[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Tuesday, 18 April 2000 Volume 11 : Number 975 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "eli griggs" Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 14:53:57 -0400 Subject: [Baren 9318] Re: tapered ferrules for knives Hi there, After taking several days off from the PC, I'm rather late responding to Jack and Julio's messages, sorry. Jack, thanks for the heads up on the inside taper. Your suggestion for using a mandrel sounds just fine. Julio, thanks for the pics, but hands on seems to be the order of the day for getting it right. I'll just have to order a traditional Hangi To and Aisuki for models to work from. I just hope the ball bearing baren I've been making works o.k. Eli Griggs Charlotte N.C. USA ------------------------------ From: B Mason Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 13:37:48 -0700 Subject: [Baren 9319] Council stuff To all Baren Members: The good news it that lots of exciting things have happened over the last year on the baren. We have learned a little, been vastly encouraged in our printmaking, and had a few laughs. Some of us have met one another. I have been lurking and finally posting for over a year and the comradarie and encouragement available on this forum is probably unsurpassed anywhere on the internet. When Dave started this forum, he had no idea it would take on its own life and become what it has become. Like any young child, it has had a few growing pains. We now have 186 members, give or take one or two. Many read the messages and never post. If all 186 posted we would probably have to give up our regular lives just to read the messages. I admit, I am addicted to this site! Baren Anonymouns might be needed. OK, on to business. I think that Julio has incurred some expenses with the Skokie show that were not covered by monies recieved. I think we need a treasurer and some way to raise a few dollars so someone voulnteering to mount a baren show is not using money out of their own pocket. What do you all think? How can we best raise a few dollars? Charge a small amount to be in an exchange? It is the exchanges that seem to be getting the showings. Charge a membership fee? (Very small) Have a bake sale? OR???????????And how do we choose a treasurer? Next, our founder and guiding light, Dave is finally overwhelmed by keeping up the archives of the digests and had let it slide just a little. He is back on top of it after receiving inquiries as to what the heck was happening to the archives. What Dave really needs is someone to do the archives on a fairly regular basis for him. This person would have to subscribe to the digest version and condense the days messages and upload them to the site. We need a VOLUNTEER. If you are not really computer literate, not to worry. Dave will walk you through it and soon you will be on a first name basis with the ftp site. Anyone wishing to volunteer, please contact Dave directly. He will be so greatful. The baren is taking up too much of his time, it could easily become his whole life, just getting all the details done on a daily basis, leaving him very little time to cut and print. On a personal note, thanks to all of you for your friendship, this is a great group to belong to! Barbara ------------------------------ From: "Jean Eger" Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 14:09:00 -0700 Subject: [Baren 9320] Re: Baren Digest V11 #974 April wrote: > Jean Eger is an A plus student! It was a pleasure to meet her again, > especially as she is now feeling healthier and more energetic than ever. > She unexpectedly showed up for my class, and stayed! Those are kind words from the master, and April Vollmer (http://www.aprilvollmer.com/) really is a master teacher. I unexpectedly showed up because I was not sure if anything unexpected would be expected of me from the student teaching program at San Francisco State that weekend. So I could not commit in advance for that weekend. We had been in communication about the date of the workshop, so it probably wasn't a complete surprise that I came over to say hello, and stayed. It was the best choice I could have made. What a luxury to have such a small class and so much attention from the teacher. April kept saying, "You're doing OK, Jean. You're doing that well, Jean..." and I could feel the tension slipping away as I blindly drew my key block (against her advice) and cut, cut, cut all afternoon. The first day of the two-day workshop, we had Kala (http://www.kala.org/) all to ourselves. For those of you on other continents, Kala is the premiere printmaking workshop in Northern California. It has great location and many presses. There are many classes available from master printmakers. The second day, Kala was filled with printmaking demonstrations by Judith Rostow of Akua Kolor (http://www.norsecode.com/mdpm/archive/99jun/frontpg.htm) teaching monoprint and Mark Zaffron of ZAcryl Etching (http://www.10mb.com/zacryl/index.html) teaching non-toxic etching. There was a little lecture which, of course, we could not attend, because we were cutting and printing. We were part of the demonstration and show! There were many printmakers in attendance, some of whom I knew from the California Society of Printmakers(http://www.art2u.com/CSP/index.html)(http://users.lanminds.com/~ jeaneger/csp/). The occasion was Kala's 25th anniversary celebration and symposium in connection with the Oakland Museum (http://www.museumca.org/). April Vollmer really ranks up there among the best printmaking instructors. She gave clear directions, demonstrated techniques, gave printed handouts and personal attention to each participant, and was generally optimistic and encouraging, bringing out the best each artist had to give. The printing techniques that April taught will be a big help in my editioning. Here is a photo of April with one of the workshop participants at http://users.lanminds.com/~jeaneger/jean/april.jpg Thanks for a weekend well-spent, April! Jean Eger ------------------------------ From: "Jeanne Norman Chase" Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 08:25:55 -0400 Subject: [Baren 9324] Open Studio Dear Fellow Bareners I had a successful Open Studio. I took a few pictures and you can find them at; http://www.jeannenormanchase-art.com click on New Things It was amazing that so many people had no idea what a woodblock print entailed. I demonstrated for 2 days. I hope that I cleared up a little of the mystery. I will be writing a little article for Marias Baren Suji on giving an Open Studio. A wonderful way to educate the people and make a little money without dividing it up with the galleries. Jeanne N. ------------------------------ From: James G Mundie Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 08:43:57 -0400 Subject: [Baren 9325] Hiroshige color I may be booed and hissed or otherwise assailed for suggesting such blasphemy, but here it goes... A few days ago I was once again looking over some Hiroshige prints that were up for auction. Just looking... no intention of buying anything. So, I'm looking at these particular prints and it occurs to me (not for the first time) that what was in front of me were some of the ugliest pieces of paper I had ever seen. Good grief, man, this is _Hiroshige_! What could be the problem? The color was gaudy beyond belief. An otherwise charming composition was obscured by color that just would not shut up about itself -- the water is BLUE!! and by the way, this bridge is RED!! and if you failed to notice, this tree is GREEN!!!! Non of that subtlety of color or application that one comes to expect from hanga was present in these prints. Each color cancelled the other out completely and there was not even the slightest attempt at harmony. Many of the colors were so dense that they obscured the keyblock. Furthermore, the color appeared completely flat, except for the occasional bokashi on the water. So was this Hiroshige's fault? Probably not. I suspect this was a decision made by the publisher ("No, no, no. People want color. More red!). However, I have noticed this 'problem' in a number of Hiroshige prints I have seen -- this total disregard for color harmony. When I consider that these prints have probably _faded_ somewhat from their original tones I hesitate to think what these prints looked like fresh off the blocks. Am I alone in my dismay? I suppose my real question is: How involved were most Edo designers in the final appearance of their work? Would Hiroshige have had any say in the choice of color blocks and their application? Was the buying public of the time particulary interested in the acidically bright and gaudy? [not so different from the present, then ;-D] Blasphemously yours, James Mundie ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V11 #975 ****************************