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Message 1
From: "marilynn smih"
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2004 07:26:09 -0800
Subject: [Baren 24075] RE: Exchange 18, Murdered Kozo
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I had this weird thought while reading about flattening paper. What about a
steam iron? Anyway I also had a realization. Dave said he wants the paper
smooth and flat so it will give him fine line impressions. Now I know why
hanga technique uses the smooth side of the paper rather than the rough
side. As it has often been said western printmakers often use the rough
side of the paper! Guess it is all in what look you want and how much
detail.
Marilynn still in sunny Baja

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Message 2
From: Reneeaugrin # aol.com
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 12:21:18 EST
Subject: [Baren 24076] First exchange.
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Hello Bareneers,

I am so impressed with the prints I recieved in exchange 18a. Every single
one is a small treasure. For me, it completes the circuit of communication.
In the 1980s I was part of a printmaker's cooperative, we all worked at various
times and left messages and notes regarding the work as it developed in the
proofs, we had many group shows together and generally enjoyed great
commraderie, when it came to a close I was at a greivous loss. Baren has become my new
'cooperative': such a wonderful place to 'talk shop', enjoy exchanges of work
and inspiration, I really appreciate you all. I will definitely be signing up
for more exchanges.

I have also had the opportunity to show these to my students and they were
very inspired to continue to learn how to carve and print like THAT!

Julio, my husband and I thought that the man was trying to figure out a 'kama
sutra' position in the book while the woman was waiting patiently... we
enjoyed your print very much.

Because there were so many delightful monochromatic prints perhaps that could
be a theme, for an exchange? Not restricted to black and white only as there
were some lovely sepia tone prints and so on.

Happy New Year.

Cordially yours,

Renee U.
Damascus, Oregon

PS Barbara, it sounds like you are having a grand time! I love Dan Smith's
black oil based ink for relief. Enjoy the sunshine, it's still cold and rainy
here--good studio weather though.

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Message 3
From: Mary Brooks-Mueller
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 10:08:30 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 24077] Re: Exchange 18, Murdered Kozo
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Marilyn -
Another weird idea that works; I built a book-binding
press, the manual screw-down type and place the damp
paper between sheets of blotter paper, then tighten it
all down hard and let it stand for a few days.
The result is a flat inner square and outer borders as
they were. Adds a dimension to the final work after
printing. This press is only about 13 inches.
A larger press using regular woodworker's hand-screws
(clamps)is possible for a bit bigger paper. You can
also put a longer reach clamp in the middle.
These are adaptations from furniture tools.
Mary

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Message 4
From: Consoft # aol.com
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 13:37:59 EST
Subject: [Baren 24078] Sharkskin
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Hi everyone,

Another dumb question from a beginner.

I know that purpose of the sharkskin is to split the hairs of the brush so
that it carries more pigment but is this ?:-

A - Absolutely essential
B - A good thing to do but not essential
C - Only an expert would notice the difference

Secondly. Is there an easier alternative?

Thirdly. Did anyone trouble to ask the shark for his opinion?

Cheers

Steve

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Message 5
From: "Maria Arango"
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 15:49:56 -0800
Subject: [Baren 24079] she's off!!!
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Barbara is off on a plane back to Oregon. I dropped her off this morning
in an unusually crowded airport; I thought everyone would be at home
prepping for the Super Bowl.
In any case, we finished all the prints yesterday morning. Such a sense
of accomplishment to see 200 22 x 30 prints hanging in my studio racks.
Wow. I would have been printing for a month without her help!

To recap, Barbara got here on Wednesday afternoon and I took her around
town and settled her in. We saw the Boulder Dam and the lake, something
eerie and wonderful in the middle of the desert.
Next day we got down and dirty (and I mean, dirty!) and prepped the
first block for printing. There were some low and high spots and Barbara
was a master with the masking tape. After very few proofs we were able
to sink our teeth into the good paper and production started. The
logistics of printing such a large block with all those little diverse
pieces in there was something I hadn't really thought through. But with
Barbara along side, I felt courageous and we pressed on (HA!).
Thursday we printed 75 prints. We make a great team!

On Friday we quickly finished off the first 100 and pulled out the
second block. Prepping was a bit quicker since we already had the press
at the right height and the paper marked and all those little details
worked out. Including prepping that second block, we printed 90 prints
total. The studio really looked like a real printmaking studio with all
those prints hanging from the racks! We were pretty exhausted, but
nothing ibuprofen and scotch couldn't fix.

Saturday we only had 35 more prints to go and we were able to finish
them off in a couple of hours. After that we (my patient husband and I)
took Barbara around to a little wonderful state park we have just
outside of town. She's a petroglyph fan and we were able to show her
some up close and personal. The sun was shining and it was a wonderful
cool day (cooler for us, she was in heaven and called us wimps). The
rock formations in this place are just incredible, something out of a
fantasy movie.

So that's the Vegas Puzzle Adventure! I'm still in awe at how much we
got done; still seems impossible and I am still extremely grateful that
I had such competent help. Web updates and pictures will get uploaded
tomorrow and I will make an announcement then. I forgot to mention that
Barbara was the absolute perfect guest! She even brought presents (two
printmaking books) and with all her help I'm still wondering what _she_
got out of the trip!

Prints look great, every time I look at the prints I see the detail of
someone else's block. There is so much to see in those prints and all
those little blocks! Seems like taking a trip to all of the
participant's souls.
Great job everyone! Thank you for playing. I will mail out starting next
week, just as soon as I finish the colophon.

Maria, tired but proud and pleased


Maria Arango
www.1000woodcuts.com
Las Vegas Nevada USA

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Message 6
From: ArtfulCarol # aol.com
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 19:12:14 EST
Subject: [Baren 24080] Re: Sharkskin
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Steve, my 2 cents:

Just do it.

If you were to wait to get together everything that everybody says you
should have you would never start.

When you have a problem find out how to fix it. It it ain't broke ...!

Carol L.

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Message 7
From: LEAFRUTH # aol.com
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 19:39:20 EST
Subject: [Baren 24081] Re: Baren Digest (old) V26 #2532
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If any Baroners will be in Santa Ana. The Orange county Center for
Contemporary Art Is having an interesting show Called Heroes and Heroines. Every
artist in the show is over 70. There are some great people the show. June Wayne,
Ed Moses and Inez Johnston plus other very good artists. I am pleased to be
included. Opening Night is February 7 and I will be there. The show is on
until February 29Th. I hope you'll come...Ruth

http://www.ruthleaf.com

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Message 8
From: Aqua4tis # aol.com
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 20:46:35 EST
Subject: [Baren 24082] Re: Baren Digest (old) V26 #2532
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ruth
congratulations!!!! i will try to make it
georga

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Message 9
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 18:08:04 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 24083] home safe and sound
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Well, I am back in Oregon...the plane was only one hour late, not bad...just before boarding they said..."we are delaying departure because there is a little mechanical problem with the plane" ....my stomch actually rolled over. Did I mention that I am a real white knuckle flyer???

I had a great time with Maria, hard work but lots of fun also. A great sense of accomplishment as those prints mounted up on the drying rack. I got little vacation to think about stuff from a distance and saw pertoglyphs, my favorite. All in all, time well spent. I had about 100 emails waiting for me..so will get to them in a day or so. Maria was such a great hostess....but I warn you, she is really a hard worker so there is no slacking if you go there to work!

Maria, I was so glad I went to help you, it was way too much work for one! Vacations come in all shapes and when you love printmaking, it was a real vacation! Remember, you promised to make me look better in the photos....we were fairly messy looking while working, so be warned!
Best to all,
Barbara


---------------------------------

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Message 10
From: Consoft # aol.com
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 05:23:18 EST
Subject: [Baren 24084] Re: Sharkskin
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Hi Carol Lyons,

You are right of course and believe me I do love to experiment. Just take a
look at the ankle deep layer of woodchips and screwed up paper on the floor of
my studio.

It's just that I felt uncomfortable with the idea of a shark getting skinned
for the sake of my crappy prints, even if it is a small and common shark.
After all, you can't hand it back afterwards and say "There you go, I tried it out
but it didn't make a lot of difference so you can have it back". As far as I
know no animal has ever been killed in the interest of my art. Although I
have produced a few stinkers which may have had that effect on the viewer.
Having said that, I did buy a sable hair brush in my early water colour period and
I'm sure some of you clever dicks are already thinking of a list of things
which involve boiling rabbits and such like.

Anyway the upshot is that I'm going to try some coarse emery paper.

By the way Caye. After your suggestion of using primed plywood I went back
to a couple of my lino blocks and recut them in plywood and it really works
well. I especially like it when you can just faintly see the brush marks of the
primer in the final print.

Cheers

Steve

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Message 11
From: David Bull
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 19:35:30 +0900
Subject: [Baren 24085] Re: Sharkskin
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> It's just that I felt uncomfortable with the idea of a shark getting
> skinned for the sake of my crappy prints, even if it is a small and
> common shark. After all, you can't hand it back afterwards and say
> "There you go, I tried it out but it didn't make a lot of difference so
> you can have it back".  As far as I know no animal has ever been killed
> in the interest of my art.

Just for the record here, I should mention that the sharkskins sold here
in Japan for use by printmakers are bought wholesale from the fish
market at Tsukiji here in Tokyo. The meat has already been sold, and
these skins are considered to be waste. I have no knowledge of where the
bulk of them go (processing for gelatine, perhaps?), but we printmakers
are literally 'saving' these things from the trash. Nobody is trolling
the seas with nets and hooks to catch sharks for the explicit purpose of
softening printing brushes.

If you are a total vegetarian, and don't want to see any animals harmed
to support your activities, then use a piece of 'expanded metal' (as
described many times on this forum) to soften your brushes, a job
professional printers here consider to be an essential part of the
printmaking process.

Dave

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