Baren Digest Saturday, 23 December 2000 Volume 13 : Number 1256 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: GWohlken Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 08:27:07 -0500 Subject: [Baren 12604] Re: Baren Digest V13 #1255 When I first joined Baren, the reason it attracted me was the word "woodblock". I was happy to see something devoted to wood, and I was extremely curious about hanga as I have a book called "Woodcuts" that has a few pages with beautiful hangastyle images. I wanted to learn what is different about that process. Though I have a press, I'm not as interested talking about presses and lino as I am about wood and what you can do with it. So the more we cover the many artforms with printmaking, the less it feels like a forum for woodblock people. It's all interesting, though, but sometimes I just skim the messages because they aren't what I want to do with my printmaking. Baren is changing, though, and I suppose whatever it becomes it will be what it will be, but I notice I tend to read more slowly the messages about wood and paper and sharpening tools because I like wood. So I guess whatever interests us here will have its moment of glory some days. Gayle Burton, Ohio ------------------------------ From: GraphChem@aol.com Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 09:15:45 EST Subject: [Baren 12607] Re: linoleum Gerald - Thanks for thinking of us with your question about dimpled lino. About the only thing that will help in restoring the surface is heat and a flat surface. The obvious choice is an iron. This will also help rejuvenate a harder surface (hardening occurs with age - not unlike my knees). It should fix the problem of dimpling on a long term basis. Good luck. Dean Clark Graphic Chemical & Ink Company ------------------------------ From: GraphChem@aol.com Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 09:25:23 EST Subject: [Baren 12608] Re: Drier Greg Tu-Way drier is actually a Hanco product, available from a number of sources, including Graphic Chemical. Like a number of other products. it is not listed in the catalog, but is readily available. Dean Clark Graphic Chemical & Ink ------------------------------ From: "Daniel L. Dew" Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 09:33:13 -0500 Subject: [Baren 12609] My Two Cents I for one enjoy the variety of the discussions. How many active participants of the forum only do "woodblocks"? I work in both wood and lino, depending on the outcome I want, so almost every discussion has some nugget of value to me. I don't think Baren should expand into intaglio, or litho or whatever, but lino is soooooo very close, it would be a shame to exclude it. I've been using all the hanga discussions to experiment with the lino blocks and vice versa. Oh well, always causing trouble it seems. dan dew ------------------------------ From: Lovelace Lee III Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 06:49:24 -0800 Subject: [Baren 12610] Re: My Two Cents I did wood years ago and am getting involved again strictly as a hobby. Why do you all seem to make such tiny prints? Is there something I'm missing? I know the craft requires a lot of work, but I'm not into tiny pieces of art for some reason. What am I missing? Lovelace Lee III Los Angeles ------------------------------ From: ArtfulCarol@aol.com Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 10:03:51 EST Subject: [Baren 12611] Re: San Francisco Chop Store Address Kate, Aboout the chop -maker in SF If I remember correctly Marco Flavio said it was about 4 blocks up from the China Gate. Carol ------------------------------ From: Chris Bremmer Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 07:21:32 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Baren 12612] Re: Sintra Sources Another trade name for Sintra is "Celtec", I used to own a sign shop and used it everyday. :) Great stuff to work with, I'm sure it would work fine for relief printing. Chris ------------------------------ From: Vollmer/Yamaguchi Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 11:21:59 -0400 Subject: [Baren 12613] Lost at Sea David Stones, how nice to hear your voice from Japan. And dear Ray, with his insights about the differences between Chinese and Japanese printing. I also miss the focus on woodcut and particularly on professional Japanese tools, (for oil or water). Sorry folks, they aren't just different, they ARE better! I feel a bit lost in a sea of crappy Speedball knives and waterbase roll up ink! April Vollmer 174 Eldridge St, NYC 10002, 212-677-5691 http://www.aprilvollmer.com ------------------------------ From: B Mason Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 08:13:51 -0800 Subject: [Baren 12615] Re: on lino and other relief forms Carolyn, There is printmakers at http://www.egroups.com, just go to egroups and put in printmakers and it will come up. It is not as active as this group, but there are a lot of cross members. Barbara Carolyn Pflederer wrote: > Just read the input...I was wondering if anyone knows of any good sites > (like the Baren forum) that would interest people who do want to > discuss the other forms of relief printmaking. More input! > Carolyn ------------------------------ From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 10:27:31 -0600 Subject: [Baren 12616] Re: Baren: - It's intention 12/22/2000 10:27:19 AM As another old timer here, let me quote from the Baren intro pages: - -------------------------- "Topics The motivation in starting this list was to provide a forum for dissemination of information about woodblock printmaking. There were a number of places on the Web where printmaking in general was discussed, but one always had to wade through a lot of extraeneous information before finding anything relevant to this topic. The only way that the [Baren] convention can be a useful resource to woodblock printmakers is if the discussions focus on woodblock printmaking. Please try and keep this in mind. Of course, if a particular thread becomes interesting and leads a bit 'off-topic' then we should follow it, but when starting a thread, please try and stick to our theme. Here are the currently available discussion areas: The [Baren] Forum for Woodblock Printmaking Anything and everything about: the process of making woodblock prints - carving, printing, tools, suitable papers, etc. etc. matters of general interest to woodblock printmakers - your current printmaking projects, new web sites, general discussion ... [Baren] After Five The social forum of the Convention. Glass in hand, here is where you can tell that tall tale about the woodblock that got away ... Even in the main discussion group we expect (and encourage) a fair amount of straight conversation, badinage, etc. - this is essential in keeping a 'personal' flavour to the group. But postings that have no woodblock content at all, and which consist of friendly 'chat' between members, should be confined to the 'After Five' group ... The world of woodblock printmaking is quite a small world, and this forum may not turn out to have a lot of 'quantity'. But with your help, a high 'quality' will more than make up for that. " - ---------------------- Well, with 225+ members onboard and many more that have come and gone thru the years, we can safely say that Dave's remarks about "lack of quantity" were a bit premature. Wood engraving and lino have always been accepted topics for discussion due to the close resemblance to "woodblock". In fact, many of the books on the encyclopedia carry chapters on these topics. Many prints in the exchanges are proof of this. Intaglio, monotypes, etching, silk screening, etc....are often mentioned in reference to printmaking or woodblocks technique but on their own are not valid topics for deep discussion here. It is often that someone asks a question about acids, cleanup, plates, etc....and that is fine....but long term discussions or procedures have and should be carried off line or at Baren-After-Five..... The Printmakers forum and PrintAustralia are open to all general printmaking and are run by our very own Brad Schwartz and Josephine Severn. Both fantastic lists for these other disciplines. Happy Holidays to all and welcome to all the new members.... Julio Rodriguez (Skokie, Illinois) ------------------------------ From: B Mason Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 08:35:37 -0800 Subject: [Baren 12617] woodblock or? David, It was so nice to hear from you, I second April's comments. One of the things so wonderful about this list IS it's focus. I had never done relief printing, except on metal before I found this list. After almost three years, I have taken two classes at boot camp and one here in Portland. It was amazing to realize I knew quite a lot when taking the class here in Portland after the two in Victoria with Graham Scholes. I have most of the tools from Japan and they are wonderful. Graham let us use them and one at a time we knew we had to have them. The same with the printing brushes and paper. The information and encouragement on this list is truly amazing. I too would like to see it focused on woodblock, even though I am taking a class in lino block now and really having fun with it. Wanda is in this same class and doing woodblock so there is a lot of crossover between the two mediums. The look of the printing done on wood is different and can be very robust or very delicate. I think we should remember our focus, there are lots of printmaking lists for other mediums and I probably belong to most of them, but this is the one I can never leave. I learned to do woodblocks so I could participate in the exchanges on Baren. So lets hear it for woodblock! Whew, what a testimony! Happy Holidays to all, Barbara ------------------------------ From: "David Stones" Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2000 02:11:37 +0900 Subject: [Baren 12618] Re: Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2000 02:11:01 +0900 charset="shift_jis" Dear All, Two posts (from me) in a week? But some philosophy or whatever needs adding... and thanks for the comments April and Barbara... >Lovelace Lee III asked: >Why do you all seem to make such tiny prints? Is there something I'm missing? A little woodblock philosophy? Nature has limited my prints to the width of a tree - usually 60 yrs. worth - and what's maybe missed is the understanding that when your tools are cutting across the grain of solid Cherry or Magnolia blocks, each line is a year in that tree's life and I take care how I'm using this resource. (I also replant - five trees to one cut] for my village-made blocks). The blocks are then let to print according to their textures and, when my last sheet's printed, they'll be returned to the forest - clean enough and harmless... No disrespects/criticism of lino or whatever else... but woodBLOCK (for me) is not just an art form, size not just a personal choice... there's something else. Dave S (Ishita) ------------------------------ From: Greg Carter Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 12:57:51 -0500 Subject: [Baren 12619] Re: San Francisco Chop Store Address Kate, I was just at the store mentioned by carol. Though i do not know the number of streets, it is on the left hand side of the street, on a corner(if you come in through the gate) . You can not really miss it because it has a lot of chops in the window. They do have a wonderfull selection(almost bought one with a insect on it) greg, >Kate, >Aboout the chop -maker in SF If I remember correctly Marco Flavio said it >was about 4 blocks up from the China Gate. >Carol ------------------------------ From: slinder@mediaone.net Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 12:11:09 -0600 Subject: [Baren 12620] Re: ...there's something else. Perhaps as valued as the woodblock prints in this group are the thoughts and gentle philosophies of our 'persons of example'! I will try to focus more on those rings in the block. I appreciate deeply the suggestion of replanting and returning to the forest! You offer good things to think about as I carve. Thank you, David Stones! Sharen, (Palatine, Illinois) David Stones wrote: >Nature has limited my prints to the width of > a tree - ...there's something else. ------------------------------ From: Greg Carter Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 13:29:17 -0500 Subject: [Baren 12621] Re: Baren: - It's intention I am some what a newcommer, but I have been around enough to know what the response was probale going to be but thought it was good to talk about it. I hope no one took my suggestions in a negitive manner but just not agree with them. If you are new to baren(,in the last year) and you judge baren by the posts(and not the official statement) you do see an interest in other relief processes. That why I said what I said. There are a lot of good lists but they are not the specific mix of Baren that I enjoy so much. so i guess I was just being selfish Greg ------------------------------ From: Claude Villeneuve Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 14:22:01 -0500 Subject: [Baren 12622] Re: woodblock or? Hello everyone! As a mainly relief printmaker but not exclusively woodcut or linocut, I think one technique nourrishes the other and I would find it sad if only topics pertaining strickly to wood were allowed on Baren because most printmakers don't work in only one medium. There is an organization called Xylon International (based in Switzerland I think) that started with members working strickly on wood. The Quebec chapter of Xylon accepts any member who works in RELIEF techniques, regardless of material because most printmakers in Quebec like to experiment and don't confine themselves to only one technique so they were able this way to increase their membership and have an interesting group of artists working together and learning from eachother. From what I read from Xylon Argentina through their monthly bulletin, they also seem to be pretty open. What if the focus was broad enough to include any topic relating to RELIEF printmaking but keeping in mind that wood is still the major interest and specifically Japanese Hanga techniques? Since I have joined Baren I have learned a lot about woodcut and I read various articles from the Encyclopedia to increase my knowledge about the various processes, tools, techniques, etc. I should be ready to try my very first Japanese woodcut very soon. Merry Christmas to all! Claude Aimée Villeneuve - Montreal, Quebec ------------------------------ From: Artsmadis@aol.com Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 14:54:13 EST Subject: [Baren 12623] Re: Baren Digest V13 #1251 In a message dated 12/19/00 11:41:13 PM Central Standard Time, Legreenart@cs.com writes: << Why is there a text attachment on the digest? I would like to know, because I don't open attachments unless I know why they are attached. >> I'm no expert but I think it is so you can download and read the digest without being connected to the internet. Also I believe text attatchments are safe and cannot contain viruses. Darrell ------------------------------ From: ArtfulCarol@aol.com Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 16:18:14 EST Subject: [Baren 12624] Re: San Francisco Chop Store Address Kate, Greg, Marco--that's Baren teamwork in pursuit of a chop! Carol ------------------------------ From: ArtfulCarol@aol.com Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 16:25:39 EST Subject: [Baren 12625] Re: woodblock or? My vote goes for strictly woodblock. As it is, there are so many valuable messages to sift through. I, too, experiment with other media, but I'd like to keep the woodblock focus for Baren. 2 cents worth-- Carol Lyons Irvington, NY - - ------------------------------ From: "eli griggs" Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 16:38:27 -0500 Subject: [Baren 12626] Re: woodblock or? charset="iso-8859-1" Hi there: I also want to keep the Baren focus on woodcuts. With it so easy to subscribe to additional groups why fool around with a format that works so well for so many? Eli Griggs Charlotte N.C. USA ------------------------------ From: "Jeanne Norman Chase" Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 17:21:35 -0500 Subject: [Baren 12627] Re: woodblock or? charset="iso-8859-1" There are sooo many forums out there for different kinds of printmaking; Monotype, Brad's printmaking , The Web Engravers group. Why mix all of that up with woodblock printmaking? I say stick to "wood". I think we could use some of Grahams wisdom here!!! I know you are out there. I belong to 4 forums on printmaking and this one should be all about woodblock printmaking. If I want etching, monotype, engraving, then I will go elsewhere. Let us focus on what David Bull intended. My 10 cents worth. Jeanne N. ------------------------------ From: slinder@mediaone.net Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 16:34:50 -0600 Subject: [Baren 12628] "Comedy of Life"... What a terrific collection of prints! Christmas surely came early to my house! Thank you to everyone in the exchange! What a joy to handle such wonderful papers, to see such variations in printmaking, to savor the colors and inks and lines, and to enjoy the ways you all interpreted the "Comedy of Life" theme. Thanks so much to Dan and Jeanne for all of their work in bringing the prints to us! You can learn so much holding and viewing a print! Bravo, everyone! Sharen ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V13 #1256 *****************************