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: Swaps and Space

The lazy days of summer have officially begun around here. With the end of school, we find ourselves moving through our days at a slower pace and not realizing we're still in our pajamas at 2pm. My list of mail art replies is growing, so I will have to carve out a little bit of time away from my garden and back in the studio.

In their postbox...

Emily received a few more of my origami envelopes full of stamps, prints clippings and punches.

Kelly put on a paper swap recently and I put together a package for Jodi full of postcards and bits of paper from my studio all nestled inside a sea otter envelope.

In my postbox...

Belinda's package arrived with a piece of art from her son (with a note that he is charging $0.20), stickers and a collaborative piece. I'm to draw on the watercolour image and send it back. I think I'll nick that idea and send one back in my next reply.

Jessica's adorable change of address postcard arrived from sunny California.

Jodi's package to me for Kelly's swap was stuffed full of of wonderful bits of paper, stickers and stamps.

Sumi's sea and space themed package was a delight! The ship illustration on the magazine is stunning and the old watch faces are intriguing. The best bit was the 3D paper with glasses!

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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.

Mail Art Monday: Nautical and Watercolour

Like early Christmas presents a couple of mail art packages arrived in my postbox this past week. They have me excited to resume my correspondence in the new year.

Sumi Senthi sent me another brown paper package, tied up with string. Any mail art that causes me to sing is a sign of something great inside. Sumi gifted me with many nautical themed items such as a print of a ship illustration on canvas, nautical stamps, a charm and button, an octopus sketch from her journal, a 'ship' dictionary page, a 'nautical' dictionary button, and bows. There was also a beautiful swallow illustration, a map mini envelope, music and book pages as well as a skull picture. The details in mail art packages are often the most delightful and I was thoroughly impressed by the 'S' wax seal and the gorgeous flower and bug stamps.

I wasn't expecting a package from Jessica Mack but was delightfully surprised when it arrived. Inside was a number sticker set, a red bookmark an original watercolour, two interesting pieces of ephemera and a Christmas penguin tag. Jessica mentioned a future move from Australia to the USA! If Australia is losing an Aussie, I wonder if they'd accept four Canucks? Tradesies?

If you're interested in exchanging mail art in the new year, send me an email at saylormade at gmail or send me a message on twitter.

... J