Today's postings

  1. [Baren 26303] Woodblock talk in Adelaide Australia (Jan Telfer)
  2. [Baren 26304] Woodblock Exhibition Perth - AB Webb (Jan Telfer)
  3. [Baren 26305] Speaking about woodblock (Barbara Mason)
  4. [Baren 26306] Re: Speaking about woodblock (FurryPressII # aol.com)
  5. [Baren 26307] question about glue (Wanda Robertson)
  6. [Baren 26308] RE: question about glue ("Maria Diener (aka Arango)")
  7. [Baren 26309] Re: Baren Exchange #22 (b.patera # att.net)
  8. [Baren 26310] Website update ("Harry French")
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Message 1
From: Jan Telfer
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 21:09:51 +0800
Subject: [Baren 26303] Woodblock talk in Adelaide Australia
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Japanese Woodblock talk and Demonstration....... 22nd October 2004

Julia Wakefield invited me to talk to a group of South Australian
artists including printmakers and artists and a couple of friends on my
way home to Perth after being in Sydney for my 40th School Reunion and
a day workshop with Lawrence Finn on Wood Engraving and a day with
Simon Cohen the Australian distributor of Gocco Supplies whose
Grandfather, Stan of 93 had a very impressive collection of woodblock
prints from the 1990s...... what a feast of experience!

The talk I gave was based on that I gave to the Gallery Guides at the
Perth Art Gallery for the Monet & Japan Exhibition a couple of years
ago, but a lot of it I spoke now from more experience and with much
more confidence!!! I think it went well as I was invited back to give
a full workshop at a later date.

I took with me my 5 Haiku (Exchange #21) blocks, two different brushes,
baren, Windsor and Newton tubes of paint instead of my powdered
pigments and cutting tools and prints from several exchanges I had
done. I would have liked to have taken several full exchange sets of
prints, but I was already overweight.... body and luggage!!

I had travelled across Australia and back with wood cutting and
engraving tools in my luggage with no hassles from airport security and
also a set of new Chinese calligraphy brushes from Sydney to Adelaide
in my hand luggage but Adelaide insisted they were a security risk from
Adelaide to Perth and had to put them in with the cargo!!

It was a wonderful experience for me and I enjoyed the questions
asked......

My thanks to Julia and her three busy children for their hospitality
and company. I had a lovely time in Adelaide thank you and hope to be
able to come back in the near future.

Jan
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Message 2
From: Jan Telfer
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 23:09:58 +0800
Subject: [Baren 26304] Woodblock Exhibition Perth - AB Webb
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AB Webb

There is a current exhibition at the Art Gallery of Western Australia
(Perth) on the woodblock prints of Archibald Bertram Webb (1887 Kent,
UK -1944) "Sunshine and Shadow" whose woodblock prints and watercolours
inspired many Australians after WW1. He worked mainly in landscapes
reaping much of his subject matter from our Swan River and the area
where I live. His works are very simplified probably due to his
graphic background, but they are representative of life around the
river foreshore and the trees of the WA bush.

Examples of his woodblocks in pine are on display with his carving
tools. Many of his woodblocks it is said were carved from Persimmon
timber.

I joined a guided tour of this exhibition...8 people....yesterday and
the guide was one of my older contemporaries from Art School who
brushed over all the technical questions and there were times when I
just had to "hold my tongue"..... to a printmaker the tour was of very
poor quality but the others in the group didn't seem to know any
different! I did quietly speak with the lady afterwards and she didn't
really recognise me and my admitting that I was a woodblock printer
seemed to float over her head!! She was not even aware of my previous
notes from the Monet & Japan Exhibition in the Guides' Library or that
there was a current book written by Janda Gooding from the Art Gallery
of Western Australia (ISBN 0 9750168 6 5) (about $20AUS) that is on
sale at the Art Gallery Book store along with some postcards of his
woodblocks!

I think I should say something to the Art Gallery about the quality of
the presentation, don't you?

However.... I did enjoy the exhibition and hopefully one day we will
have more woodblocks in the Art Gallery of WA.

Jan
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Message 3
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 08:26:16 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 26305] Speaking about woodblock
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Jan,
I wish I could have come to your talk. It seems a shame that we are half a world apart and sharing such enthusiasm for the same thing. Speaking is easier that one thinks if you are excited about the topic. I cannot imagine having to speak on something I was not interested in. I am doing a similar thing on printmaking in general for a local artist owned gallery here in Beaverton this Saturday. I will just take all my stuff and talk till they toss me out. When I started doing this I figured the worst that could happen was that someone would throw food...now how likely is that to happen???? So it gave me confidence and the more you do the easier it is. Take lots of pictures if you do the workshop, we love to see them.

You are such a good printmaker, Jan. I am always thrilled to see work so carefully done and thoughtfully designed. My own is a lot more seat of the pants...which is why I nearly lost my mind with the stupid reduction block...poor planning! Ha

A couple of years ago I did a talk on the history of woodblock...this was fairly hard to research as most of the "books" on the subject seem to have come from the same source and I kept reading the same information over and over again. It was frustrating to say the least. If anyone is interested in a quick history, you can read my attempt to compile information from about 20 similar sources here:
http://www.printartsnw.org/education/education_woodblock.php
I did read a wonderful book on stencils, called Carved Paper...I think I have mentioned it before. It was a great history of fabric, which is captured in the woodblock prints for posterity, and also the history of Japan. A really worthwhile book. As I remember it was not cheap, but maybe the library will have it for anyone who wants to see it. I think you can order books now from all over to come to your local outlet.

Dave, I hope you survivied the earthquake. I know they are common in Japan, but we still worry about you when we hear there was a bad one. The web cam seems ok so assume you are still in one piece.
Best to all,
Barbara
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Message 4
From: FurryPressII # aol.com
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 16:08:39 EDT
Subject: [Baren 26306] Re: Speaking about woodblock
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It would not be the first time that art docent at a mus. show got it wrong
or that the descriptions in a show are wrong. sort of fun to catch
errors esp if it is a important show or gallery.

john center
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Message 5
From: Wanda Robertson
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 15:54:03 -0700
Subject: [Baren 26307] question about glue
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Hi everyone!

I need to glue/paste a smaller print onto a larger sheet of paper. I
tried searching the archives & did get a few answers - but most are
about gluing to the wood block & gluing *of* the woodblock. I want to
glue a print on thin paper to a heavier sheet. I know there are at
least 2 people out there who do this. :-) Thanks for any help.

Wanda
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Message 6
From: "Maria Diener (aka Arango)"
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 16:28:54 -0700
Subject: [Baren 26308] RE: question about glue
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Oh man, do I own every adhesive in the world...

I am assuming your print will only be shown indoors :-)
There are several spray adhesives that are by far the best in order to get
no wrinkling and best spread of adhesive. Make sure you get an acid free,
archival type. Try Dan Smith, Dickiblicki or Jerry's for a mind boggling
variety.

Subject to rains and winds, your print will need a pva based (white) glue.
If you are very handy and have the right spreading tool (I bought an
adhesive spreading roller with a reservoir that works wonders) then the ol'
standby acid free stuff sold by Dan Smith is great; I buy it by the quart.
Dries quickly enough and it forms a tough bond.

If you want reversibility with plain water, as in, you are going to be
famous soon and fear the lawyers of the museum owners who will try to
unmount your print--then stick to plain old wheat or rice paste. The secret
is to mix well, spread very very very thin and let dry a little before
mounting to minimize wrinkling. Frankly, I can't work with the stuff. Methyl
cellulose can also be used as an adhesive for very thin papers, as can
acrylic medium. A roller with gentle touch helps spread the adhesive while
wet.
Be SURE to check the "soak-ability" of your paper first if you use a wet
adhesive or you might end up with your paper disappearing into the
background.
Also if you use this method, spread your adhesive, lay print between sheets
of wax paper or glassine and weigh heavily to avoid wrinkling of your print
and/or backing. Let dry overnight or, in Oregon, until spring.

There are others out there like YES paste, but getting a thin layer requires
practice. Or a dry mounting adhesive which comes in sheets. Also, since I
work with hand made lumpy papers, usually the dry mount stuff doesn't work
for me.

Did I help or hinder? Are you scared??? ;-)

Maria
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Message 7
From: b.patera # att.net
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2004 03:12:21 +0000
Subject: [Baren 26309] Re: Baren Exchange #22
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Hi Mary,

My prints went in the mail today... Parcel Post.... so they should be there by Monday at the latest. Label and money for return postage sent seperately as I forgot to put them in with the prints. Sent $10.00. Should be more than enough .... keep and use the rest to cover any shortfall as I have found that there usually is some.

Regards,
Barbara P.

Mary Kuster wrote: > The first set of prints for Exchange #22 have arrived in Lexington, KY ....they
> traveled all the way from Australia and belong to Jan Telfer. I have peeked at
> them and they are flawless.
>
> For the others.... there are now 36 days to Delivery Day, November 1, 2004.
>
> You will be sending your 31 prints to:
> Mary Kuster
> 630 Bellaire Ave
> Lexington, KY, USA 40508
>
> mkuster@ix.netcom.com
>
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Message 8
From: "Harry French"
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2004 12:57:22 +0100
Subject: [Baren 26310] Website update
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Greetings Bareners
Barbara...at least I wasn't bored to death with the epic edition print out. I am just so pleased that it's not only me that gets into bother with large editions.
After publicly whinging on the forum about all the problems of producing 31 prints for the "Surimono" exchange and my thoughts of moving to a smaller edition for swop shop I've gone and signed up for another ( Exchange #23 :Tribute to a most influential printmaker ). I'm a glutton for punishment. Still I learned my mistake with "Surimono" not to mix reduction cutting with single block cutting, so if prints fail I can at least cut another block.
To keep you all up to date with my latest prints I have uploaded new webpages. My grandiose ideas to work in the standard web designer Micromedia Dreamweaver has floundered due to a lack of technological brain cells so I have resorted back to Webexpress 2 for ease of my confused mind. The site is still utilitarian, but I have included a "What or Where is it " link as recommended by some folks.I hope they all work and you enjoy the prints
Harry
Lincoln
England
UK

updated : www.harryfrenchartworks.co.uk