).
 I have a friend Michael Lunging who dose most of his prints on masonit with a
4" nail these are printed in relief and intaglio, he also uses cement
sheeting.  Another friend Ron McBurnie has used that rubber stuff that you putt
under a sleeping bag wen camping he  used a soldering iron.  Frank Stellar has
made woodcuts on custom wood using a laser.

I have to disagree on the topic of woodcuts using a computer.  If I turned this
mouse upside down and put a couple of bamboo leaves on it, it would make a
lovely Baren.
You could also carve into the mouse pad.  
That reminds me I also know someone who made a book of engravings that where 
engraved onto CD's but this was intaglio printing.

Josephine, I haven't seen Bea's Tasmanian  coastline finished. I went to her
studio the year before last when she was working on it. This work would have
come to Melbourne but now the National Gallery of Victoria is closed for
renovations till 2002.  

John

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From: Arye Saar <saar1@degania-b.org.il>
Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1999 23:19:54 +0200
Subject: [Baren 6269] Re: SHARPENING 

Maria Arango wrote: 
>Okay, now a question for my woodblock eggsperts: 
>How do you get the burr off a 1.5 mm v-chisel? 

To remove the burr from a wee little v-chisel when you 
don't have the right stone: 
Get diamond-poweder covered NEEDLE file set. The smallest 
set of 12 you can get (about 4-5 inches long). Its not expensive, 
here its about $ 2-4. One of the file will fit the job. 
Remember to pull the file out of the v-chisel and never 'into'. 
And - you don't have to be "very careful" - just doÊ it right. 
Arye 

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End of Baren Digest V9 #742
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