--- Go to the Opening Page of the [Baren] web site ---

Message 1
From: shireen holman
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 09:45:30 -0500
Subject: [Baren 30304] Re: How Do You Do It?
Send Message: To this poster

Thank you so much Robin and Oscar for your kind comments about my website!
To answer Oscar's question: Yes, I do need to clean the blocks before
carving back into them. I use a press for printing, so I usually run
them through the press a couple of times with blank newsprint first.
That takes off most of the ink. Then I can wipe the blocks clean with
a rag with only a very small amount of mineral spirits - enough to
wipe the rest of the ink off, but not enough to soak the blocks. Most
of the time I spend enough time proofing with different colours, etc.
that I don't end up re-carving until the next day. But sometimes I do
it right away and it works. Part of the key may be not using too much
ink. I roll my inks up quite thinly so that I don't have much build
up on the block.

Shireen

• [Back to message index]

Message 2
From: "Marilynn Smith"
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 08:38:31 -0700
Subject: [Baren 30305] Re: Baren Digest (old) V34 #3402
Send Message: To this poster

Here is one for the David Bulls of the world. A very famous man in the arts
used to go over drawings to "liven" them up. It seems that when he did this
they took on his personality. He was a very innovativ man who also it would
seem got inspiration at 3 or 4 in the morning and said the moment for
creative thought was very fleeting.
In my opinion when Dave takes his work and redoes those wonderful old
designs they do indeed take on a feel of "David Bull". But this also gives
credance to those who create from their own designs and inspirations as this
man also started with thoughts and ideas that he put on paper after they had
formulated in his head. I got all this informationfrom a book I found out
by our garage on the book exchange rack. Who was this may???? Frank Lloyd
Wright, an amazing architect, talented draftsman and a true innovator.
Marilynn

• [Back to message index]

Message 3
From: Sharri LaPierre
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 09:40:03 -0800
Subject: [Baren 30306] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V34 #3402 (Mar 13, 2006)
Send Message: To this poster

Myron and Charles and all,

For you oily people, while proofing, run the block through the press a
few times with the newsprint. Wipe the block with veggie oil and wipe
as much off as you can and follow with rubbing alcohol. The alcohol
will cut the grease and your block will be left clean, dry and ready to
cut some more. When you've finished, grab your veggie oil and go home
and fix dinner.

Cheers!
Sharri

• [Back to message index]

Message 4
From: Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 13:10:17 -0600
Subject: [Baren 30307] Re: daphne, stats and process
Send Message: To this poster

Maria writes:
'On Julio's stats, wow, that was really interesting. 200 less posts in the
same period than last year. The Blog Manager better get busy ;-)'

Okay...I think I get it now...it's not so much that people dislike blogs,
but rather is my mug on that daily notification post that everyone is so
fed up with...okay Dave, please change that photo to something more
appropriate and less irritating. Here is a suggestion:

http://www.bissettnursery.com/Hardgoods/Images/Misc_Fertilizer/puretex-manure.jpg

So everyone knows, just because my photo shows up on all those blog
notifications I really don't have a lot to do with that. Dave wrote the
scripts that track the daily atom feeds from the members blogs and that's
all auto response stuff....all I really do is give members an id/password
when they request they want to post to the Baren blog. Speaking of the
Baren blog there have been no updates to that since Harry French posted on
2/09 (well over a month ago !)...so that can't possibly be the 'real'
reason why the forum postings are down...

At the risk of sounding rude I would offer this....membership overall is a
rather passive bunch and a few of us would rather sit there lurking and/or
shoot a quick post complaining about how the evil blogs are killing Baren
discussion or complain when someone makes a mistake and sents out
something off-topic like if the world will soon come to an end. As Tom
said, all very counter-productive. Chill-out, take a pill...instead why
don't you take 5-10 minutes and draft a good post to share your current
printmaking exploits with the group ? Most of us here are in a
'response-only' mode and only a handful contribute and lead the
discussion....so what if a handful of energy-filled people have blogs and
they want to share their printmaking experience with the world...and we
here let everyone know about it ? BIG FREAKING deal. For everyone that
complains about lack of discussion on the forum there will be someone that
will later complain once they start receiving 20-30 emails a day...('oh,
poor little old me, I just don't have time to read all those emails, I am
just going to have to unsubscribe from the list !!!!) If you are a member
of a discussion forum and you don't want to read emails then I suggest you
open up your computer, filler up with dirt and grow a plant... at least
you be contributing to the world's oxygen supply instead of just
hibernating......and speaking of hibernation, what the heck is wrong with
the other 300+ members that don't have blogs and why are they not posting
on Baren about their own stuff ?????

Like Barbara mentioned, many of us receive the posts real-time (vs.
digest). I often will see a request for information but rather than jump
in an offer suggestions right away I (and maybe others like me do the
same) will wait it out in the hope that others will jump in and offer
their own contributions making for a larger discussion thread. Once Dave
commented that by the time he woke up (Japan time) all the questions for
the day had been answered and there was not much more for him to
contribute.


I think my five minutes are up, all that pent up anxiety, must do
something about it...can anyone refer me to a good blog that might be of
help ?

Julio

• [Back to message index]

Message 5
From: Wanda Robertson
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 13:08:40 -0800
Subject: [Baren 30308] Re: "How Do You Do It" and Blogs
Send Message: To this poster

Good for you, Richard! So many people just look at
the 'image' of hanga prints - they don't see the subtle
things that go into making up a complicated print
like those of Hiroshige. Even when I explain to
friends and family what goes into my relatively un-complicated
prints - their eyes open wide & they start asking lots
of questions. Of course explaining is not nearly as much
fun as "doing"! :-)

Wanda

• [Back to message index]

Message 6
From: "Ellen Shipley"
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 13:17:58 -0800
Subject: [Baren 30309] Re: daphne, stats and process
Send Message: To this poster

>Okay...I think I get it now...it's not so much that people dislike blogs, but rather is my mug on that daily notification post that everyone is so fed up with...

Not at all Julio. I like getting the blog post that lets me check out what interesting things folks have been doing. I always click on the links and go see.

What I don't know is how to let folks know to check out my blog if I've got something new -- how do I get on the blog notice?

Ellen

http://pressing-issues.blogspot.com/
http://thepickledpen.blogspot.com/

• [Back to message index]

Message 7
From: Wanda Robertson
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 13:26:09 -0800
Subject: [Baren 30310] Re: Blog/Chat Chatting
Send Message: To this poster

Blush, blush - I'm signing in as moderator, taskmaster, overseer here.
But,
we have a group of people who take care of the list that Dave Bull
started!
I'm only a cog in the wheel, and seldom have anything much to do but
read along
with the rest of you wonderful people!

I'm also the person who pounced (gosh, was I that rude?) on people for
writing back and forth to each other on the list. Sometimes we just
don't realize
how many people are sitting in this big room with us while we chatter
back &
forth. Usually I wait until a list member complains (which several
did) to say
anything. Unless of course someone is being rowdy & mean - then I jump
right in.

Great discussion guys!

Wanda
baren forum moderator

• [Back to message index]

Message 8
From: L Cass
Date: Wed, 01 Feb 2006 11:25:10 -0500
Subject: [Baren 30311] Re: "How Do You Do It"
Send Message: To this poster

Hi Maria (et al)

It's really great to see what a flurry of responses your letter prompted. I
remember objecting to the word BLOG some time back as it's an ugly word and
also when one clicks on the artist info' you get the gender and zodiac sign
- maybe people could change that?? or does the format not allow for
more? even tho' I prefer the personal web site (my upgrade will soon be
ready) I realize the blog can be faster and more easily updated. A question
for the bloggers -I assume you have a scanner handy and constantly in use
for this -how much time do you spend daily on the pics and the writing??
I'm still struggling along with an ancient PC and dialup service and in
spite of my objections I do enjoy viewing people's work when I can spend
the necessary time.

Maria- I wholeheartedly agree with all you say below -you couldn't have put
it better. Although I'm not primarily a printmaker I do have a personal
approach to getting images on the block. I draw constantly (black pen
sketches fill very many sketchbooks) and use images that suggest themselves
for translation into prints either drawing directly on the block or on less
inspired occasions trace one of my drawings -
I only once turned to a photograph (taken by myself) for the 'Niagara
Falls' with haiku I sent for that exchange. I know many artists use images
found on the internet and elsewhere for inspiration but here's another
question -how on earth, with so much choice out there, do you settle on
something ?! I find it hard enough to go through my own drawings. Also when
one draws one is very selective and whether you intend them or not there
are always distortions which are very personal and help stamp yourself on
the work. I know the answer to this is that even the selection of others'
images can result in something very personal. Computerized images and all
the new sophisticated techniques that are at one's fingertips have been
steadily changing the face and definition of art so somehow it has become a
challenge to insist on 'hand' produced work. One is tempted to take
Marshall McLuhan's famous words literally - Is the medium the message or
the message the medium??!! i.e. equate medium with technique and message
=final image or piece of art -in other words which is more important?

A note to John Center - thanks for the missing print and extra goodies -
did you make the Canadian banknotes just for us up here??
I've found one problem with exchange #26 - many prints don't appear to be
signed?! Will they all eventually be on Baren website?
cheers
Louise Cass



>Ahhh, but to the artist/creator...image is EVERYTHING! If I can't offer my
>collectors a unique image that truly says "Maria's brain did this" I have no
>business in the fine arts IMHO.
>
>And Dave also said:> But a woodblock print is (should be!) so much more than
>the image.
>
>I agree wholeheartedly because the process of the woodblock/woodcut becomes
>an integral part of the images. My ink drawings on a block look like ink
>drawings, the careless carving and later printing change a drawing into a
>woodcut print.
>
>In my art, the clumsy hacking I call carving and the not-so-delicate
>stamping I call printing (should it be "stomping" then?) is SO a part of my
>woodcuts that they practically scream MARIA! That's the artist's
>prespective, anyway.
>
>I think what the computer does, to a point, is take away that "clumsiness"
>that makes each artist different. It also gives the artist an unrealistic
>starting point for a finished drawing/painting/print, etc. The vectors are
>perfect, the curves even, the width of line clean and uniform
>throughout...once we get our paws on a pencil, yeeeeeesh...disaster, in
>comparison with the pixelated perfect model, that is. Add to that the
>imperfection of our color perception and inadequate attempts to color match
>the clean pure pixels on a monitor and we have a recipe for disappointment
>from the start.

• [Back to message index]

Message 9
From: Dave Bull
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 12:02:05 +0900
Subject: [Baren 30312] Woof! Woof!
Send Message: To this poster

They're ready! The 'Year of the Dog' woodblock printed new year cards
received by Woodlike Matsumura are on line, nearly 300 of them! (He
also gets lots of etchings, etc., but none of those are included in
this selection; everything you see is woodblock ...)

http://www.pippimama.com/art/woodlike/gallery_top_en.html

The scanning/uploading/etc. work was all done by Sadako Ishizaki, who
does [Baren] Mall relations for us with Matsumura-san. She has now got
seven years of cards linked from that page, more than 2000 woodblock
prints. If that doesn't provide some inspiration for you, nothing will!
:-)

Dave

• [Back to message index]

Message 10
From: Dave Bull
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 12:16:11 +0900
Subject: [Baren 30313] Woof! Woof! (extra)
Send Message: To this poster

Sorry for the extra post ... I forgot to include something about those
new year cards ...

Sadako has a contact page:
http://www.pippimama.com/contact/index_e.html
... and if you enjoy the results of all her work ...

:-)

Dave

• [Back to message index]

Message 11
From: FurryPressII # aol.com
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 23:29:35 EST
Subject: [Baren 30314] Re: Woof! Woof!
Send Message: To this poster

sorry but the dog link does not open

john c.

• [Back to message index]

End of [Baren] Digest