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Message 1
From: Mary Brooks-Mueller
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 20:41:32 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 29490] Re: How did you discover woodblock printing?
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Marissa,
I fell into woodblock printing during art school. I
was a painting major then & one day my advisor came to
my studio and told me that I was being "excused" from
the department because I could not paint and that I
should go see the maestro in printmaking. He was
considered a tyrannt by the painting department. He
took one look at my scraps of monoprinting (I thought
I was painting on glass), laughed out loud and handed
me an old worn baren, told me NOBODY in the painting
department could paint and I should do what came
naturally. the rest is history.
Mary Ann
MX

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Message 2
From: DADI # aol.com
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 23:43:40 EST
Subject: [Baren 29491] Re: Baren Digest (old) V33 #3291
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>I am interested in hearing the stories of how others discovered this special art form.

I am a retired surgeon and have been attending art classes at the University
of Northern Iowa for the last 6 years. Of all the fields in art I found
printmaking and ceramics to be the most satisfying. I decided on printmaking -
with relief the most enjoyable - and my BFA show opened Thursday.

Dale Phelps, Waterloo, IA

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Message 3
From: Blog Manager
Date: 11 Dec 2005 04:55:06 -0000
Subject: [Baren 29492] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification
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This is an automatic update message being sent to [Baren] by the forum blog software.

The following new entries were found on the listed printmaker's websites during the past 24 hours. (11 sites checked, just before midnight Eastern time)

*****************

Site Name: BarenForum Group Weblog

Author: Julio
Item: April Vollmer - New Woodcuts at Crossroads Cafe
http://barenforum.org/blog/archives/2005/12/april_vollmer_n.html

*****************

Site Name: David Bull, Woodblock Printmaker

Item: Hanga Treasure Chest - 23rd print uploaded
http://woodblock.com/box/prints/print_23.html

*****************

Site Name: Woodblock Dreams

Author: Annie B
Item: Using a Stencil
http://woodblockdreams.blogspot.com/2005/12/using-stencil.html

*****************

[Baren] members: if you have a printmaking blog (or a website with a published ATOM feed), and wish it to be included in this daily checklist, please write to the Baren Blog Manager at:
http://barenforum.org/contact_baren.php

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Message 4
From: Wanda Robertson
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 23:14:05 -0800
Subject: [Baren 29493] Re: Sticking of paper to block.
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Yup, Hosho Professional (from an art store, I presume) does not have
enough (or perhaps *any*) sizing in it! Therefore fibers come loose
from the surface & stick to the block. I know, I've done the same
thing! Using less liquid on the block will help tremendously, and
having less dampness in the paper will help too. Don't think of it as
having an embarrassing number of problems, Lynn, think of it as a crash
course in printing! You *can* stop midway - or at any time if
necessary. Putting your prints in the fridge or even in the freezer
will hold everything in suspension until you can start up again.

Just try to remain calm & observant of your process & the results &
you will be amazed at how it will start to come together. And if it
doesn't - bareners are all here by their computer to help!

Wanda

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Message 5
From: "Harry French"
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2005 08:07:58 -0000
Subject: [Baren 29494] Ref : How did you discover woodblock printing?
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Bareners.
For what it is worth my particular introduction to woodblock printmaking.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/h.french1/RECENTDRAFT.htm
Up until 2003 my prints were totally oil based until I read a book ' Japanese Woodblock Printing' by Rebecca Salter.
On the final pages she mentioned a website called Barenforum....and that's another story.
Harry
Merrie England
UK

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Message 6
From: AGott26909 # aol.com
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2005 03:48:54 EST
Subject: [Baren 29495] Re: Thoughts on 'Speed drying' waterbased inks...
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Thanks for the replies/input...

The paper changing size (e.g. shrinking) was an issue that I thought of, but
in my experiments it turned out to be OK, as I am using heavier 'western'
printmaking papers, and generally print on dry paper as well.

I'll have to try 'blotting' the prints, as well as experiment with the
driers... Might really help things along!!

As far as switching to Moku-Hanga, That is a possibility. I have been
reading up on it, and might be brave enough to give it a try! While I am unable to
do any kind of printing on board the ship that I work on (really due to lack
of space!), I can (and do) bring blocks out with me, so I could in theory
carve all my woodblocks out here, then print them up when I get home.... I might
have to give that a shot!

I'll just have to 'relearn' myself- I haven't strayed from the western
relief methods at all, but I do LOVE the look of Moku-hanga, especially the way
that Mike Lyon uses it... Perhaps that is the way to go.

-Andrew
_http://www.agott.com_ (http://www.agott.com)

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Message 7
From: Jan Telfer
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2005 20:04:08 +0800
Subject: [Baren 29496] Re: Kento and others
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Dear Lynn,

you wrote:

> Mistake #1 is that I didn't
>reverse the location of the registration mark so it's
>on the left instead of the right.

This isn't a mistake Lynn..... any side is OK it just depends on the
individual printmaker and their preference in holding the paper up with
one hand and thumb on the corner kento with the other...... Believe me
you work with the way it suits you.

I always put my registration marks on the sides that suit my design!
- - Always putting the side registration on the long edge as that will
make it easier for supporting the paper.
- - the corner registration I put in the position top or bottom, left or
right on the same side as the long edge though......... if I want more
printing paper on the bottom of the image then the corner kento will be
on the top corner of the design and the paper could then be feet
long..... it will also effect the use of colour for your design..... if
the more colour is on the top of the image or on one side more than the
other then you can put the corner registration on that side for all the
blocks for the image and then you can use smaller blocks that cover the
registration and the colour areas.

Believe me in an isolated country and difficulty getting supplies, I am
learning the tricks of the trade in being "Mrs Scrooge"!!!

> I've visited Graham's website often and bought
>his dvd which was wonderful.

It is and well worth it. He did a good job didn't he? i have been to
Bootcamp a couple of times and like you learning with someone beats
learning from a book or video, but these are good refreshers.

I built a version of his
woodcarving desk thingie out of a wooden slanted
desktop thing from a garage sale and I'm looking
forward to using it.

I made mine up by altering a wooden book rest that had a deck chair
backing brace adjustment that works perfectly. My husband John drilled
lines of holes in it two inches apart up and down and across to hold
the dowel pegs and between the lines of holes I stuck some non slip
rubber matting to hold the block and often I don't need the dowelling
as the non slip matting holds the block. You may need to put a lip
from the lower edge of the sloping board down to hold the board on the
front of the table you are working on.

> I'm afraid of getting confused about which
>parts to cut out on each color block. Maybe I should
>use a highlighter on the parts I shouldn't cut away?

Suggestion here..... don't colour in your block, as you could
advertently put slight indentations in it from the pen. Put your
original drawn image on the photocopy and print it on to a clear
acetate sheet/or overhead projector sheet (Caution here...make sure you
use the correct acetate sheets as I have seen some melt in the
photocopier and it costs $$$$$ to get the copier fixed!!)
Once copied you can then flip over the clear copy and print copies from
it so that the image on your block will be the same as the new printed
sheets.... not the reverse image.

Now, print the same number of copies you are using for colours. eg. 5
copies 5 colours. Now colour in one sheet with one colour (eg red) ,
the second with only blue, the third with only yellow..... etc. It
makes it very easy to know exactly where you need to cut and takes out
all the guess work as to where you need to cut.

> Takuji talked about getting pigment powders but I didn't understand
>exactly how I would mix them up. Something about gum
>arabic. I do have some powdered pigments.

To mix powdered pigments, some mix directly with water and don't
separate, but I have found that if I put a half teaspoon full (not
exact science.... you may need more or less depending on the area you
need to cover but a little goes a long way) in a jar with a screw top
(for later) and squirt in a squirt of ISOCOL or rubbing alcohol or
antiseptic lotion it is (from the chemist/pharmacy/ store!) and mix it
...... to a cream..... then add water you shouldn't have any problems.
Test the colour on a piece of your printing paper and let it dry
before adding too much water to check the strength of colour.

I hope these suggestions help. There are many different ways of doing
hanga and I am sure I am not a purist, just know what works for me!!!

good luck Lynn.

Jan
Perth, Western Australia.

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Message 8
From: Jan Telfer
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2005 21:07:59 +0800
Subject: [Baren 29497] Margaret Preston Exhibition - Melbourne Aust
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I have just returned from my Art Therapy Conference in Hobart,
Tasmania........... part of Australia they think!! On our way home we
had four days in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (that is) to see the

Margaret Preston Exhibition
Held at the Ian Potter Centre, Federation Square, Melbourne
12 November 2005 - 29 January 2006
www.ngv.vic.gov.au

200 of her oil paintings, monoprints and including several dozen of her
oil based linear prints from wood or masonite all hand coloured were on
exhibition. Margaret Preston worked in the early part of the 20th
Century and her cutting and printing was then innovative although now
on Baren standards it is rather "primative" but I presume that this was
a new concept and her wood was probably pine and tools not made for
cutting woodblock prints but more likely used for making fence posts
and wooden carriages still pulled by horses or bullocks in Australia at
that time.

Her sense of linear design was of flowers and plants of Australia and
very evenly distributed. Her lines rather on the heavy side but very
expressive. These prints were about 12" - 18" in size.

There have been Public Talks and Lectures through out the time of the
Exhibition including a workshop on the Introduction to Linocuts with
tutor Jo Wilson which was on before my visit.

Well worth the visit.

Jan

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