Giant Whirlpool of the Mail Art Wave

For quite a few years I have been faithfully blogging wonderful mail art I receive.  I made lots of mail art too. Sometimes when I get a pile of mail art and don't manage to blog it for a little while, I can feel as if I am being swept away in a mail art wave. I think this is a positive idea, though.

Unknow artist
reproduction Sticker Dude

design: theo nelson
text: The Sticker Dude

Notice the stickers and stamps! Wonderful!

Stickers and stamps on back of envelope

Thank you Sticker Dude. peace!

~Gi

 

Essence vs substance

In early summer I signed up to take part in Amalgamated confusion's Exquisite Corpse project. These things take a long time and these two pieces above and below were Keith's stop-gap mailings before he gathered everyone's pages and put the whole beautiful thing together.  I hope to blog THAT in a few days. It arrived a few weeks ago and I was agog!

On a completely different topic, while running this morning, I figured out that mail art is what I do when I have time.  It's my pleasure, not that work: painting, isn't, or that I don't love to garden and even cook but I can rationalise all that as 'work'.  Mail art if my frivolity, although it isn't. It is playful but play is essential. I was thinking about that because I was trying to figure out why I never have time for it and Patrick has time to rebuild a car.  I couldn't answer that, but I realise I need to make time again for this pleasure.

Many thanks for all this beautiful stuff to whet my imagination and to help me play! and who knew there is a mail art day? Everyday should be mail art day!  Beautiful work, as ever.

 

Ticket! Ticket! Series 5 = Cascadia Artpost

I love Cascadia's Ticket! Ticket! I sent some stuff in and Cascadia scanned some of it in and made some fabulous stamps from the tickets and ephemera I sent. Cascadia tells me that 33 participants contributed and he still has some leftovers for series 6. You can get in touch with Cascadia if you want to contribute in the future. 

I will use my extra sheets to bedeck my mailart.

I wll also use this public forum for a round of applause for his successful recent hip replacement and a big thank you for including me in this project.

Cascadia used some of the ephemra I sent in to make stamps that he used on these envelopes!

 

Trashpo Slodki

Whatever Gorzki and Stodki mean, this man in a hazmat suit is doing important business.Let's be clear, I'm all for science.  I'm also for mail art and receiving trashpo mail art from Piotr in Manchester is a happy treat for a cold January.  Thank you! I love the repetition and oppostion of the stamp and the upside-down collaged figures. And who wouldn't love six teacakes?

 

Eye Spy Topsy Turvy Things

Great to receive this from Carmen quite a while ago.  I had a stack of mail to blog and lots going on.  Then my touch pad started flashing and it was week long trip to the apple store.  So, finally back and now can thank Carmen properly for this exciting mail.  

What I notice first is the magical feeling of Carmen's work.  It suggests a place at the edge of memory and yearning. It is a world populated by things we understand but somehow they aren't doing exactly what we imagine they should be doing.  I guess this coul be a nod to the 'topsy turvy' nature of the world right now.  I love Carmen's aesthetic and her fantastic stamps! I file everything I receive but I might have to photcopy the stamps to use a copy on some mail I promise to send out soon!

If you want to know more about Carmen you can visit her blog Carmen's art website. 

Life in Lockdown… a Pandemic Party?

So in the UK we are still pretty much in lockdown.  We can only visit with one person who isn't living with us. Most of us don't leave the compound. I have read about people having parties to 'get infected' (not around here) thinking that eventually they will be able to acquire a certificate that they have had the virus andwill be able to get on with their lives. Not sure whether that is what sticker dude is aluding to.  For me, being home with key people is not so bad, in guilty moments when we are sharing a meal we have made, I might even call it a party. 

I heard a newscaster talk about how masks can be fashion statements. I am finding this a no fashion time, and I don't see anyone so who cares, right? 

For me, not following fashion is freeing.  I miss my charity shopping but on balance I am in a free lockdown. I think Sticker Dude's lockdown stamp (Ed's?) is a visceral reminded that for some lockdown is unpleasant. 

Zoom in and read Sticker dude's note about mail art in the time of coronavirus. Relieved that no symptoms in Joel's house.

 Three great collaged ATCs and another toilet paper joke!

 I can imagine that John Prine was an influence on Sticker Dude.  I have to admit to having to google him to place him.  Once I'd heard a bit I could place him. They took me to a beer garden in the bay area and another near Santa Rosa. 

As ever, Joel's envelopes are full of detail that we can linger over. Yesterday I went to the post office and learned that they are only selling books of stamps with the queen's head on them.  HMM.  I'd rather have a hummingbird, or Mother Theresa any time.

Thanks Joel, and wash your hands!