Today's postings

  1. [Baren 38936] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V47 #4823 (May 18, 2009) (Marilynn Smith)
  2. [Baren 38937] master printer (Linden Langdon)
  3. [Baren 38938] box for keeping paper damp (Shireen Holman)
  4. [Baren 38939] Ox Exchange (ArtSpotiB # aol.com)
  5. [Baren 38940] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification (Blog Manager)
Member image

Message 1
From: Marilynn Smith
Date: Mon, 18 May 2009 21:59:00 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38936] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V47 #4823 (May 18, 2009)
Send Message: To this poster

Hi everyone,
I am back from spending five months in Baja Sur, Mexico. I spent part
of the first few days opening my mail. I was very excited to get my
exchange 40 prints, they are wonderful and a big thank you to our
coordinator and to all of you for the time you took to complete your
prints.

I also had a stack of year of the ox cards. A very disappointing
stack. If I counted right I have received 25 prints, there are 54
signed up for this exchange if I am correct. I realize my card will
come late, but unfortunately if I mail them from Baja you might never
get them. I have said this repeatedly on this list and I apologize
for sending them late. I don't know why I only got 25??? I don't know
what to do about this. Do I send out cards to everyone and pray to
get more? Do I only send to the 25 who sent me cards? If we all only
send to those who send on time than why are we doing this at all??? I
have some wonderful prints here from places like Australia, Mexico,
Turkey, Italy, India and else where. These wonderful folks spent a
lot of time and more money than those of us in the US for postage.
Thank you very much for your time and for the wonderful cards, they
are truly beautiful. Below is the list of cards received.

1. Joseph Taylor
2. eceder@fastermae.net, no return address
3. Gillyn Gatto
4. Lynn Allison Starun
5. Jean Womack
6. AEleen Frisch
7. Colleen Corradi
8. Sharri La Pierre
9. Douglas Haug
10. Sarah Hause
11. Carol Montgomery
12. Jane Cloutier
13. Ray Hudson
14. Senol Sak from turkey wow
15. Benjamin Lefstein
16. Lana Lambert
17. Rakesh Bani from India, wow
18. Jan Telfer Austrail wow
19. Andrew Stone
20. Patti Phare-Camp
21. Constance Brewer
22. Linden Langdon
23. Carole Baker
24. Terry Peart
25. Maria Regina Pinto Pereira
These folks have cards addressed to them almost ready to mail, I just
have an insert to finish and they will go out.
I am aware of the relaxed nature of this exchange. I actually got 2
rat cards in that batch instead of ox, but I figure these folks will
get my ox to me in good faith. I understand setting this project on
the back burner and being late. I know a few of you who have always
caught up on your cards, thank you. Unfortunately there are some on
this list who may never send cards and there are some with good
intentions who are say 3 years behind. Will they ever catch up??? I
have a suggestion for this situation. Since the cards are scanned we
know who has done the exchanges, right?? When the next list goes up
could it be stated with the participants name if they are one year two
years or possibly more years behind??? Than we could make the
decision as to whether we personally wish to send out a card in the
hopes that these folks will actually participate?? I would not say
much if this were not over half the number of folks who had signed up
to participate. But folks postage is now 44 cents for an envelope and
add to that time and printing costs and why would I want to "gift" 29
prints in the hope that I might get something back?? Anyone who wants
one of my ox, please send me one and you will definitely get one in
return, I am truly disappointed.

Marilynn
Member image

Message 2
From: Linden Langdon
Date: Mon, 18 May 2009 22:46:20 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38937] master printer
Send Message: To this poster

>The Yoseido Gallery in the Ginza has a couple of pages of Goto-san's
>prints:
Dave these prints are superb! Thank you for pointing them out - very awe inspiring work.
Linden
Member image

Message 3
From: Shireen Holman
Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 00:16:02 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38938] box for keeping paper damp
Send Message: To this poster

Dave,

Just wanted to let you know, belatedly, that I used your basic idea to
make a box for keeping my large sheets of paper damp while printing,
and it works really well. A huge improvement over the plastic bag
method! Thanks,

Shireen
Member image

Message 4
From: ArtSpotiB # aol.com
Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 04:51:22 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38939] Ox Exchange
Send Message: To this poster

Wow, that was some whopper letter Marilynn.

When was the Ox exchange supposed to occur? I keep hearing about it and
wondering which year it was scheduled. Isn't it over and done with?

Best of luck,

ArtSpot Out
BA at OMebase




Art is the visible face of any culture."

Digest Appendix

Postings made on [Baren] members' blogs
over the past 24 hours ...

Subject: Working With a Keyblock
Posted by: Annie B

In traditional ukiyo-e printmaking, the design was always carved first as a keyblock, a very fine line drawing that was printed in black with colors added almost as one would color in a coloring book drawing. Here is a portion of a bijin (beautiful woman) print by Utamaro that shows the beautiful thin lines used in this keyblock technique:


Prints can also be made without a keyblock. Here's a bijin print by Kiyoshi Saito that uses only areas of color with no linework to define the figure:


In the four years that I've been making woodblock prints I don't think I've ever used a keyblock, but that's about to change. I've just started a new print, a portrait of John and Priscilla Alden that looks at ways that their story echoes several Bible stories in the American imagination. I want it to look a little bit like a Japanese ukiyo-e print and also a little like a 17th century wood engraving, so that calls for linework.

Here's a peek at a section of the keyblock I'm carving:


[Long item has been trimmed at this point. The full blog entry can be viewed here]

This item is taken from the blog Woodblock Dreams.
'Reply' to Baren about this item.