[Baren] the mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking Baren Digest Saturday, 5 August 2000 Volume 12 : Number1103 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Shireen Holman Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 09:43:02 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10813] article for Maryland Printmakers Hello everyone, My article about Baren has gone to the printers. I think it looks really good. Thank you everyone who helped out! I'll let you know when it's up on the web - should be early September. Shireen *********************************************** Shireen Holman, Printmaker and Book Artist email: shireenh@earthlink.net http://home.earthlink.net/~shireenh/ *********************************************** ------------------------------ From: Vollmer/Yamaguchi Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 10:52:46 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10814] Sheaths Lynita, you are lucky to have such a nice husband! Buying paper and checking barens for you on his business trip to Japan! I would love to visit Woodlike myself, any date for English translations on his website? By the way, I will be in Willimasburg MA teaching at Horizons Aug 14 to 18, how far is that from you? I am breathlessly waiting to hear from John Root...I wasn't clear from Graham's description what his baren is made of, is it the twisted nylon filament you mentioned? With a wood ategawa? I was thinking of getting another ball bearing baren, since they are so strong, and you don't need to cover them! $270 from McClain's. The "real" ones are more reslient, though, sort of springy, not so mechanical. I have covered barens, but they are always rather loose. I have watched several experts tie them, and each person has a slightly different approach. Some seem to beat up the takenokawa sheath a lot, smashing the lengthwise fibers with the back of a scissors and rolling the sheath over the edge of a table to soften it. It seems quite important to have it damp and supple before you stretch it over the ategawa/back. Wrap it in a damp towel for half an hour or so, and blow warm moist air through it like a straw. The weather in NY this summer has been EXCELLENT for keeping things moist! April Vollmer 174 Eldridge St, NYC 10002, 212-677-5691 http://www.aprilvollmer.com ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 09:34:58 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10815] Baren covering >Jean wrote: >> I guess the leaf covering is trimmed to the right size, yes? Can you Dave wrote..... >But over at the workshop this summer Greg and Gayle made a bunch of >sketches of the process, along with many detailed notes, Wow I was at that workshop and knew nothing of this ??????? I would have loved to have been included. Jean. You can see how to tie a baren at: http://members.home.net/woodblocks/Tiebaren.html (I found some broke images......All is OK now) Like so many thingies there are different ways of achieving the tying of a baren. Dave has his way and I felt that although it was certainly very traditional and proper, I had to ask myself the question, .... was it achievable by people like you and I who may only tie the sheath on once a year? Noboru Sawai in his experience of teaching this sport for 25 years makes good sense to my way of thinking. The information on my site is essentially his technique (which he learned from Toshi Yoshida), and some details Dave has suggested. One of these is wrapping the bamboo sheath in a damp towel for several hours or soaking it in warm water for 1/2 hour. Dave does not. He rolls the blows through the sheath after running water on it. The warm water is, from way thinking, less risky. Dave also beat the heck,as he says, "kills" the ribbing of the sheath. If you use a protector sheet when printing (burnishing your print) this is not necessary. After seeing Dave cranking through 200 prints (what was it 10 or 12 colours Dave?) in 6 days I can understand why he does not want to handle a protective sheet. Noboru feels that you can ruin sheaths if you are not a real expert at the technique of stretching. I saw Dave demonstrate this and I sure would not even try it. The co-ordination required, I suspect, is beyond most people. The other school of thought (Noboru) about not flattening the ribbing too much, is that the rib in reality assists in the burnishing process. If you think about the Shin being nob thingies then the ribby sheath makes sense. Hope this helps. Not easy but hope this helps. Graham If you go to the Baren encyclopedia http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/topics/001/001_frame.html there is a wealth of information. ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Sat, 05 Aug 2000 05:58:28 +0900 Subject: [Baren 10817] Re: Baren covering Graham wrote (re baren-tying at the workshop): > Wow I was at that workshop and knew nothing of this ??????? > I would have loved to have been included. That's what you get for going to bed so early, Graham! > Dave also beat the heck, as he says, "kills" the ribbing of the > sheath. If you use a protector sheet when printing (burnishing your > print) this is not necessary. The problem here is that the thickness of the protector sheet (even the very delicate new teflon sheets from Matsumura-san), combined with the extra thickness of a sheath that hasn't been 'killed', leaves one with very little 'feel' of the block under the baren. Ever been dancing in army boots? That's what it feels like ... Dave ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 16:19:39 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10818] Re: Baren covering Dave wrote..... >That's what you get for going to bed so early, Graham! Ah yes, but I when you are working a 12 or 14 hour days it is very important to get proper rest. When you teach you must be alert and attentive to everybodys needs. > >If you use a protector sheet when printing (burnishing your > > print) this is not necessary. > >with the extra thickness of a sheath that hasn't been 'killed', leaves >one with very little 'feel' of the block under the baren. It's all in what you get use to. I have done both techniques and I find virtually no difference in the end results. >Ever been dancing in army boots? That's what it feels like ... Is this something like taking a shower wearing a raincoat. (<; Good debates...... Graham ------------------------------ From: Aqua4tis@aol.com Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 19:53:48 EDT Subject: [Baren 10819] Re: glassine hi everyone i went to get out my supply of glassine yesterday and found it had gotten folded up like an accordian!!!! any one have ideas on how to flatten it? is it possible? thanks georga ------------------------------ From: "Philip Smith" Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 18:15:06 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10820] Re: glassine Georga,....I think almost any paper can be ironed flat,.....you may have to spritz it with a bit of water,....'not for sure this will work on your paper,...but there's always the one where you have your pet elephant sit on it for a week or so,..that seems to always work. Philip ------------------------------ From: "Daniel L. Dew" Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 22:06:10 -0400 Subject: [Baren 10821] congratulations Anyone with the new Daniel Smith catalog needs to check out page 113. Congatulations Ruth Leaf! dan dew bored and hot in Tampa ------------------------------ From: B Mason Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 20:57:15 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10822] NWPC Just to let you know that I am taking the vacated treasurer's volunteer board position with the Northwest Print Council. I am definitely not an accountant, but they were really desperate. Anyone living in BC, Alberta, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska or Hawaii who is not a member should send in work for jurying in the spring. I think it is around February. I will announce it when it is closer to the date and post the address for info. They are thinking of adding other states, which would be a good idea as they do mount exchange shows all over the world. I will try to keep them out of debt and moving forward and not spending money they don't have. Tough job as I have trouble doing that myself. It is $45 a year to become an artist member and it is by jury of other printmakers, so be sure there are no fingerprints on the back. We always laugh about that, but we still turn the work over to look! So just a warning. Hope to see all my northwest baren buddies belonging. Does this post count toward the silly season print? Is it serious enough? Barbara M ------------------------------ From: "Philip Smith" Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 21:27:51 -0700 Subject: [Baren 10824] Martha Stewart There was a bit of discussion about the Martha Stewart show and her quest that did woodcuts,...for all of you young folk there on the east coast wanting to rub elbows with M.S.,...she has a job opening for an Associate Art Director,.....she's at hr@marthastewart.com or fax her at 212-827-8008....it's a full time job,...'might be worth looking into. Good luck. Philip ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V12 #1103 *****************************