From James Wilkinson (Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK)

I love when I receive mail art with contents that someone has assembled for me! I take everything out and move the pieces around, I look for relationships and think like I'm solving a crossword puzzle. I wonder how the things came to belong to the person.  

James' envelope reminds me of a DVS Pullo collab. Do I need a gas mask when I am fusing plastic? I see pochahontas. I paddle down the lochs with her, arriving at the French Riviera, or some bureaucratic German town. I want my old denim jacket, the one I saved for Figgy and then she didn't want.  That owl would fit perfectly. Thank you James!

Celebrating the banana 2014

So many thing passed me by before I joined IUOMA and got involved with organised mail art.  I see swaps as organised mail art - who knew there was a banana day and that so many people thought it important enough to celebrate…

This year Jen reminded the group that it was time to swap and I was one of the first putting my hand up to take part. It just feels good to hone in on the banana and for someone like me, intrinsically serious and prone to over - intellectualisation, it's probably even a bit important for me.

I think I sent to more people than I've received from, but making more than ten of anything takes time and I'm sure the banana day is a moveable fruit salad, or something, so if any others trickle in I will post them here. 

What I notice as I look at my banana booty is how varied what I got is! Each one is  treasure in its own rite and I am delighted to share them with you. 

In no particular order…

Banana Boat by Jen Phillips(Stimpdawg):

Biologique banana collage by Adrienne Mason:

Tape transfer chimp by Alicia Starr:

Banana book reply from David Stafford:

 Banana acceptance speech by Dean Marks:

 Banana joke, stamps and collage by Katerina:

 Banana  tesselation by Lynn Radford:

 Banana statue annotation by Mathom House:

 and my banana book (photo courtesy of Katerina):

Arty Artists Slides

It's Arty slide time again and (drum roll), this mailing is my favourite so far.  THANK YOU ANGIE for oganising it! The 'rules' for this swap was favourite artist arty slides.  There were seven of us participating and each mail artist selected an artist to respond to.  We did a similar thing with Cheryl Penn and De Villo Sloan, making pages for an artist book, and I know Angie loved that project, so brilliant to bring the concept to arty slides!

It was fun to see who each person chose.  And let me tellyou, even though slides are tiny, they take longer than you think to make, package and send out and this mailing felt very thoughtful. thank you to all who sent to me! I haven't received from one of the group yet, but it's probably waiting in my mailbox today!

Loosely in order of arrival I present:

Amy Morton (Magritte)

Angie Cope (Cezanne):

Judy and Joey (Klee):

Robin Moore (Andy Warhol):

 Stripygoose (Bridget Riley):

From Amy Irwin (Nigel Tomm), a fantastic array of slides, ATC and stamps!

and I sent these (Albers):