Hanner Postcard Swap: Kathy

Kathy McIntire's zentangle & watercolour lost a tiny bit of its washi tape in transit from South Carolina, but that hasn't marred its beauty one little bit.  I am a zentangle neophyte; my sister is an official zentangle teacher, but I can't identify the tangles Kathy has used, whatever they are claled they are wonderful. I think this dream is the kind you have when you are deeply asleep. It's intoxicating.  Thank you Kathy.

Zima - Katy Kehoe's new kind of inspired mail art!

Katy announces her mail art with a flourish of zentangles.  I have covered up her address in case she objects to having it at the Postal Ledger/ on the internet. Fittingly, I found a little leftover Figgy silkscreen to cover up the details. Look at her signature! K-K- Katy!

I love the way Katy has made pouches for each zentangle tile. It's like a flatpack book.  It's nice and safe from my sticky fingers, and so tempting the way the zentangles peek over the top. 

In case you don't know, Katy is an orange fanatic and the little orange tile is actually an accordion book secret note to me. One thing that Katy tells me in her message is that ZIA (zentangle inspired art) is 'a thing'.  By adding an 'm' (a special letter to us) she has created ZIMA (zentangle inspired mail art)!  I need to connect Katy to Suus in Mokkam who does her won version of ZIMA.

Here are the tiles scanned together.  Below I have zoomed in on each tile. I put some paper behind the zentangles because my scanner is dirty! 

There are lots of things I love about these teeny tiny drawings. The largest, the rectangle, is ATC size.  For one, I like the organic shapes of some of them and the way she composes the shape inside them. I love the way the subtle use of watercolour brings some of the imagery into relief. I like the 'mushrooms' and the contrast, and the white lines.  And I LURVE the exotic, flashy feel of the blue tile.  It is So me! Oh Katy Kehoe, what a treat you ZIMA was to receive!

Suus in Mokum - paper zentangle slide

There's been some debate about what constitutes a slide at Val's group: http://iuoma-network.ning.com/group/arty-slides-international?xg_source=activity.  In this 4X4 paper piece, Suus has combined her zentangle style with the feel of large format slides.  It looks like Suus used a metallic pen or tube of paint to seperate the cow image from the zentangle - it feels like the edge of a metal slide.

I love the way she's also created frames around her words. What Suus asks, at first, seems like a silly, funny question, 'why do cows have yellow earrings?' But once you look carefully and see what she's talking about and you read her second question, 'why do they have earrings at all?' you realise Suus is making a social comment.

Although it would have been tragic if this had been damaged by the postal system, this one would have really been doing its job if it were a postcard, traveling for all to see! Still I'm glad it's mine and arrived in its pristine condition. Thank you Suus.