I had heard that Japanese prints (in Japan) were rarely framed and
that there existed in many homes a place to place a print and change
it according to the season, an event or holiday, a special visitor, a
special or new shikishi 'board' or even a print for a quiet sense of a
moment.
Dave Bull's lovely little 'box' display has been that place in my
home. It changes as his prints arrive or once in a while I put up
someone else's print. They are changed often enough not to suffer
being exposed and it is a new delight whenever I chose to replace the
existing one. I have two other places that I do the same with larger
prints.
Best,
Carole
http://caroledwinell.com/
http://caroledwinell.blogspot.com/
Today is the day to DO IT!
I have been asked to do the program for a ladies group I belong to for
the month of September. I had one of our ladies over for coffee the
other day and started to open a few of the Chinese New years cards. I
said to her this would make a good presentation, as some are not wood
block, some are hanga, some are reduction prints, some are western oil
based prints and from those I have gotten this season some are of past
years. I also have Marias wonderful puzzle print to share. Maybe
frames are not the way to share and enjoy our exchanges. Maybe we
should be doing programs for our various classes or groups that we
belong to. If I tried to frame and hang every print I own I would have
floor to ceiling prints!
The way I got into printmaking is interesting. I walked into the
studio just as a person was pulling a monotype print. It was sooo
exciting to see it revealed that I knew at that very moment this was
something I had to do. When do a presentation I like to "pull" a
print for the group, it is exciting to see what happens from the block
to the paper and it sure tells about process better than words ever
could.
I often take a new exchange into my local Moose Lodge when I stop for
morning coffee. This is a relaxed crowd and they love seeing what I
have to share.
Marilynn
I love the exchanges and have participated in two already & learned a lot. But I am curious as to how the quantity of prints was decided? I find it quite a task and expensive to produce 30 prints, especially larger sized ones. I wonder could the exchanges be more varied and have some exchanges with a smaller number of prints/participants but do them more often if there is the demand? 15-20 prints would be ideal especially the bigger prints.
Also, people seem to struggle to meet the deadlines. The last exchange, due in by Aug 1st, hasn't arrived yet and I wonder if that is because other printers have trouble doing 30 prints in addition to their regular jobs?
Thanks
Sue
Susan Kallaugher Designs LLC
T:410-526-6367
F:410-526-7629
Susan,
I think when we started, I was in exchange 2...hard to believe I have been in Baren that long, and missed the first exchange by a few weeks...there were probably 30 people. And we just stuck with that number. It does seem hard to make many prints, but it makes you a better and better printmaker. Once you print several hundred of an image you have an amazing feeling of accomplishment and the prints get darn good. When we did the exchange with 100 prints, I finally got really good prints at about 50...so it made me wonder if I have always been doing less than wonderful work at smaller editions!
The forum started with only Japanese water-based media, and making 30 seemed like a normal task for that medium. Gradually we expanded it to include relief prints, on wood or lino as we hated to leave folks out if they did not learn moku hanga. We even allowed the oily people to join. So with several hundred members the Baren used to have waiting lists for exchanges, sometimes there would be two exchanges at once around a theme to accommodate everyone. Those of us who have been here a long time are a little tired, but still enthusiastic...I think 30 is a reasonable number for a printmaker to do. I agree with the expense, but use cheaper paper...that is what most do on the big ones and if you need advise on which paper for which medium there are several hundred people here that will help you if you have questions. The delay in prints for exchanges is an old one...every artist seems to leave things to the last minute and then unexpected things happen.
Few are on time or early. If you manage an exchange, the one great thing is you can be a week late with your own prints....I think unless you are doing commercial work you are unused to deadlines with your work. I always seem to find a better way about half way through and have to cut another block or start over....anyone who said it was easy to be an artist just has not done it. It is what makes our work good, we just keep striving for that new "something" that makes a single work better. So make 50 to get 30 and you will have 10 to throw away and 10 to give away.
My best
Barbara
15-20 prints would be ideal especially the bigger prints.
Also, people seem to struggle to meet the deadlines. The last exchange, due in by Aug 1st, hasn't arrived yet and I wonder if that is because other printers have trouble doing 30 prints in addition to their regular jobs?
Thanks
Sue
Susan Kallaugher Designs LLC
Susan...
Good points. I have a couple of observations.
First, from my experience as a coordinator several times, the prints are due back to the participants by a given date and the coordinator is allowed a month to collate them , do the colophon, reproduce the colophon, package up the prints and get them to the post office.
Second, some people are late so that pushes the return by a few more days. There is a penalty for those who are late.
Lastly, while I also find 31 prints to be a lot to produce at one time, I have enjoyed the challenge of doing a larger edition at one sitting. Normally I only print out as many as I need, holding the rest until a demand is created. But I have found the edition size has been a huge education in time management as an artist, improving my methods to prevent wasted time and materials. Also this is one of the times I cannot leave things to the last minute, starting on the prints almost as soon as the sign-up is official; even those of us who don't have "job-jobs" still have obligations elsewhere that impact on just how much time we have to create and print an edition.
I have my own suggestions.
Because the coordinator only receives money for return postage, it would be great if the colophon could be emailed out instead going out with the collection. Instead a document could be emailed out to the participants (who all have internet otherwise they wouldn't be participating in Baren projects). This would benefit the coordinator both timewise and Financially by not having to spend their own money on ink, paper, printing time. It would allow the participant a digital copy that they can print out at their leisure (or not). The coordinator would still print out the colophon and mail both it and prints to the archives. (I need to mention that some members do send more than just postage and that has been a blessing.)
Lastly, as a coordinator, I've appreciated greatly the sense of community that comes from doing the job and recommend that others take the opportunity to know their fellow bareners better by coordinating an exchange.
Diane
www.DianeCutter.com
www.theitinerantartist.blogspot.com
Thank you Mike. Lovely. Got Post-Digital and love reading about you and your
work. Bea Gold
I meant to say:
First, from my experience as a coordinator several times, the prints are due back to the coordinator (not participants) by a given date and the coordinator is allowed a month to collate them , do the colophon, reproduce the
colophon, package up the prints and get them to the post office.
Diane
www.DianeCutter.com
www.theitinerantartist.blogspot.com
www.DCutter.etsy.com
Wow, talk about a walk down memory lane...thanks Mike, I had forgotten a lot of these
Barbara
I've never found a satisfactory way to mount my exchange pieces. I've resorted to planning them for larger paper and just cutting them down for the exchanges, but this too can be unsatisfactory.
Why doesn't some one make mats and frames for the Japanese sizes? I'd buy them.
Ellen
The easy solution to the mat/frame size is to cut (or have cut) several mats with holes to fit the Japanese paper sizes we use. And an appropriate frame for each. Then it is a quick and easy matter to switch prints back and forth. If you want to float bleed prints just photo-corner them to a piece of mat and you are good to go. It's a simple solution which works for one of we simple folk.
Several years ago - perhaps on this forum - someone mentioned that in other countries they change artwork with the seasons and think that our idea of putting work up and leaving it there for a life time is bizarre. I've found that changing artwork is a great reviver of the decor - much more satisfying and a great deal easier than moving the furniture or having to go shopping for new throw pillows.
Cheers ~
Sharri
Bate: "To moderate or restrain (a variation of "abate"): to bate one's
enthusiasm, and, "to lessen or diminish," and "with bated breath - in a
state of suspenseful anticipation."
I had to look it up, since I've never been a person of great restraint.
Let me introduce myself for those of you who don't know me. Name is Maria,
been a Baren member for a long while.
I have always been a boat-rocker and some of my initial posts to this
wonderful forum were rebellious (I was very oily then, not so much now) and
typically impetuous.
As David Bull posted, seems that our beloved [Baren] has come to a
cross-roads, even a doldrums perhaps.
We, in the lead group, have all spoken in the past how the website needs
revamping, the forum needs modernizing, the Mall needs a remake.those are
all HUGE tasks because we have grown and grown since our humble beginnings.
We have for long seen the need to find the time to re-energize our
membership in today's terms, get more connected, more familiar to the modern
ways, more user friendly, and easier to administer. Those are the goals. The
time is now.
And so here it goes!
Chromoxylographers of the world, re-unite!!!
Without changing our friendly, knowledgeable and wonderful character, we are
about to become more...everything! in a good way, of course.
Among the grand plans are a new forum, a re-designed blog, a re-designed
website...
Our core program, the exchange program, remains the heart of [Baren] and
will stay the same.
In fact, in a few months, everything will seem the same.yet refreshingly new
and different, and ultimately, we hope to be a better "place" for our
membership to interact and share.
My role? New Head Instigator; think of a shorter, chunkier and less hairy
version of David Bull.
I know can never hope to come close to fill in the masterful shoes of our
founder.
I only hope I am strong enough to take a long energizing walk in my slightly
smaller shoes and pull all of you with me up and around the next bend on
this marvel of a road most of us simply call [Baren].
And I have a lot of help!
Maria
PS Stay tuned for upcoming directions to our new forum, the first gathering
stop on the road.
I think a portfolio or one of the Baren Exchange Cases
(
http://www.barenforum.org/mall/products/exchange_cases.html )
is the best way to keep the exchange prints. Looking through the complete exchange is to me a very satisfying experience. You can always frame or mount one or more if you wish.
Darrell
"with bated breath", one of those expressions used in the '50s, '60's,
maybe '70's. As in "I waited to see how the print comes out 'with bated
breath''" And I still do. Surprise!
Carol
Lyons