SUNRISE

One of the perks of getting to work in the studio early in the morning is the chance to see a magnificent sunrise when it happens. This morning was not only one of those chances to see a magnificent sunrise but to experience something reminiscent of the "Twilight Zone".

I usually start the morning with a look at the e-mails and this was no exception. I was sitting at the computer, reading an e-mail at 7:15 AM when I heard a rapping on the door (or maybe it was on the window, now I'm not exactly sure... the door is metal and the knocker makes a hard sound). I thought it was strange because friends don't usually show up that early without calling first and my wife usually comes right in without knocking. I turned around and walked toward the door and through the window I saw the most magnificent sunrise I think I've ever seen. I had no idea this sunrise was happening because it had been dark and there had only been a slight hint of dawn when I entered the studio. I remember thinking that whomever was knocking wanted me to see this beautiful sight. When I opened the door nobody was there, just the neighbor's cat. I went into the house, which was still dark and quiet, and tip-toed to the bedroom. The bedroom door was still closed, as I had closed it before taking a shower, and my wife appeared to still be sleeping. So I got my camera from a drawer and took a couple of pictures of the sunrise. When I went back into the studio and sat down at the computer to download the pictures, the knocking happened again. I opened the door and again... there was just the cat. I called out, "Hello! Anyone there?" but there was no response. I looked over the fence (the gate had not been unlatched) and walked to both sides of the studio and saw nobody. There wasn't a breath of wind this morning and the cat wasn't able to reach the door knocker, so those were ruled out. I went back to the computer and sat down and in a minute there was another knock. I didn't turn around this time but just said "Come in!". Nobody came in. Later, when my wife was up and we were having breakfast, I tried to see if she had somehow been the one who knocked on the studio. She swears it wasn't her. Whoever it was, real, imagined or supernatural, I'm grateful for the heads-up to see that sunrise.

NOTE: Dear reader, if you were the one who knocked this morning... thank you! And when we meet again, don't say anything about it. I want to pretend there really is a "Twilight Zone".

Narrowness of Mind

While searching for something on the Internet the other day, I stumbled (tripped is more descriptive) across a website of an organization called Art Renewal Center or ARC for short... http://www.artrenewal.org/ I paused to browse and read a little bit and what I saw in this ARC site was the most bizarre attitude about art I have ever come across. I can't believe that an institution, which claims to include education as one of its mission statements, would spout such hateful vitriolic venom about some styles of art. There is an article on one of the pages by a man named Fred Ross who appears to be the originator of this organization. In this article he attacks various movements of art, which have gone in directions other than the realist movements he admires. His attacks are reminiscent of conservative, evangelical fundamentalist religions who believe they are right and everyone else in the world is wrong.

As anyone who knows my work or visits my website can see, I work with subject matter and I frequently use life or photographic references as a source for images. I am an advocate of the basic fundamentals of design and believe drawing from life to be an important asset in education. I am amused and confused by "art-speak" and the language of some contemporary art reviewers. All of which should indicate that I am not critical of ARC's support of realism. What astounds me, however, is the fear evident in the text of this ARC website. It's as if ARC and the authors on the site are afraid that, somehow, abstract art or any form of art which is not realist-based is threatening them and their artistic tastes. There are even three or four sections devoted to a vicious attack on the work of David Hockney, to an extreme which would suggest that ARC is declaring a fatwa and sees Hockney as their Salman Rushdie.

ARC appears to believe there is an organized and coordinated conspiracy on the part of non-realistic visual artists to eliminate any form of visual art prior to 1800. The only visual art acceptable to ARC is that which "represents" something three dimentional and in a very limited style. The painter, René Magritte explained this situation in his painting of a pipe, titled "La Trahison des Images", which, in English means "The Treason of Images". The inscription below the pipe on Magritte's canvas translates to "This is not a pipe". The message to ARC here is that a painting is paint on canvas, not a pipe or a person, or a landscape.

There's plenty of room in the world for all directions of artistic expression to exist and thrive without the need to resort to evangelical attacks against "non-believers". Just as there is room in the world for different religious and political beliefs. It would be a very boring world indeed if everyone thought and acted the same way. It has always seemed to me that when someone has to launch a personal attack against someone else for the way that other person believes, lives or behaves, the attacker is very insecure.

Lighten up, ARC! The "aliens" have landed, learn to live with them!

People often ask me about that little electric engraving tool shown in this picture. Some want to find a tool that will make engraving easier and a few have asked me if the tool would be kinder to arthritic hands. It's made by Foredom and it's called a micro motor. It spins at extremely high speeds and works the same way a dentist's drill works (it sounds like one too). There are other tools that work, but this one is the best I've found. There is no flex-shaft to struggle with. The hand piece is smaller than other brands, so engraving with it is like drawing with a fat pen or pencil. It's very handy when removing large areas of material. It's expensive and, like any other power tool, it can be dangerous. If the operator is distracted or relaxes, the bit (I use an inverted-cone shape) can bite into the material and pull the tool with it, out of control.
I use the power tool for most of my engraving. When I want total control and I'm working in a small delicate area, I use hand tools. For the most part, I can't finish engraving a block any faster with the power tool than with hand tools and I can't say that the power tool is any easier on my hands, arms or back than using the hand tools. I have no answer for the question: "Then why use it?".

More Ergonomics of Wood Engraving

I constructed a stand out of plywood (left), with a slightly inclined surface for the block and a lower shelf in back for a lamp. I covered the sharp edges of the stand with foam plumbing pipe insulation (the gray strip at the top edges) and adhered them with acrylic contact cement. To keep the stand from slipping on the Formica work counter I used a piece of rubber nonskid sheet beneath the stand.
This system has been working very well, with no complaints from my back or neck. Then a few months ago I began noticing my right shoulder was aching and as time went on it was getting worse. I couldn't figure out what was causing the pain until I realized it was because my arm was constantly raised as I engraved. The stand is putting my shoulder in an awkward position for hours at a time, day after day, week after week, and causing the pain.
I've learned that I need to change my working position periodically. I've changed back to a conventional chair and am working at the level of the work bench and the pain in the shoulder is gradually disappearing. I plan to change between these two work positions monthly, to eliminate the stress.
"A change is as good as a rest."

Ergonomics of Wood Engraving

I often engrave on a block during an eight, ten or sometimes twelve hour day, with breaks for lunch and dinner. A few years ago I began to experience back and neck pains and figured it had something to do with the way I was sitting at the work bench. I realized my back was straining as I leaned over the block to engrave and I remembered seeing an unusual chair at Simon Brett's studio in Marlborough, England. He told me then that it helped his back and I figured this might eliminate my back ache as well, so I bought one at a local office supply store.
When I sat in the "kneeling" chair with my butt on the upper pad and knees on the lower pad, and my back straight, my work bench was too low. I could see that I had to raise the work surface to keep my back straight. Old phone books and piled up sand bags weren't secure enough.

THE SURFACE OF BLOCKS

Printing an engraved block in a press requires a block that is consistently level and finding an end-grain block which is level and truly flat is not easy. Most blocks I purchase have low spots and sometimes the different segments of the block are at slightly different levels. This is a problem when printing on a press because the ink and the pressure are less in the low areas. I solve this problem by sanding all the blocks I use before doing any engraving on them. I've mounted plate glass to a high work table in my studio, upon which I attach carborundum sand paper in three grits (100 to 400) with rubber cement. For larger blocks I butt two sheets of the same grit together. The sand paper mounted tightly to the flat glass gives a very even surface.


I set the block on the sandpaper and, with modest pressure, I work the block in a small circular motion, moving it over the sand paper, making sure the block stays within the edges of the sandpaper. I try to keep the pressure I use evenly distributed over the back of the block. Periodically I rotate the block so I'm not applying more pressure to one area than another. At intervals I use a small hand vacuum to keep the grit of the sand paper from clogging with sand dust. Wood dust is easily removed this way. But "Resingrave" clogs the sand paper more and this synthetic material is very difficult to remove. I have found nearly all Resingrave blocks to have uneven surfaces. The Resingrave block surface has a smooth "skin" and, when sanded, small pits, which seem to be caused by air bubbles in the synthetic solution, are exposed.


I pick the block up every now and then and I look at the block at eye level, holding the block toward a strong light source. The pattern of sanded and unsanded portions of the block are apparent this way. When the entire surface texture of the block looks the same it means the high surfaces have been sanded down to match the low areas. I move then to the finer grit paper and repeat the process.