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Message 1
From: "jbaum # wagner.edu"
Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2006 18:25:58 -0400
Subject: [Baren 31096] RE: New Baren Digest (HTML) V35 #3515 (Jun 17, 2006)
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Charles,
I found your discussion of pigment dispersions intriguing. I have been
using Guerra pigments for years, but I have never used them for mixing with
oils except in an emulsion like with egg yoke in tempera painting. Does
Guerra recommend them for mixing with oil and do they dry well with good
adhesion? Doesn't the ethylene glycol contain water and wouldn't that
preclude using them with oil? Thanks for your comments on this subject. JB

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Message 2
From: Charles Morgan
Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2006 17:20:33 -0700
Subject: [Baren 31097] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V35 #3515 (Jun 17, 2006)
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>I found your discussion of pigment dispersions intriguing. I have been
>using Guerra pigments for years, but I have never used them for mixing with
>oils except in an emulsion like with egg yoke in tempera painting. Does
>Guerra recommend them for mixing with oil and do they dry well with good
>adhesion? Doesn't the ethylene glycol contain water and wouldn't that
>preclude using them with oil? Thanks for your comments on this subject. JB

Hmmmm ... You know I can't recall where I got the idea that Guerra pigments
are in ethylene glycol. I just looked at their site, and it seems to
indicate that their pigment dispersions are in water. Sooo, maybe I am
wrong about that. I also am not sure I recall where I came to believe that
ethylene glycol is soluble in both water and oil; I may be wrong about
that. I also do not know where I got the idea that Guerra's dispersions
could be mixed with oily etching tint base; but I am NOT wrong about that.

What can I say???? I have just been in the studio printing a multicolor
etching with three colors. All three were formulated using Guerra
dispersions in GC&I etching tint base. It takes me about half an hour to do
the inking and wiping for each print, and I want an edition of about 50, so
I have been doing a few a day for some time. The oldest ones are about 1
week old and are now dry. They seem just fine. And the non-black colors in
my Year of the Rooster cards (a puzzle block relief print) were done with
Guerra pigments and clear etching tint base, and they seemed just fine.
Some of the ink in my exchange print Dark Lily were formulated from Guerra
dispersions and clear etching tint base, and they worked well.

You got me worried about all this advice I have been handing out, so I just
went up to the studio and tried a little experiment. I put a tablespoon
full of plain old Canola vegetable oil in a cup. I then added half a dozen
drops of Hansa Yellow pigment dispersion from Guerra. I used a bamboo
skewer and stirred it around. I now have a tablespoon full of Hansa Yellow
colored vegetable oil. There does not appear to be any watery residue in
the cup. Soooo, all I can say is that it works for me in my studio.

As I indicated earlier, "medically pure" ethanol has about 5% water in it
... but it still mixes quite well with oily materials ... in fact, I
sometimes use it to clean stray ink from a plate. On the bitter cold
prairies of Alberta where I used to live, we always carried a bottle of
alcohol in the winter as gas line de-icer ... just add a bit to the gas,
and it would collect any water droplets and carry them along with the gas
... at 40 below zero, you cannot afford to have any water from condensation
or other sources in your fuel line, because it will block the line very
solidly. Alcohol mixes with both oil and water.

Certainly it is the percentage of water in the alcohol that matters ... If
I had 5% alcohol and 95% water, I would not expect the solution to mix with
oil at all. But reasonably "pure" alcohol will mix with oily materials.

Maybe I just have kind art faeries that defy the laws of chemistry and
allow the pigment dispersions to mix with the oil medium. My recommendation
is that you just try it yourself. One thing for sure ... even if you find
that in your studio the Guerra dispersions do not mix with oil, I'll bet
the dry pigments made into an alcohol paste will mix. But then, maybe you
have evil art faeries in your studio ..... {;-}}}}

By all means, I would appreciate hearing from anyone else who tries this.

Cheers ...... Charles

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Message 3
From: Blog Manager
Date: 18 Jun 2006 03:55:06 -0000
Subject: [Baren 31098] 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. (21 sites checked, five minutes before midnight Eastern time)

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

Site Name: m.Lee Fine Art

Author: m.Lee
Item: Feeling Fatigued
http://mleeprints.blogspot.com/2006/06/feeling-fatigued.html

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

Site Name: Mokuhankan Conversations

Author: Dave Bull
Item: Hilo Bay (12) - Numabe's Proof
http://mokuhankan.com/conversations/archives/2006/06/hilo_bay_12_num.html

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

Site Name: Belinda Del Pesco Fine Art Blog

Author: bdelpesco
Item: Ghost Prints
http://belindadelpesco.blogspot.com/2006/06/ghost-prints.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://perfect-press.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

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Message 4
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2006 21:29:18 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 31099] small etching press
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Finally, I am getting around to making a report on the baby etching press I got a few months ago. The brand is Richeson, it has an 11X19 3/4" bed. I did a demo on it today for the local art store (Art Media) and I was pretty impressed with it. It is a direct drive press with the bottom roller pushing the bed and the top roller moving with pressure from the blankets and pressure of the press.

This press has calibration, not something I noticed when I got it, so it is very easy to adjust. I had my husband saw the crate bed narrower to hold the press right at the edge so the drive handle turned freely. To do so we moved the outside piece of support wood closer to the center and needed to buy longer screws to hold it in place, since we replaces its little feet. This allowed the press to sit up on the crate bed and the bed to be "c" clamped to a table, or in my case a rolling cart. It is hard to really crank down the pressure if you do not have it anchored down as it is pretty light weight (about 40#) I can lift it easily!

I really put it through its paces for the demo, printing monotypes, collographs, etchings, and block prints. It did a great job on all. It is hard to believe a press you can get for so little money ($410 at the local art store including blankets) could do such an amazing job. I recommend it if you are looking for an inexpensive press.

I printed some linoblocks that were made with lino backed by 1/2" wood. I used two long narrow strips of wood under the roller on each side for support, to keep the roller from bouncing when it hit the block...and I used a piece of matboard instead of a blanket to print with. I got really good prints with it, so think it will work well for either blockprints or etchings.

The only negative is the little twisty thing that turns the calebration lever up and down can get in the way of turning the drive handle on the press, an easy fix as you have to reverse it by unscrewing a ball on the end, removing the pin and putting it in the other way and screwing the ball back on. A bit tedious, but workable, for sure. Also I thought the cushion blanket (the middle blanket) was pretty thick, sort of overkill, but it did work really well.
Best to all,
Barbara

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Message 5
From: "hanna_platt # excite.com"
Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2006 00:36:25 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Baren 31100] vancouver show
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Sharri
sorry i couldn't respond privately
i would like to participate. are there any size limits? or any other requirements
viza
p.s.
haven't sent you the check yet either...sorry...will get it to you soon

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