Today's postings

  1. [Baren 30898] Re: Congratulations to Marissa ... (Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com)
  2. [Baren 30899] Re: Congratulations to Marissa ... ("Marissa ")
  3. [Baren 30900] Back to woodblock (Nels Johnson)
  4. [Baren 30901] Re: Back to woodblock (Diane Cutter)
  5. [Baren 30902] Re: Back to woodblock (Dave Bull)
  6. [Baren 30903] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification (Blog Manager)
  7. [Baren 30904] rice paste ("Jean Womack")
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Message 1
From: Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 12:12:58 -0500
Subject: [Baren 30898] Re: Congratulations to Marissa ...
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Congratulations to Marissa Lee for her selection on etsy.com as a featured
seller.....WOW !!!!
You can read the whole interview and see all her stuff for sale at:

http://www.etsy.com/featured_seller.php?id=23

or the home page: http://www.etsy.com/

thanks...Julio
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Message 2
From: "Marissa "
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 17:16:34 -0400
Subject: [Baren 30899] Re: Congratulations to Marissa ...
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Thank you for the mention Julio. Being featured on such a wonderful site
that grows daily has been a wonderful experience so far. Sales have been
better than ever and it is just so good to know that I am getting my work
out there to people. But I am swamped and tired! :P

--
~marissa lee

www.mleefineart.com
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Message 3
From: Nels Johnson
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 18:07:15 -0500
Subject: [Baren 30900] Back to woodblock
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Greetings to Bareners,

The summer brings me back to woodblock printmaking now that the
school semester is over. I returned to some plates started in the
summer of '05, but which I was unable to finish. I finished the
carving, and have pulled the first proofing of them. The image can
be seen at:

http://printgeek.blogspot.com/2006/05/now-that-semester-of-intaglio-
at-uw-la.html

There are some minor carving corrections necessary, but I am more
concerned about how the inks printed, mainly the blacks. It has a
blotch appearance. Perhaps I used too much paste (methyl
cellulose)? I also noticed around the edges of the dark grays there
is a darker outline as if extra ink held onto the edges of the cuts.

I would appreciate any input you have on how to improve this image.

Nels
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Message 4
From: Diane Cutter
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 16:24:26 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 30901] Re: Back to woodblock
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Thanks for sharing! Very nice, Nels...

... but the url didn't work. I found your newest entry here: http://www.printgeek.blogspot.com/ Evidently all that extra stuff at the end wasn't necessary. (computers... can't live with 'em and can't live without 'em...)

Diane

www.dianecutter.com
www.theitinerantartist.blogspot.com
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Message 5
From: Dave Bull
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 10:56:58 +0900
Subject: [Baren 30902] Re: Back to woodblock
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Nels wrote:
> I also noticed around the edges of the dark grays there is a darker
> outline as if extra ink held onto the edges of the cuts.

Over here that's called 'tamari', and is usually indicative of too much
'stuff' on the surface of the wood. You might try making a few very
gentle light strokes across the surface of the block as the last step
in the brushing process, with the brush held at an angle so just one
edge of it sweeps across the wood; this also helps to reduce it
somewhat.

Dave
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Message 6
From: Blog Manager
Date: 18 May 2006 03:55:05 -0000
Subject: [Baren 30903] 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. (20 sites checked, five minutes before midnight Eastern time)

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

Site Name: m.Lee Fine Art

Author: m.Lee
Item: Keeping Busy
http://mleeprints.blogspot.com/2006/05/keeping-busy.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

For reference, sites/blogs currently being checked are:
http://barenforum.org/blog
http://woodblock.com
http://woodblockdreams.blogspot.com
http://studiodiary.blogspot.com
http://larimerart.blogspot.com
http://artflights.blogspot.com
http://perfect-press.blogspot.com
http://printmakersmaterials.blogspot.com
http://mlyon.com/blog
http://room535.blogspot.com
http://mleeprints.blogspot.com
http://snowgum.blogspot.com
http://onthisblock.blogspot.com
http://pressing-issues.blogspot.com
http://www.1000woodcuts.com
http://theitinerantartist.blogspot.com
http://PLawing-Printmaker.blogspot.com
http://readdevine.blogspot.com
http://mokuhankan.com/conversations
http://mokuhankan.com
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Message 7
From: "Jean Womack"
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 00:47:34 -0700
Subject: [Baren 30904] rice paste
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[Baren] Daily DigestArtSpot,

I did a lot of research on making my own rice paste and my own paper sizing some years ago when I began my exploration of non-toxic printmaking. Of course I already knew how to make gravy, so it was just a matter of figuring out how to make rice paste that would work with the dry pigments I had already mixed with water or alcohol. Then I saw April Volmer print a couple of prints with a baren in a class she gave at Kala, and I realized that I was completely outclassed as far as printing went. We certainly are in great company here on Baren.

You asked where I get my rice flour. I buy rice flour in Asian markets, where it is abundantly available. Fortunately there are Asian markets in our area, but others on the list could probably order that item from the internet if they can't find it or order it from a supermarket. However, I really should mention that McClain's rice paste in tubes is quite superior to homemade rice paste and lasts for a long time in the tube. But if one wanted to make a lot of rice paste, for a large class, for example, one could make a batch of homemade rice paste with very little problem.

Lately I have been using Createx pure pigments mixed with the Createx extender which is similar in consistency to McClain's rice paste. This produces amazingly bright intense colors for a water-based medium. It doesn't give the feel of the old Japanese masters, but it enables a person to produce colors that have the intensity of oil-based inks. I have also had good luck with Akua inks, though I got some on sale that are so fluid that they are pretty much unusable for my purposes. I wonder if there is some additive I can put into them to make them stiffer? In art supplies the best materials tend to cost more, but I always remember a great artist, Jack Richard, former director of the Richmond Art Center where I live, who told me that I should never let lack of materials stop me from making art. Almost any piece of wood can be turned into a print, including the backs of old chairs, etc. Thanks to my wonderful husband, I have almost enough art supplies to last through my retirement, whenever I decide to retire, so I don't have to worry about not having enough money to buy a tube of paint or a canvas to paint on.

Not liking to complain, but the anxiety of not having a job is spoiling my enjoyment of the free time available to do printmaking. However, I have been enjoying photography in the local dog park and translating those photos to small studies of dogs, along with studies of my dog Westie. No, I am not competing with Sara Hauser. She has her own wonderful style. I do my own work, in my own style, for my own enjoyment and hopefully, for the enjoyment of others as well.

I am glad you are moving the CSP along so well to the next Annual Show and I plan to do something very good for it.

Jean Womack