Baren Digest Tuesday, 22 January 2002 Volume 18 : Number 1693 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Jeanne N. Chase" Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 09:44:40 -0500 Subject: [Baren 16752] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1691 Dear Jean Please do not feel like an idiot.. It is wonderful that so many people are empathizing with me and I love you all for it. Anyway, when the ashes clear away I will have a new start. Boy, am I going to m iss those exchanges!!!!! Luv Jeanne N All those horses are galloping in now and they are neat. Do not give up on me, That is the first project that I have on my agenda, probably, sometime in February, I hope!!! I found the drawing for the "Horse". so am already ahead, well, behind. ------------------------------ From: "Linda" Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 07:54:15 -0800 Subject: [Baren 16753] Introducing Myself Hello Folks, I decided to come out of lurkdom and introduce myself, namely because I wanted to make a comment about Maria Arango's prints. More on that later. I'm a self-taught artist who recently moved from Iowa to Yucca Valley, California, which is about 20 miles north of Palm Springs. I work in a variety media, including oils, watercolors, and stone sculpture. (I know -- one is suppose to do one medium and one style, but I can't. Minor defect in my personality!!!) I'm mainly known for painting botanical watercolors -- or at least I was back in Iowa. The botanicals led to doing woodcuts and copper plate engravings, because I got tired of painting certain plants over and over. Shortly after I cut my first woodblock, these prints went their own way and left the botanicals behind. While most of the subjects are still plant related, they have evolved from "plant on a page" to still lives, landscapes, and close-ups of flowers. Other than plants, I do prints of neolithic goddess motifs. In terms of experience, I'm still a beginner -- the cutting of the block is simple, but the printing drives me up the wall. Now back to Maria. This weekend I ventured down off my mountain and went to the Deep Canyon Art Fair, where Maria had set up her booth. It was a wonderful treat for me to actually get to meet and talk with another printmaker and see her terrific work. I was utterly amazed at how different her larger prints looked in real life as opposed to her web site. She was more than generous with her knowledge and patiently answered a ton of questions. I feel like I got a quick course in printmaking from her! And now, I think I'll go find a woodblock and start on another print. Linda ------------------------------ From: Daniel Dew Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 10:45:29 -0500 Subject: [Baren 16754] Jeanne's Loss I feel bad for Jeanne. but me's got an idear! For exchange #13, the new one comin' up, if we all submit 32 prints instead of the standard 31, we could send Jeanne a "get well" and "get back to printing" and "wish you were here", etc....package! What ya'll think? I, for one, plan on signing up for #13 and would have no problem with one more print, especially if it were to go to one a deserving as Jeanne. Daniel L. Dew http://www.dandew.com/ ddew@tampabay.rr.com ------------------------------ From: Daniel Dew Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 10:56:36 -0500 Subject: [Baren 16755] Re: Introducing Myself Welcome Linda! Would love to see some of your painting/sculptures/prints, do you have them posted anywhere? P.S. Most artists qualify for the "minor defect", they just won't admit it. I for one have "worked" in many mediums, coming to woodblock printmaking from wood sculptures. Also do pastels, pen and ink, etc..... Once again, welcome and hang around, maybe some of us can help with the printing part. Any specific problems in printing you need help with? (be as specific as possible and whoever works that way can respond) Daniel L. Dew http://www.dandew.com/ ddew@tampabay.rr.com ------------------------------ From: Aqua4tis@aol.com Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 12:05:05 EST Subject: [Baren 16756] Re: Jeanne's Loss this is a lovely idea dan ------------------------------ From: Sunnffunn@aol.com Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 13:43:48 EST Subject: [Baren 16757] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1692 I hate to be picky, but on the firemans print list you have not spelled my name right. this happens to me all the tiem , it is not Marilyn it is Marilynn with 1 n's Marilynn Smith, please. Marilynn ------------------------------ From: Aqua4tis@aol.com Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 15:07:18 EST Subject: [Baren 16758] Re: [Baren 16757name spelling my name is spelled GEORGA no i thanks georga ------------------------------ From: "Jeanne N. Chase" Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 16:35:27 -0500 Subject: [Baren 16759] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1677 charset="iso-8859-1" Dear Kim Just your good wishes and empathy are what I need now. Thank you for thinking of me. Just getting around to e mailing all my wonderful friends. The Baren is truly my Support group. Luv Jeanne N. ------------------------------ From: "Jeanne N. Chase" Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 16:37:59 -0500 Subject: [Baren 16760] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1678 charset="iso-8859-1" Dear Marilynn Thanks so much for your support. It means a lot to me that people are thinking of me at this time. It will take time but I will be printing again. I think I was spoiled having my own wonderful studio. With luck I will have one again. Thanks Jeanne N ------------------------------ From: "April Vollmer" Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 22:21:14 -0500 Subject: [Baren 16761] There's a hole in my takenokawa. Nice to know you are still there, Ray! How's everything up in VT? Yup, with my new digital camera I can show everyone what is under that baren skin/bamboo sheath! Pretty cool, eh? Mine is a 1.5 mm 16 strand baren. Medium-strong, good for large areas. They come in a whole range of mm's and strands, different strengths for different printing jobs. It was pricey, but worth it! It has a resiliency that the ball bearing one doesn't have. I've been printing this week, and there is already a hole it my new takenokawa! Guess I'll have to get some new skins and invite Sarah over again! AV www.aprilvollmer.com ------------------------------ From: "Maria Arango" Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 19:55:18 -0800 Subject: [Baren 16762] RE: Palm Desert show LONG POST! > Now back to Maria. This weekend I ventured down off my mountain > and went to > the Deep Canyon Art Fair, where Maria had set up her booth. >< She was > more than generous with her knowledge and patiently answered a ton of > questions. I feel like I got a quick course in printmaking from her! Oh hey, about that show... I was really happy to meet Linda and it truly was exciting to talk "shop" with another printmaker. At first when Linda approached my booth and asked if _I_ was Maria, I thought for a moment she was a rich gallery owner wishing to purchase the entire contents of my booth (HEY, I have heard those urban legends!). But another printmaker was even a better experience. Very refreshing. Oh, yeah, and ABOUT that show...I write so much about how wonderful these art festivals are that I probably owe it to the list and all those fledgling art-showers to reveal some of the bad and the ugly of the "business." This bad puppy was a complete disaster. I hold in my hand two receipts, one for $25 and one for $75. Other than a few hand printed cards that I didn't even bother writing receipts for, that was the extent of my sales. Not bad huh? That averages to, er, let me get my calculator out...ONE whole sale per day! Needless to say I didn't cover my show fee or expenses. Eeeeek, barfie, ptwtheeeweee. Okay, long story follows so if you are not interested, please hit DEL now-- I got to the fine town of Palm Desert, California, on Friday about 2PM and it must have been 70 degrees easy. I drove by the site and there were the promoters busily already marking the spots, so I introduced myself and (sly-dog-you) was able to extricate from them the approximate location of my booth. This gives me an edge in the morning when huge vehicles are elbowing each other for parking close to the booths, you see. So I felt luckyyyyy! Got to the campground, by a lake, beautiful spot not too far from the bathrooms (always important). Calm night, gorgeous desert sunset, what can go wrong? 3AM temperature dropped to about 30 degrees, not a huge deal unless you are sleeping in "camp-Jimmy." Quickly froze my butt off, which was good because it had gotten too big anyway, found some extra sweats and managed to sleep until 5ish. I cranked up the stove (man, propane gets you nice and high inside an SUV) and made myself a strong Maria-brew. The show set-up went without a hitch, which was a positive note because one of my elbows has been acting up with some sort of strange tendonitis (aggravated by an unwise racquetball match during Christmas vacation). Held up just fine and despite the 40 degree weather, the tent was up and good in record time. The weather stayed right around 40 all day. I guess you have to ask Bea Gold about this, but Californians don't come out until the fog lifts, the surf's up, and the sun shines. Never happened. I met some really nice artist folk, though, and we exchanged horror road stories (like dead cows, hail storms, mad bulls, UFO's, etc.). Oh, and I made the one sale, which was more than most people made. Some artists picked up their shtuff and called it a day right then and there. Of course you always hear about "last year's show," in the context of: "you should have been here LAST year!" That's the year everyone sold out, Bob Hope himself came to buy everyone's art, the gallery owners discovered painters and knighted them on the spot...right--never happened. So, I went back to the campground with my tail between my legs but with a whole engraving done and another one started. And I caught up on my magazines in "camp-Jimmy" by the fluorescent light of my new lantern (got a bit queasy with the propane lantern the prior night). And I froze the rest of my behind, so I came home much slimmer and in need of new smaller jeans with a flat backside. Next day, the sun did come out, but still failed to bring out any rich people needing to plaster their walls with my prints. Oh, except for 'the' one sale of the day. And I met Linda, so not all was lost. And I got more engraving done. And my elbow held up through tear-down just fine. Then I went to Albertson's and bought a four-pack of little cute bottles of Cabernet, it being the reddest wine I could find. I had planned on getting drunk, but I drank two and fell asleep, dreaming of my dogs and cats and husband. And next day the drive home was uneventful, thank goodness again. Anyhow, just thought I would share a disaster since I'm usually so high about these festivals. Tough to say why this one didn't work, right time according to the locals, right spot, high traffic and all, definitely right clientele, they just stayed home. One of those humbling experiences that serves well to strengthen the spirit and hone the resolve. Was it Eisenhower that said: "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger?" No matter, we turn the page and move on because the next festival is only two weeks away, and HEY! I don't have to frame a darn thing! [;-)] Health to all, Maria PS Any Arizonians that would like to meet a printmaker without a butt, I will be in Scottsdale February 8-10 and in Tempe April 5-7. You can email me privately for the gory details. And please get the dam*&^%$!! sun to come out, huh? ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V18 #1693 *****************************