Today's postings
- [Baren 24902] Re: Paper moistening and Press moving (Myron Turner)
- [Baren 24903] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V27 #2624 (Apr 18, 2004) (Sharri LaPierre)
- [Baren 24904] Re: wood nympth here (L Cass)
- [Baren 24905] Re: Message for Brits or anyone else with access to BBC (Hokusai) ("marilynn smih")
- [Baren 24906] Thank you! ("April Vollmer")
Message 1
From: Myron Turner
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2004 12:00:04 -0500
Subject: [Baren 24902] Re: Paper moistening and Press moving
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Have you ever run a platen press? There will be a learning curve, because
the press has a clam-shell action and the tendency of these presses is to
apply greater pressure around the edges, less towards the center. To make
up for this and for any other possible unevenness of impression, you will
most likely have to do a "make-ready", that is, build up layers of paper
under your block in the weak areas--from the center outward, if everything
is working as it should be. That is, you will have more layers of paper at
the center of the bock and fewer as you move towards the edges. How this
works out will depend on the size of your block relative to the size of
the press bed. The larger the press bed and the smaller the block, the
less make-ready is needed--if the block is small enough, probably
none. But a 10 inch block on a 12 inch bed would be stretching the press
to its limits and almost certainly would require make-ready.
As for the paper moistening problem--the old method was to make a humidor,
out of wood--using foam rubber inserts that you moisten. If the box is
fairly air-tight, it will stay damp inside. If the lid is on a hinge, you
lift it and take out a sheet of paper and close it back up.
Myron Turner
the press has a clam-shell action and the tendency of these presses is to
apply greater pressure around the edges, less towards the center. To make
up for this and for any other possible unevenness of impression, you will
most likely have to do a "make-ready", that is, build up layers of paper
under your block in the weak areas--from the center outward, if everything
is working as it should be. That is, you will have more layers of paper at
the center of the bock and fewer as you move towards the edges. How this
works out will depend on the size of your block relative to the size of
the press bed. The larger the press bed and the smaller the block, the
less make-ready is needed--if the block is small enough, probably
none. But a 10 inch block on a 12 inch bed would be stretching the press
to its limits and almost certainly would require make-ready.
As for the paper moistening problem--the old method was to make a humidor,
out of wood--using foam rubber inserts that you moisten. If the box is
fairly air-tight, it will stay damp inside. If the lid is on a hinge, you
lift it and take out a sheet of paper and close it back up.
Myron Turner
Message 2
From: Sharri LaPierre
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2004 10:03:11 -0700
Subject: [Baren 24903] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V27 #2624 (Apr 18, 2004)
Send Message: To this poster
I love all these solutions to the plastic bag, but I haven't had too
much of a problem, yet. The trick is to have the bag the right size, I
found out early on, after some pretty imaginative struggles. If it is
too large it is a wrestling match, if it is too small it is an out and
out fight. You will come out of it with a whole new vocabulary that
you were totally unaware you had acquired previous to this experience.
Then I discovered that two dampened blotters (add newsprint here and
there if things get too wet), with the works between them, enables you
to slide things in and out in a jiffy. No more fighting! I've been
working on 20 x 27 inch paper and, so far, so good.
Someone asked about a good first hanga paper, the Torinoko from
McClains, page 37 in their catalog is a reasonable choice. It is
around $10 a sheet, but is 25 x 37", so isn't all that expensive for a
small prints. I'm sure you will get lots of ideas & opinions :-)
Cheers!
Sharri
much of a problem, yet. The trick is to have the bag the right size, I
found out early on, after some pretty imaginative struggles. If it is
too large it is a wrestling match, if it is too small it is an out and
out fight. You will come out of it with a whole new vocabulary that
you were totally unaware you had acquired previous to this experience.
Then I discovered that two dampened blotters (add newsprint here and
there if things get too wet), with the works between them, enables you
to slide things in and out in a jiffy. No more fighting! I've been
working on 20 x 27 inch paper and, so far, so good.
Someone asked about a good first hanga paper, the Torinoko from
McClains, page 37 in their catalog is a reasonable choice. It is
around $10 a sheet, but is 25 x 37", so isn't all that expensive for a
small prints. I'm sure you will get lots of ideas & opinions :-)
Cheers!
Sharri
Message 3
From: L Cass
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2004 15:08:51 -0400
Subject: [Baren 24904] Re: wood nymph here
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Hi John Center
(very nice framing effects - it makes the print and frame into one piece
of art and one doesn't separate the two - I imagine this is what you wanted
and it works!!
will mail you a postcard (print) when I get around to doing something new
after I get my show up.
Hi April Vollmer
Your pics from St Mary's are super as are your prints - would really like
to know just how
your process from the digital (photo?) works (or is it explained somewhere
on your site?)
I want to add my humble two cents' worth to the framing discussions - for
my last show in
November the woodcuts were only matted and hung (the gallery owner doesn't
like to have
reflections from glass on work) - it turned out that more prints than ptgs
were sold so apparently
lack of frames didn't hinder (I actually like to see them appropriately
framed but expense is a
large consideration) I shall be exhibiting 2 walls (well away from the
kitchen) of matted prints
at the café I'll be in next month so it remains to be seen if they'll bring
sales there!!??
Re holding damp paper I keep it layered between 19" x 24" blotting paper
when printing and
it seems easy to manage -but then I'm not printing huge editions...
I really enjoy all the discussions - just wish I had a press!
bw to all
Louise Cassl
www.LCassArt.com
Message 4
From: "marilynn smih"
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2004 12:15:52 -0700
Subject: [Baren 24905] Re: Message for Brits or anyone else with access to BBC (Hokusai)
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Each minute, hour and day is mine. Wednesday I sat in the sand, on the
beach, in the wind. I took my watercolors and tried valiantely to paint.
Sand got into everything and my paper blew down the beach to be retrieved by
a beach vendor. My colors turned to mud. The sun was hot. No finished
painting. But I got a fabulous sketch of the surf rolling in, hoping to use
it for my next print. My muddy paintings can be a basis for a new monotype,
the paper is wet. There are no wasted days. Dreaming and thinking bring
forth ideas for my next piece. The sun glowing though the shade on my
window gives me an idea for a composition. Just looking and watching and
resting can sooth my soul and make me ready to create. I have learned one
can not force the muse, it will come when it is ready.
Marilynn
beach, in the wind. I took my watercolors and tried valiantely to paint.
Sand got into everything and my paper blew down the beach to be retrieved by
a beach vendor. My colors turned to mud. The sun was hot. No finished
painting. But I got a fabulous sketch of the surf rolling in, hoping to use
it for my next print. My muddy paintings can be a basis for a new monotype,
the paper is wet. There are no wasted days. Dreaming and thinking bring
forth ideas for my next piece. The sun glowing though the shade on my
window gives me an idea for a composition. Just looking and watching and
resting can sooth my soul and make me ready to create. I have learned one
can not force the muse, it will come when it is ready.
Marilynn
Message 5
From: "April Vollmer"
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2004 19:07:02 -0400
Subject: [Baren 24906] Thank you!
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Wow, thank you for all the cheers for my residency photos! I do feel lucky
to have some time to concentrate on making new work. I should mention that
though no Baren-eers were there in person, I had support from Baren- Barbara
who sent me paper. Of course, I passed out Baren Forum fliers to students,
in case they want to pursue moku hanga.
>Barbara: Did you turn the block to print the blossoms or did you carve it
four times?
The print of cherry blossoms is printed from a small block (or rather five
small blocks) printed four times on each corner of the paper.
> Barbara: I especially like the blue hint of shadow behind the center
blossoms, it almost looks like they are leaping
off the page into real time.
White on white is tricky! I thought I could do it by the way I cut the
block, but at the last moment, I thought, why be subtle, when I could just
cut another bokashi block to highlight that white flower.
> Barbara: The only thing better would have been to have all the baren
people at such a place.
Yes, indeed! Though I must admit after years of living in NYC, I really
enjoyed the solitude.
I am teaching a class of artists at the Lower East Side Printshop now, maybe
we will hear from some of them in the future. A married couple who are
taking the class are woodblock collectors, and they brought a copy of Yuki
and Yoshida's "Japanese Wood Block Printmaking" to class. They said it was a
duplicate, and sold it to me! I thought $100 was an okay price, I haven't
looked lately, but I wanted that book for a long time!
best,
April
to have some time to concentrate on making new work. I should mention that
though no Baren-eers were there in person, I had support from Baren- Barbara
who sent me paper. Of course, I passed out Baren Forum fliers to students,
in case they want to pursue moku hanga.
>Barbara: Did you turn the block to print the blossoms or did you carve it
four times?
The print of cherry blossoms is printed from a small block (or rather five
small blocks) printed four times on each corner of the paper.
> Barbara: I especially like the blue hint of shadow behind the center
blossoms, it almost looks like they are leaping
off the page into real time.
White on white is tricky! I thought I could do it by the way I cut the
block, but at the last moment, I thought, why be subtle, when I could just
cut another bokashi block to highlight that white flower.
> Barbara: The only thing better would have been to have all the baren
people at such a place.
Yes, indeed! Though I must admit after years of living in NYC, I really
enjoyed the solitude.
I am teaching a class of artists at the Lower East Side Printshop now, maybe
we will hear from some of them in the future. A married couple who are
taking the class are woodblock collectors, and they brought a copy of Yuki
and Yoshida's "Japanese Wood Block Printmaking" to class. They said it was a
duplicate, and sold it to me! I thought $100 was an okay price, I haven't
looked lately, but I wanted that book for a long time!
best,
April