Today's postings

  1. [Baren 32113] Re: Baren Digest (old) V37 #3669 ("Marilynn Smith")
  2. [Baren 32114] Re: Baren Digest (old) V37 #3669 ("Mike Lyon")
  3. [Baren 32115] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V37 #3669 (Oct 25, 2006) (Lynn Starun)
  4. [Baren 32116] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V37 #3669 (Oct 25, 2006) ("Mike Lyon")
  5. [Baren 32117] Re: Paper sticking to block ... (Dave Bull)
  6. [Baren 32118] Carol Lyons Survivor Lady II ("Maria Arango")
  7. [Baren 32119] Re: Carol Lyons Survivor Lady II ("Marissa ")
  8. [Baren 32120] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification (Blog Manager)
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Message 1
From: "Marilynn Smith"
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 09:21:08 -0700
Subject: [Baren 32113] Re: Baren Digest (old) V37 #3669
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Mike, I was thinking about your astounding live size wood cuts. I wonder if
critics and average non artist folks would understand how amazing they are if
they saw one of the plates and maybe even a picture of the press you built
to make them happen???? Perhaps your gallery (next time) could display
this to help folks understand. There is nothing like seeing that big piece
of wood all carved. Maria even sells hers and I bet it is educational.
Marilynn
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Message 2
From: "Mike Lyon"
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 12:07:26 -0500
Subject: [Baren 32114] Re: Baren Digest (old) V37 #3669
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Thanks, Marilynn!

I already 'bragged' on Baren about the museum purchases of two of my big pen
and ink drawings during the recent show at Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art
here in Kansas City.

I've already sold a number of this year's 42 x 77 inch woodcuts, so I have
only one left of "Aspen Grove" and "Leaves" which were the printed earlier
in the year.

My more recent "Sara Reclining" woodcut was purchased by the Beach Museum
for their collection a few days before my show came down -- so 'some' people
out there like 'em, for sure!

The Beach Museum has decided to mount an exhibition of my woodcuts during
spring of 2008 (seems like FOREVER in the future to me right now). I don't
know whether they'll discuss process or show any of the blocks, but their
mission is educational in part, so... Maybe?

One thing I think I've learned from the experience of this 'big' show is
that collectors (and the general public) are NOT much interested in process
-- they're MOSTLY interested in image and to a lesser extent maybe potential
appreciation -- sorta like buying a car -- first, do I LIKE it, and second,
what's the resale value gonna be? How something was made isn't something
most people give much thought to at all.

Unlike hand-carved blocks which tend to be VERY sculptural with lots of
interesting marks and gouges and color in the carved-away areas not visible
in the prints themselves), the majority of my blocks the past two and a half
years are machine-routed and have little of the attractive character of
hand-carved blocks -- they really aren't very interesting to look at -- plus
the recent blocks are full sheets of 4 x 8 foot plywood, not NEARLY as
interesting as the prints, and there are more blocks than prints ("Sara
Reclining" used 17 individual blocks, but I printed 10 sheets and only 8
made it into the edition).

So, unlike Maria's (and most others') woodcut work -- often ONE block and
many prints -- I carve MANY blocks but only make a handful of prints. From
a supply and demand point of view, my blocks just don't have much intrinsic
value and not much aesthetic value either. They're really only a waste
product of my process.

Best,

Mike

Mike Lyon
Kansas City, MO
http://mlyon.com
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Message 3
From: Lynn Starun
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 11:45:47 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 32115] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V37 #3669 (Oct 25, 2006)
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Help!
I'm printing a four color/block woodprint and had
pretty good success on some unknown paper which I must
have gotten from McClain's. Today with a new paper
(Masa Dosa from McClain's which says it's sized) I'm
getting the problem where some of the paper fibers
stick to the block when I lift off the print. I had
this problem last year with some unsized paper which I
solved by sizing each individual sheet (!) Are there
other factors that can produce this problem. I may
have overdampened the paper. My first print or two
looked kind of spotty instead of smooth so I stacked
the paper with dry blotting sheets and that went away.
Also my brush may have been too damp from being
washed out last night so I kind of blotted out the
moisture. Does the amount or consistency of the rice
paste have any effect? I stiffened up the rice paste
a little but still get lifting off of fibers. I'm
using Akua liguid colors. For the three color blocks
I'm applying the color like I learned in Japanese
woodblock class but for the final keyblock/black
woodblock I decided to roll the ink after adding some
tack thickener. I get a nice rich black that way and
the image is nice and crisp. I'm going to stop
printing till I figure out what's going on!
Lynn

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Message 4
From: "Mike Lyon"
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:16:03 -0500
Subject: [Baren 32116] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V37 #3669 (Oct 25, 2006)
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Fibers sticking to the block indicate that the paper is delaminating --
usually this is due to the paper becoming too soft (too damp). Masa Dosa
generally behaves reasonably well but you mustn't allow it to become too
soft and damp. There are other papers which are stronger, but also more
costly (Yamaguchi and Iwano papers available from Baren Mall are excellent
papers, for example).

I'm not such a big fan of Akua for hanga -- their color tends to be somewhat
opaque and has a lot of additives which don't behave well for me. I prefer
dry pigment or pigment suspensions (both readily available by mail order
from Daniel Smith http://danielsmith.com and even better quality from Guerra
Paint and Pigment http://www.guerrapaint.com/

Sumi (carbon black in water and fish glue) give a nice rich black. With
hanga you can build very dense color by repeated thin printing which is
preferable to trying to get there 'all at once' in a single impression.

Paste is generally used to allow a 'smooth' application of color in hanga.
Without paste the color usually makes a pronounced dotty grain called
goma-zuri (sesame seed printing). As you add more paste, the graininess
disappears. Add even more paste and your brush marks begin to persist into
the print. Otherwise, it probably assists in binding the pigment to the
paper, but (at least in the papers I've used) doesn't seem to be necessary
for pigments to bind into paper...

Best,

Mike

Mike Lyon
Kansas City, MO
http://mlyon.com
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Message 5
From: Dave Bull
Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 07:43:00 +0900
Subject: [Baren 32117] Re: Paper sticking to block ...
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> Does the amount or consistency of the rice
> paste have any effect? I stiffened up the rice paste
> a little but still get lifting off of fibers.

That's your problem right there ... thin it down until it runs off a
spoon ... Clear, transparent, and runny ...

Dave
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Message 6
From: "Maria Arango"
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:25:27 -0700
Subject: [Baren 32118] Carol Lyons Survivor Lady II
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I'm honored to host Carol's print and Ely Lilly's Oncology Art exhibit
schedule:
http://1000woodcuts.com/invitedartists/CarolLyons/gallery.html

Maria


Maria Arango
www.1000woodcuts.com
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Message 7
From: "Marissa "
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 22:32:15 -0400
Subject: [Baren 32119] Re: Carol Lyons Survivor Lady II
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She's lovely!

--
~marissa lee

www.mleefineart.com
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Message 8
From: Blog Manager
Date: 26 Oct 2006 03:55:06 -0000
Subject: [Baren 32120] 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. (23 sites checked, five minutes before midnight Eastern time)

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

Site Name: The Itinerant Artist

Author: Diane Cutter
Item: 'Casa Alcaldia de Ceiba' ('Ceiba Mayor's Office') ...
http://theitinerantartist.blogspot.com/2006/10/casa-alcaldia-de-ceiba-ceiba-mayors.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://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
http://belindadelpesco.blogspot.com
http://vizart.blogspot.com
http://phare-camp.blogspot.com
http://amymstoner.blogspot.com