Baren Digest Saturday, 9 February 2002 Volume 18 : Number 1712 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: GraphChem@aol.com Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 10:16:38 EST Subject: [Baren 16883] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1710 Sharri - While we haven't shipped to Kazakhstan, we have shipped to a number of places in Eastern Europe (Poland, Latvia etc.). We also have numerous dealers in Western Europe that might to appropriate for them to contact. Specifically, we have a couple of dealers in Helsinki that ship to the Balkans frequently, a dealer in Holland that ships throughout Europe on a regular basis, and others in England, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France, Spain and several others. Let me know how we can help you. Dean Clark Graphic Chemical & Ink Co ------------------------------ From: GraphChem@aol.com Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 10:23:50 EST Subject: [Baren 16884] Re: Movable type There is a letterpress group in Michigan that we get a newsletter from on a regular basis. The Printer is the newsletter, but I just can't bring up the guy's name, James something. I'll try to get the brain in gear today, and find something on him. I'll bet they'd be very interested in type. Dean Clark ------------------------------ From: Mike Lyon Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002 09:43:37 -0600 Subject: [Baren 16885] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1711 At 10:00 PM 2/8/2002 +0900, you wrote: >Since enrollment is still open I'll leave any in who jumped >the gun. That's you Mike. Yeah, Bea, you caught me! But I thought coordinators were due special consideration and were allowed to jump the gun a little bit? Mike Mike Lyon mailto:mikelyon@mlyon.com http://www.mlyon.com ------------------------------ From: "Bill H Ritchie Jr" Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 07:48:39 -0800 Subject: [Baren 16886] RE: Large Printing and stuff Dan wrote about messy printing. ". . . a horrible print job." Dan makes a good point. It doesn't ruffle my feathers, but I remember being boxed on the ears once by a New York art dealer who, upon receiving a print, sent it back with a flaming letter. She said whe wouldn't hve a print like that in her gallery because the edges were too narrow. It happend to have about a quarter or one-half inch margin. I don't remember why. But I learned a lesson--she was merely representing what her customers' tastes were, and it was no reflection on me (but I did take it that way because I was young and fearful of rejection, still). Not that I'm older and 'got more sense, but I've got more faith in myself. I dropped out of that gallery not long afterward. Then a critic wrote about "neatness" and "cleanliness" in printmaking in Artist's Proof magazine, I believe it was, or Print Collector's Newsletter. This writer commented that the prints of the "revolution in printmaking" that he though happened in the US in the 50's through the '70s were, many times, characterized by messiness. One print, for example, had a handprint on the back because the artist was printing their own, and the registration method sort of made that part of the process--and his hands happened to be dirty! A bumper sticker I saw yesterday said, "Well Behaved Women Never Make History." As for me, if I agree to meet a deadline, such as for an exchange on Baren or send to a show (or show up at my own art exhibit) I am exchanging some of my freedom to be part of a group's freedom. But I am doing less and less of that exchanging because reciprocity is not always given. In other words, if I go wash my hands before I touch my paper, or throw away a print because it is out of register but the viewer does not share in the time, energy and other resources I need to survive as an artist (both spriritually and physically), then I must withdraw. There must be a balance. A horrible print job does not art make, but sometimes what we think is art making makes horrible prints. Hey, that sounds like a quotable quote! I wonder who said that? Bill H. Ritchie, Jr 500 Aloha #105 Seattle WA 98109 (206) 285-0658 mailto:ritchie@seanet.com Web sites: Professional: www.seanet.com/~ritchie Virtual Gallery and E-Store: www.myartpatron.com First Game Portal: www.artsport.com ------------------------------ From: John and Jan Telfer Date: Sat, 9 Feb 02 00:11:27 -0000 Subject: [Baren 16887] Re: Lead Type Dear Roger, >From: Roger lee >Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 22:20:32 -0800 >Subject: [Baren 16880] Movable type > >Hello there I have acquired 23 drawers of movable lead type Gee Roger, lucky you. Don't give them all away, keep some alphabets, they do come in handy to use in your printing...when the image is right. I wish I lived closer to Washington - Florida. Any of the Hobby Stamp Shops may be interested. There is a magazine called Somerset Studio that has a lot of its readers who are interested in Faux Postage and Rubber stamps and it is worthwhile ringing them...Laguna Hills, CA ...Phone (949) 380-7318 or fax (may be better) (949) 380-9355 I use them for my Faux Postage as they are the perfect "postage stamp" size letters and numbers. Jan Western Australia ------------------------------ From: Daniel Dew Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002 11:10:23 -0500 Subject: [Baren 16888] Help me help myself I am looking for a reference book, website or other idea on shading in printing, single color. I have studied Escher's work with a magnifying glass and have learned much from his techniques, but there has got to be more, right? Not rainbow rolls, or multi-color, just plain old shading using "carvable" lines only. Daniel L. Dew http://www.dandew.com/ ddew@tampabay.rr.com ------------------------------ From: "Bea Gold" Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 09:57:40 -0800 Subject: [Baren 16889] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1711 charset="iso-8859-1" Mike please reapply now. Bea - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Lyon" To: Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 7:43 AM Subject: [Baren 16885] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1711 At 10:00 PM 2/8/2002 +0900, you wrote: >Since enrollment is still open I'll leave any in who jumped >the gun. That's you Mike. Yeah, Bea, you caught me! But I thought coordinators were due special consideration and were allowed to jump the gun a little bit? Mike Mike Lyon mailto:mikelyon@mlyon.com http://www.mlyon.com ------------------------------ From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 12:01:03 -0600 Subject: [Baren 16890] Re: Help me help myself 02/08/2002 12:01:05 PM Dan writes: "...Not rainbow rolls, or multi-color, just plain old shading using "carvable" lines only." Dan, I think John Center (FurryPress) can help you...I think this is his cup of tea, line engraving, shading, cross hatching, etc...saw some wonderful prints in his hand-made books that use lot of these technique...and all in oil !....me thinks... John...you there ? Back from your trip out East ? Julio ------------------------------ From: Wanda Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002 10:52:33 -0800 Subject: [Baren 16891] MINIARE This message from Claude Aimee Villeneuve: Second Edition of MINIARE -The Montreal International Miniature Print Biennial The Conseil quebecois de lÕestampe (Quebec Printmakers Council) is launching its second international Miniature biennial. It is open to all professional printmakers from all countries. All printmaking techniques including monotypes and digital prints are accepted. The maximum paper size is 18 x 18 cm and image size may be the same or smaller that the paper size. Deadline for submitting work: May 1st 2002. The exhibit will take place in Montreal from October 11 to November 17, 2002. A jury will award three cash prizes. A full colour catalogue will be published and all selected artists will receive a copy . For this second edition, the Conseil has decided to showcase Australian Printmaking. Anthea Boesenberg is coordinating this Australian contribution and would welcome all Australian contributions. Please contact her on boes@ar.com and she will forward details and entry forms. All other printmakers can get an entry form and rules and regulation on the ConseilÕs new website at www.cqe.qc.ca. If you have any questions, you can email the Conseil at cqe@cam.org or contact me offlist. Welcome to all and good luck! Claude AimŽe Villeneuve, President, Quebec Printmakers Council. ------------------------------ From: Louise Cass Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002 14:29:30 -0500 Subject: [Baren 16892] re BarenDigest V18 #1711 Hello - I think I've also put my foot in my mouth by sending off a hasty e mail - it's all too easy to do! It looks as if I'm suggesting that gainfully employed commercial artists are not as 'free and happy' as their opposite no. Of course not! but it does bring up the hot question of public support of the arts and I have more to add re artists' support for the Memorial Portfolio. Our big problem today is an overabundance of artists (WORLDWIDE - just look at the intenet)and the fact that some receive public (or Govt. support) which has taken the place of private sponsorship - at its apogee in the Renaissance (when it was probably more difficult to pursue a career in art - - we don't know if amateurs had the time - there are no records) Prior to that the church paid for art work (and even today, if you trained as an icon painter, many artists are employed in Greece to decorate the churches). If we go back to the era of cave painting, unfortunately we don't know if they painted in their spare time or were rewarded by the hunters for doing it!? In between these eras, pots and palaces were decorated and we can assume this was a full time occupation and must have been privately paid for. Things are certainly different now and there are not just not enough 'rewards' to go around. These comments can only apply to Western art- I don't know what went on in the East. I know - you're all perfectly aware of all this but we do need to remind ouselves from time to time - and Carol Pulin is perfectly right in referring to 'whining' artists - I'm sure we all do it sometimes. As to support for the memorial portfolio - it gives rise to other questions - - why haven't other countries rallied their artists to commemorate loss of lives - e.g. civil wars, disease, earthquake and volcanic horrors - of course the latter are forces of nature and I guess thinking about this has made me, for one, (a Canadian - it didn't happen to us but it could) realize more than ever that this was an indefensible act deliberately committed by human beings (even if some of them gave their lives) against totally innocent other beings -their offense being that they stood for 'America' as I guess the U.S. navy did at Pearl Harbour. I really think we should keep pushing for the numbers of prints hoped for by Carol - it might start a precedent - isn't it, after all the numbers which contibuted so to the horror of Sept 11? Apologies for rambling on - it's so easy to type away on the computer (puts off the problematic act of painting, etc!) but I do appreciate the opportunity to dialogue with people from many places whom I may never meet. And if you've read this far - SHARRIi, you might try getting in touch with the Bulgarian ar_alnaim@yahoo.com - (I think it's) she- sent out a questionnaire re intaglio printmaking three years ago for a PHd thesis - some of you people must have received it - - anyway I see that (she's?) representing Bulgarian artists on Maria Arango's site - As well, I'd had an e mail from an artist in Sebastapol who may have info' re Eastern Europe's artists. tansyra@stel.sebastopol.ug - there's also a direct link to Kazakhstan at www.gallery.kz In my spare time (hah!) I enjoy exploring the art world- on internet explorer of course! Louise Cass ------------------------------ From: Wanda Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002 11:04:42 -0800 Subject: [Baren 16893] Re: Help me help myself Well, take this for what it's worth, but I get a lot of shading ideas by studying the engraver's work at the turn of the century. Yes, I know that they had special tools that would make a whole rake of lines, dots etc. But, those techniques, when applied to wood or linoleum cutting can make a wide range of depth & shades with only one color. Let us know what you find, Dan, I think it is an interesting quest! Wanda ------------------------------ From: barebonesart Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002 11:14:20 -0800 Subject: [Baren 16894] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1711 Dan, Sometimes the registration is meant to be a bit "off" as in the case of my most recent print for the #12. It is intended to give the feeling of a watercolor and the registration is pretty loose. So, I think you need to look at the image as a whole and many times the loose registration adds, not detracts from it. As for messy borders, finger prints, under or over inking - - shame, shame - that is another subject entirely! I learned early on, from a very respected older printmaker, to blot after printing, with a paper towel. This removes the excess ink,and prevents that shiny look that comes from too much oil base ink. Most of the time it is not a problem, but if you suspect it might be: blot. It works :>) Another little trick I picked up in Amsterdam from a street printer, is to sprinkle a little baby powder on your hands before picking up the paper - this virtually eliminates finger prints on the borders. Sharri ------------------------------ From: Daniel Dew Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002 15:03:59 -0500 Subject: [Baren 16895] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1711 Thanks for the reply and explanation. See, when I "off register" on purpose, I either write that on the reverse in light pencil or somehow note it, that way folks will know it was intentional. I was not in #12, missed out on the wait list by only one (drat!), but was speaking overall. I seem to remember that Gaugin (sp?) used that explanation for his woodblock prints, but some of the art critics didn't buy the explanation back then and merely complained that his "technique" was bad. I read that in some art history book somewhere? Oh well, let's keep up the good work! Strive on my thin lined reverse image carving out the negative internet friends. CUT! PRINT! dan dew > From: barebonesart > Subject: [Baren 16894] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1711 > > > > Dan, > Sometimes the registration is meant to be a bit "off" as in the case of my > most recent print for the #12. > Sharri > ------------------------------ From: "April Vollmer" Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 23:36:36 -0500 Subject: [Baren 16896] Small Victories http://www.aprilvollmer.com/digitech.html Hey, I'm famous, at least in small circles...my article on the digital show I had last summer finally came out.. see the link above. I've been using the computer a lot, to make images, and also to plan woodcuts. I think it is so funny to combine such distant technologies! Also my review of Rebecca Salter's Japanese Woodblock Printing (2002)is in the same issue of Printmaking Today. It's a great book, with much useful advice for hanga printers. If Alex Prentice at McClain's is out of stock, you can purchase it from: http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/cgi/dbi.cgi?FILE=&CGI=desc.pl&KEYW0=0-8248-255 3-5 What else good.. I made my first web page...or maybe my second..photos from my recent storming of Boston. I had a fabulous time teaching Japanese woodcut at Mix-It Studio, got to visit some galleries, see some friends, and have a generally fabulous time. http://www.aprilvollmer.com/mixit/FrameSet.htm Oh, and the woodcut show in Newfoundland http://www.swgc.mun.ca/artgallery/exhibitions.html LOTS of stuff! Now if I could figure out how to make money out of all this activity, I'd be in business! Having a good time anyway, April www.aprilvollmer.com ------------------------------ From: "Jean Eger Womack" Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 21:55:08 -0800 Subject: [Baren 16897] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1710 Hi Louise, Have you ever seen Jim Buck's prints? I have to wonder, would Jim Buck stop everything to make 1. a print about music, 2. a print about dreaming, 3. a print about the WTC tragedy? How would he incorporate all those diverse topics into his own personal theme? Well, if there's a show and you submit a print to it, then you can send in anything you like and if the judges think it fits in with the show's theme, they can accept it. This, on the other hand, is a print exchange. One or two people will do that--send in whatever they are working on at the moment, even if there' s no discernible relationship to the theme. So I guess responding to a theme is not really commercial art, or art on demand/art for hire. Barbara, I have to admit I didn't do the best job I could have in printing the horse prints. I should have used Dan Smith's relief ink instead of the litho ink I used, which blobbed up on the plate. I put it on too thick. I look at Ruth Leaf's print and remind myself that is how one is supposed to print a woodcut. Jean ------------------------------ From: FurryPressII@aol.com Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 07:23:23 EST Subject: [Baren 16898] Re: Help me help myself look at all of the old wood engraving tech. some can be transferred to wood cuts if you use a small enough v gouge or some of the wood engraving tool will work with the grain etc. hard to say how in words look and study what was done before. You can also study the formschnider wood cuts of Durer's time althought most were black line. John center ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V18 #1712 *****************************