Baren Digest Friday, 28 February 2003 Volume 22 : Number 2144 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Bea Gold" Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 08:02:41 -0800 Subject: [Baren 20867] Re: "Wood and Water" Lynita, it sounds wonderful. My best to Matt. Bea > > For anyone in the Boston area, a reminder that this Saturday is the > Opening for "Wood and Water" at Wenniger Gallery in Rockport, MA. > (Email me for directions.) On Tuesday, Matt Brown, Paulette Nejko, > Sandy Wadlington and I met in the well-stuffed (barely walking > room), two floor, ocean front gallery to hang the goodies. The work >of > those three printmakers is simply scrumptious! If we can find floor > space, Matt and I plan to take turns demonstrating printing on >Saturday > (1-5); Paulette will be carving. I'm hoping my Exchange 15 prints > arrive in time to take them along to share. Would love to see you >there! > > Lynita ------------------------------ From: "Maria Diener (aka Arango)" Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 08:22:04 -0800 Subject: [Baren 20868] ooops! Went to order a case for Exch 16...after seeing Mike Lyon's print, decided to make it another moku-hanga experiment... decided to acquire some yummy real pigments...with tax return in bank, felt unusually rich...ordered stuff that doesn't fit on one page on my printed receipt!...dunno what I ordered but it better be a big package! Thanks Baren Mall, Barbara Mason and the "behind the scenes" crew: Dave the Instigator, Sadako the Lovely Translator, and of course, Matsumura-san. Maria, not converted but definitely intrigued by this lovely watery stuff <||><||><||><||><||><||> Maria Arango Las Vegas Nevada USA www.1000woodcuts.com <||><||><||><||><||><||> ------------------------------ From: "Maria Diener (aka Arango)" Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 09:15:22 -0800 Subject: [Baren 20869] need help with hanga quiz In all the excitement of my shopping spree, I forgot to ask some hanga questions: - -When reading about this stuff, I read over and over "don't worry about stacking the prints, they won't offset onto each other because the pigment is IN the paper." Well, mine did offset so I can only assume I did something wrong. Q: Offsetting problems are usually due to: a)Too much paste? b)Too much pigment? c)Too much water? d)Wrong moon phase? (always have to have a "filler" answer in multiple choice tests). - -Once my brush was "loaded" properly, I could sometimes skip adding more pigment and paste and just re-distribute the stuff already on the block. It just "looked like" additional stuff was not necessary. Q: This is usually: a)The normal process of hanga, i.e., it's okay to skip loading! b)A sign of an overloaded brush. c)Clear indication of a need for a lunch break. - -In examining my block when printing, seemed like the best prints turned out when I could "see" a thin layer of pigment/paste on the relief parts of the block. It looked like...rice paste/pigment mix (of all things!), much like the thin layer of oil based ink when printing a delicate engraving; an even shiny layer sort of barely there but only when viewed at an angle. Q: Should there be a visible thin layer of goop? a)Yes, but very thin. b)No, I'm putting too much goop, there should be no visible "layer" other than the coloring on the block. c)HA HA HA HA!!! rooookieeeeee.... That's all I can think of for now. Any help will be greatly appreciated by the participants in Exchange #16 :-) Maria <||><||><||><||><||><||> Maria Arango Las Vegas Nevada USA www.1000woodcuts.com <||><||><||><||><||><||> ------------------------------ From: Barbara Mason Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 19:50:42 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Baren 20870] Re: need help with hanga quiz Maria, OK, Here goes my two cents If they off set, spread them out and lay a sheet of plastic over them to keep them damp. I had this problem with the black only. Seems if you wait a day or two or dry and redampen the paper this takes care of the problem. You have an unusual problem of being in the deset, I would get a humidifier for the room you are printing in....if you are picking up enough paste and pigment from the block to not need any, you put on too much last time. It is a delicate balance and less is better as long as it prints. You can even try printing one end of the block and then the other end. I had this problem the first few prints I did and it was too much water and too much paste and too much pigment...but with no humidity in the air you will have a problem keeping the block damp enough without overloading it. The block should look damp, you should be able to see it, but it should not be really wet. I think all your problems will be solved with more humidity and less pigment and paste and water. Print as dry as you can and still get a print. You might have to keep your paper a little damper than usual....possibly someone else will have an idea. Go for it Maria!!!!! Best to all, Barbara > "Maria Diener (aka Arango)" wrote:In all the excitement of my shopping spree, I forgot to ask some hanga >questions: > >- -When reading about this stuff, I read over and over "don't worry about >stacking the prints, they won't offset onto each other because the pigment >is IN the paper." Well, mine did offset so I can only assume I did something >wrong. >Q: Offsetting problems are usually due to: a)Too much paste? b)Too much >pigment? c)Too much water? d)Wrong moon phase? (always have to have a >"filler" answer in multiple choice tests). > >- -Once my brush was "loaded" properly, I could sometimes skip adding more >pigment and paste and just re-distribute the stuff already on the block. It >just "looked like" additional stuff was not necessary. >Q: This is usually: a)The normal process of hanga, i.e., it's okay to skip >loading! b)A sign of an overloaded brush. c)Clear indication of a need for a >lunch break. > >- -In examining my block when printing, seemed like the best prints turned out >when I could "see" a thin layer of pigment/paste on the relief parts of the >block. It looked like...rice paste/pigment mix (of all things!), much like >the thin layer of oil based ink when printing a delicate engraving; an even >shiny layer sort of barely there but only when viewed at an angle. >Q: Should there be a visible thin layer of goop? a)Yes, but very thin. b)No, >I'm putting too much goop, there should be no visible "layer" other than the >coloring on the block. c)HA HA HA HA!!! rooookieeeeee.... > >That's all I can think of for now. Any help will be greatly appreciated by >the participants in Exchange #16 :-) >Maria > ><||><||><||><||><||><||> >Maria Arango >Las Vegas Nevada USA >www.1000woodcuts.com ><||><||><||><||><||><||> ------------------------------ From: "Carol Myers" Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 22:37:58 -0500 Subject: [Baren 20871] Exchange #15 arrived I was sitting at my computer yesterday when the mailman drove up into my driveway. I ran so fast I managed to get out there and through the snow before he even had a change to get out of his truck!! It is wonderful! It was so well packaged that I really had to struggle to get to it, but it was well worth it. I have been enjoying it over and over. I shared it today with my art student son, so now he is also inspired. Thanks to Kat for a wonderful package and job as coordinator. (think I'll wait a few exchanges before I volunteer for that task!!!) I learned a great deal about hanga, I think I'm hooked. Thanks for everyone's expertise and encouragement.Yippee, think I'll look through them again! Carol Myers in snowy Indy ------------------------------ From: FurryPressII#aol.com Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 23:42:33 EST Subject: [Baren 20872] HANGA ARIVED TODAY I ENJOYED THEM AS WELL AND WAS FUN PRINTING THEM STILL AN OILY SORT OF GUY BUT WILL USE HANGA IN SOME OF MY PRINTS SOON JOHN CENTER ------------------------------ From: slinders#attbi.com Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 23:12:09 -0600 Subject: [Baren 20873] Madison, Wisconsin's Elvehjem Museum There are some wonderful print exhibits now and upcoming at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Warren Colescott's intaglio print is featured on the opening page of the current exhibit. Upcoming "Kabuki: The Drama of Japanese Prints", from April 19 to June 22, 2003 (with some excellent events related to Japanese Prints and the exhibit.) I believe that we have a Baren member who is closely involved with the wonderful collection of Japanese Woodblock Prints at the Museum. "Jim Dine Prints: 1985-2000" From July 12 to September 28, 2003. Sharen ------------------------------ From: "kate courchaine" Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 06:41:26 +0000 Subject: [Baren 20874] exchange 15 Exchange #15 arrived in the mail today, and WOW what a exciting bunch of prints! Kat did a great job and the colophon is beautiful! It was wonderful to get the needed nudge to try hanga too. Thank you John and Charles for your roller cleaning ideas. Best, Kate C ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 16:34:12 +0900 Subject: [Baren 20875] Re: need help with hanga quiz Maria wrote: > ... they won't offset onto each other because the pigment > is IN the paper." Well, mine did offset so I can only assume I did > something > wrong. First guess is that you might have had just too much 'stuff' on the blocks. If you saw a sort of 'ring' of paste/pigment mix around the edge of the printed colour areas ('tamari' in Japanese) then you can be pretty sure that this might smear or offset when they are stacked together. To speak in general terms, a brush loading scenario might go something like this: In the beginning the brush is 'empty', so the first few applications of paste and pigment can be quite 'substantial', to try and get things loaded up. The first few impressions may look fairly weak, so the tendency is to dump the stuff on, to try and get some saturation. But once the proper level has been reached, absolutely you have to start cutting back on the amount you dump on the block each time, as it will quickly build up out of control. Depending on the design, not all the pigment gets transferred to the paper; plenty will be left on the block in the non-printing areas around the cut design. This pigment gets picked up by the brush as it wipes the next impression. The brush too also holds a lot. It is quite common - once things are running along smoothly - not to have to put paste/pigment on the block for every impression. Watch each impression as it comes off the block, and adjust the amount of stuff you put on for the next one. If you do get the tamari build-up around the edges of the colour zones, it's pretty much a clear sign of too much ... Another thing that can be done is to give a series of light delicate 'swipes' at those built-up areas of the block after you do the general swirling with the brush, before you lay the paper in place. This is common if there are delicate lines 'mixed in' with wide areas - gently touch just the tip of the brush to those areas ... 'sweep' 'sweep' ... to pull away the excess pigment. > -In examining my block when printing, seemed like the best prints > turned out > when I could "see" a thin layer of pigment/paste on the relief parts of > the > block. It looked like...rice paste/pigment mix (of all things!), much > like > the thin layer of oil based ink when printing a delicate engraving; an > even > shiny layer sort of barely there but only when viewed at an angle. This is quite acceptable ... but the resulting impression will be fairly 'light' (this is an excellent way to get the woodgrain to show). If you want deep saturated colour, you can do it this way twice, or you can lay more down on the block to start with, and really burn it in with the baren. ** Looking forward to seeing those #15 prints when they get up on the website! Dave ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V22 #2144 *****************************