[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Wednesday, 27 October 1999 Volume 09 : Number 758 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Cucamongie@aol.com Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 09:42:02 EDT Subject: [Baren 6405] shows, etc Hi folks - I've been so busy it's been hard to keep up w/all the posts! By the way, has anybody who gets the digest form been receiving the email in a blinding red color?? I have no idea why I've been getting it this way, but it makes it hard to read! Anyway, I have pieces up in a couple of shows outside of New York, for those who might be in these areas: Woman Made Gallery, "Seeding the Snow," 1900 South Prairie Ave. in Chicago, show up through Nov. 12, gallery open Wed-through Sunday, phone 312-328-0038. The piece up in this show was quite a challenge for me to make, a composite of four hanga prints, each w/various bokashis, etc. Art Spaces, "Walk through the Wild Side," 44219 Airport Road, California, Maryland. Phone no 301-737-2500. The show will be up through Jan. 4. The gallery is open thursday-saturday, and I have 3 pieces up in the show. Both these places have juried shows on a regular basis and Woman Made Gallery also has a slide registry, if anyone is interested. Take care all, Sarah ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 22:33:54 +0900 Subject: [Baren 6406] Re: various Horacio wrote: > I do > categorize myself as an uncureable definitive "black & white man". > Even when I'm doing color prints, I use a black key block over color > background. By this definition, even those of use working in the Japanese method are 'Black & White' people. Prints like the ones I make are very much based on the black outline, and for many of them, the colours are almost an afterthought. So I well understand what you are saying. I remember back in Elementary school enjoying the times when we made maps, first outlining all the country shapes with strong black lines, and then filling in the blank open spaces with flat colour. And here I am, forty years later, still doing the same thing! > Despite being a > printmaker for a longtime, I've never sold any print. This was quite a surprise to read. Your prints are so strong and attractive, I would have expected that you were making a living at this. I think they could be quite successful here in Japan, given enough exhibitions and time for people to become familiar with them ... > ... my first novel: "O Espelho de Egon" (Egon Schiele's Mirror). Congratulations on this! I hope you will keep us in touch with the progress as it is published and distributed ... *** David S wrote: > if you print ??? copies of a design, you're indicating you may sell. I agree, but would go back another step - by making a _print_ (and not a painting, sculpture, etc. etc.) you are making a statement that you want your work to be distributed. The number of copies you make is almost irrelevant - that's just a measure of how enthusiastic you are about getting it distributed widely. > the nicest compliment is when > you've a sold print hung somewhere that no longer has its title and price > label and someone says, that's a... (place name here!) ...print you know... This is something I envy you for! Take my name tag off one of my prints, and nobody would ever connect it with me ... That's the price I pay by being a 'copyist'. *** Rick wrote: > Anyone know of an upstate New York resource for workshops? Is mid New Hampshire close enough? Check Matt Brown's web site at: http://www.ooloopress.com ... where he has an entire page devoted to a listing of his upcoming workshops and demonstrations, etc. *** My surimono printing work last night resulted in a new Encyclopedia page: http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/updates.html (Matt, I know that 'your' page was supposed to be next in line, but this one was right there in front of me as I was working ... I'll get yours next!) Dave ------------------------------ From: Ruth Leaf Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 08:21:46 -0700 Subject: [Baren 6407] Re: Baren Digest V9 #755 This whole discussion,very pertinent to artists, has been around forever. There is a wonderful little book by Joyce Cary called Art and Reality. If you can get a copy I think Cary adds much to this discussion. We artists are a strange lot we work harder than most making "Art" and then trying to convince people they want it and when it is really ahead of it's time people wait a hundred years or so to understand it i.e. the expressionists etc. Ruth - -- http://www.ruthleaf.com ------------------------------ From: James G Mundie Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 13:07:01 -0400 Subject: [Baren 6408] Re: coherence Dave wrote: > But actually, I wasn't speaking of _myself_ when I brought up the point; > > I was thinking of _you_ (all)! Well, that's sweet, Dave... but why get yourself in a tizzy for our sake? > I do believe that without conscious consideration of what you > are doing this for and what you intend to 'say', then you will end up in > the end with a scattered pile of random pieces of coloured paper. "Conscious consideration" can be the death of creativity. When I said "trust your instincts", I didn't mean "blindly stagger off in whatever direction your fancy takes you". What I meant -- simply put, is that many of the decisions one makes in creating artwork are almost intuitive, because one should have internalized the intellectualization of the image-making to the point where one can simply make the correct brushstroke without having to stop every second and say to themselves, "Is _this_ the right brushstroke at this particular moment for this particular piece?! Oh, sweet merciful McGillicuddy!" Imagery and "message" should follow suit. *** Yes, Bea, I am a member of LAPS, as are a number of folks here on Baren, I think. However, I'm surprised to see that my long deceased greatgrandfather is a member, too. ;-) James Mundie Philadelphia USA ------------------------------ From: Jack Reisland Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 08:32:20 -1000 Subject: [Baren 6409] Re: various David wrote: > http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/updates.html Hey, that's really cool, Dave! Thanks for figuring out all the details and sharing the process. As per our earlier discussion on the evolution on the application of powdered metals on Japanese prints, this technique, with the bamboo tube, is -exactly- the same technique as used by lacquer workers to apply powdered metals on wet lacquer. Jack ------------------------------ From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 16:36:58 -0500 Subject: [Baren 6413] re: More on pretty pics The work I was doing back two years ( http://www.skokienet.org/skyouth/jcrstuff/jrwoodin.html ) was mostly "pretty pictures". My goal was not so much to communicate with others, but rather to make "something" attractive and marketable. I wanted to sell my work. I guess you can say that I wanted to show the natural beauty in wood...but that was mostly a selling point. Those pieces were very popular and sold quite well and I had fun doing that type of work. The work and prints I am doing now are quite the opposite in nature. Yes, I would still like for people to want to buy my work, but the overall motive now is that of communication & expression of my ideas to the paper & also to others. I get a big kick when I get a response to one of my prints and when people "get" a reaction to them. Does every print have to have a "message" ? What makes for a great work of art ? Is it the response you get from your audience ? How many of us sit down when scratching out an idea and proceed only when self assured that the work will sell ? Is there a difference between the artistic value of prints by full-time professionals trying to make a living and part-timers enjoying printmaking as a hobby? Is each work by an artist rated accordingly to it's artistic value....and to what degree does an artist cumulative work ensures that ALL his work is rated as great art ? Julio ------------------------------ From: TrainLarge@aol.com Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 19:36:45 EDT Subject: [Baren 6416] Re: various Dave Bull, Thanks for responding to my "reaching out". In fact, prior to your post about your visit to Matt Brown's shop, I had sent a request to Matt and he e-mailed back some great feedback. I am definitely getting some fantastic vibes from this group! Having a hard time sleeping these days with all of the energy flowing toward printmaking, sketches and new ideas to test out. Rick ------------------------------ From: Maria Arango Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 17:20:13 -0700 Subject: [Baren 6417] Re: funnies & paper Bea wrote: <<<>>> Funny, Bea! I'm submitting my drawings to galleries looking for my first Ratrospective... :-} A question for fellow engravers regarding paper (I'm really a wannabe-engraver, but humor me). I am looking for the ideal engraving paper, any suggestions? I have tried Masa, very nice very nice, but would like to find a higher quality paper in an off white, cream, even tannish color. Okawara? What I need, in case you experienced woodblock folks want to help me, is a very smooth, probably machine made, lightweight and sized paper; something that would also be suitable for very detailed woodcuts. Suggestions appreciated. Health to all, Maria ------------------------------ From: "Philip Smith" Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 18:16:04 -0700 Subject: [none] Maria,...here's a thought on your paper investigation,...Magnani Incisioni,.....Daniel Smith carries this paper,...so says the literature, this paper maker has been turning out paper sense the late part of the 15th century,...anyway, you should try different sheets,...this particular sheet is a favorite,..and if you love paper,...very beautiful,...at only $1.89 a sheet,..you might give it a try! But for the pros from Dover, Grahams Hosho is the first choice,......good luck,....Philip ------------------------------ From: "B Mason" Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 18:25:14 -0700 Subject: [Baren 6421] gold leaf Dave, I enjoyed your gold leaf demo, I have been using gold leaf in my monotypes for a long time, and have a bag of gold leaf scraps left.I use it with a polymer glue that dries clear and tacky. I can actually draw with the glue and cover the lines with the gold. I will talc the gold litely from now on when I use the sheets, as it will make no difference to what I am doing. Then my scraps will have the talc. In the mean time, can I use this bag of gold scraps if I add some talc? The pieces I have range from about 1/2 inch to very small and I have the equivilant of a cup or two of scraps. I was saving them for someone who made paper, I knew someone would eventually like them, but maybe there is some way to recover them for the baren members. Gold leaf is pretty expensive and I have some to share if it can be used. What do you think? Barbara ------------------------------ From: Josephine Severn Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 00:38:08 +1000 Subject: [Baren 6422] Website Hi everyone Still building here. Husband made me put some prints on the site for you to look at. There have been updates to pages Vic Park, Mother, Place, and big updates to artworks and current. http://www.acay.com.au/~severn I'm talking about Print Australia and Studio Dalwood of course Josephine ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 11:31:08 +0900 Subject: [Baren 6423] Re: gold leaf Barbara wrote: > I have been using gold leaf in my monotypes > for a long time, and have a bag of gold leaf scraps left. I wouldn't worry so much about the talc. These scraps could be used the same way as I demonstrated on that page, just by sprinking them into the strainer, and then pressing them through with the brush. You're going to get a bit of 'stick-together', but it won't make a whole lot of difference to the finished work. > Gold leaf is pretty expensive and I have some to share if it can > be used. What do you think? Sounds like a good opportunity for someone to try this out ... Who is going to be fastest on their 'reply' button? *** Philip wrote, re Chinese 'barens': > Do you know if that boat shaped "baren" was in different > sizes, different wrappings??? Sorry, but I know nothing much more than what is on that page. I have seen a couple of other photos of the Chinese tool, and they always look exactly the same. But that's not saying much, as photos of Japanese barens also look pretty much alike, and we know that there can be a wide variation ... *** Spent a most interesting half-hour on the telephone yesterday morning with a gentleman who knew Frank Morley-Fletcher, the author of one of the earliest books in our Library in the Encyclopedia. I recorded his recollections, and have prepared a 'RealAudio' file for the Encyclopedia. As soon as I get his 'OK', I'll open it up for access ... Dave ------------------------------ From: "Horacio" Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 00:34:29 -0200 Subject: [Baren 6424] Re: various Dave wrote: > By this definition, even those of use working in the Japanese method > are 'Black & White' people. Prints like the ones I make are very much > based on the black outline, and for many of them, the colours are almost > an afterthought. I learned your lesson, thanks. > This was quite a surprise to read. Your prints are so strong and > attractive, I would have expected that you were making a living at > this. I think they could be quite successful here in Japan, given > enough exhibitions and time for people to become familiar with them ... Great!!. I would like to know more about this possibility... Horacio ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V9 #758 ***************************