Mail Art: Hand Painted and a Poem

This is a long overdue post about the packages I sent to my very patient friends since this past summer. I see that I am in need of another session in the studio putting together envelopes with art, images and letters.

Barbara received my first of several hand painted envelopes. Inside was a collection of pictures and handmade treats.

Kimi received another hand painted envelope and a hand painted card along with pictures, a postcard and stickers.

Sumi received a sketch on handmade paper which shares a similar colour tone with the photos. Gold letter, hand painted and space stickers rounded off the package.

Marcus opened a package to find our next trade. A BC sunset and two pressed sweet pea blossoms along with a painted cardboard postcard. At the time our prolonged summer was coming to an end and we were about to hit 80 days without a drop of rain. A few days later it began to rain with a vengeance.  I found a beautiful quote online and created an illustration to match.

The rain began again.
It fell heavily,
easily,
with no meaning or intention
but the fulfilment
of its own nature,
which was to fall
and fall.

- Helen Garner

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Mail Art Monday: Summer Edition

I looked back on my last post and could barely believe that well over a month has past since I last wrote about mail art. What can I say other than the lure of warm weather and time spent in my garden or around beaches took me far away from my computer most days.

In their postbox...

Jill had sent me a few pieces from her side of the ocean and so I sent her pieces of my garden in return. I also tucked in a few pictures from my region along with paper a postcard and a few more lovely chickens.

Sarah received a few photos from my visits (or time living in) BC, Nova Scotia & Ontario along with a few Canadian stamps. A petal from my garden, watercolour pieces and handmade stickers were tucked inside with a local postcard.

I returned Belinda's watercolour card with my fish drawings. The white circles reminded me of bubbles and so a few goldfish popped into mind when I started sketching. I returned the favour with a watercolour sheet of my own along with some handmade stickers, petals, a butterfly sticker and the twenty cents I owed her son for his lovely drawing.

Thankfully, the postcard I made for Jessica turned up while she was unpacking after her recent move.
This time I drew a fan on a scrap of paper and cut triangles out of the paper she supplied to create a colourful breeze cooling the air.

In my postbox...

Barbara spoiled me rotten with two lovely packages this summer. The first was sent during her summer holiday and included a sketch, a gorgeous flower photo, British Columbia paper clippings and the most delightful sprout bookmarks.

Barbara's second amazing package was all about waffles! My family has a tradition of having homemade waffles every Saturday morning. Not only did she create an adorable waffle pop-out illustration with a my very own logo, she went so far as to show me pictures of her own waffles... that she used for printmaking! I'm also assuming she saved some to eat.

Kimi sent me pieces of the Arthouse Sketchbook tour to me with her latest package. She was kind enough to check out my sketchbook while she was visiting (and nicking their paper ephemera for me). A print of a recent colourful and happy painting as well as a clipping of a sweet anchor dress were also included. If I ever came across this dress, I'd have a hard time passing it up!

I'm hoping that I'll post about mail art a little more often than seasonally in the coming months. The idea of spending a few hours tucked in my studio on a cool rainy day sounds like the perfect fall day.

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Mail Art Monday: Clothespins and Anchors

When I finished Valeria's traveling journal I decided to send it off to Kimi Kobashi. Since I was sending her the journal anyway, I felt compelled to add a few extra goodies. I drew a maple seed onto dark brown paper, using a peach coloured gel pen, a dinosaur and lily watercolour print, handmade stickers and a pretty clothespin photo postcard from Oakmoss were all nestled inside the handmade envelope. The postcard proved to be the inspiration for the staging of her post about my package.

Sumi Senthi received my bison envelope in very good time. Inside, she found a letter on brown paper, adorned with plus stamps, a watercolour tag, a circle remnants piece and a mixed bunting line full of astronomy clippings, washi tape and stickers. I also included a nude figure postcard I've had for ages, a lure print, part of a bookbinding postcard, stamps, stickers, an anchor punched paper, a clipping of a sperm whale and a 'drop your anchor, stay for awhile ' card.

When Catherine Stone requested mail art partners recently, I quickly took her up on her offer. For our first exchange I decorated a sheep envelope and stuffed it with a camera, lily and ship print, stickers, stamps, paper ephemera and a letter on brown paper, stamped with pluses.