From Kingfishers

I get the occasional thank you from schools when I work with children.  At the end of a project I might be handed a letter or a collaborative book.  As this one was posted,  I guess it belongs here. You can't see inside the books but there is a range of children's asemic writing!

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.

The mail takes a long time to reach Cranberry Island... but eventually Simon's letters arrive

My mother writes that since I left, I have 'received from Simon Warren pages 29, 31,32, 33, 35 of what appears to be a journal about his life with just writing and on heavy 9x12 card stock. Each was mailed separately with stamps and amazing to think the postal people got them here in fine shape. Eileen had kept them out of the box and in a special folder with a yellow card for pick-up.' My friend the post mistress is going to wait a day or two to see if there is more and then my mum is going to put them in a package to send to me.This is the mailboat.  Mail goes on and off the island in sacks and is sorted sometime before noon, depending on the season and the boat schedule. I suspected I might have something arrive from Simon in Maine as when I returned to England I found numbers 28 and 38.    Simon's letter took me to a New Yorker cartoon (May 13th issue)  I'd read on the plane:And as you know, I've just returned from Cranberry Island where some of my year-round peers thought of Cranberry Island as Simon speaks about Tring. They called it 'The Rock'.  As a visitor, it holds delights I can find nowhere else.  It's a bit like England to me because I feel (still) like I'm visiting.  

No Mail on Cranberry Island...

But Patrick says upon his return from Capetown that most of the mail was mine, so look for blogs when I get back to Suffolk: after a ferry to the mainland, a little plane from Bangor, a seven hour lay-over in Detroit, arrival in Schipol including a mad cap search for a hidden postcard, a hopper to Norwich, and a drive through East Anglia and finally to the farm.

Simon Warren and De Villo Sloan consider how we are programmed

No 27 from Simon begins with a topic that is not often out of the news in the UK.  The current Minister for schools has alienated the teaching unions as he steps up examinations, looks back in time for answers and creates new adminstrative hurdles and assessments. 

Meanwhile at one my bookmarked blogs http://minxuslynxus2.wordpress.com, Dark Wall has been responding visually to similar themes. Mink ranger writes: 'Sadly, a “Code Enforcement Officer” of the type suggested here might be a teacher or professor (present company accepted, of course). Anyone who maintains the codified messages of control and conformity.' 

a memory update

Carmela Rizzuto (US)

Viviana Cernjul (Argentina)

Diane Keys (US)

Erni Ilis (Brasil)

Heloisa Sonaglio (Brasil)

Pál Csaba (HUngary)

Ryosuke Cohen (Japan)

Brasil

Claudette Picance  Soares (Brasil)

Lavinia Thys

Maria Da Glória Jesus De Oliveira (Brasil)

Elisabeth Karam (Brasil)

Consuelo Margarida Rubio Debiagi (Brasil)

Am trying to avoid blogging exhaustion, but thought I would post recent memories, mostly from Brasil. I think the pieces from Brasil are from a mail art collective, Selus.  At the next pop up exhibition I'll have a table for people to dip their toe in the world of mail art.  If you want to send work in for the upcoming Suffolk exhibition at Old Barn you still have about six weeks! Please label your work with 'memories' so I know. Keep up with incoming mail art form the memories project at: http://memoriesaremadeofthismailart.blogspot.co.uk

The quilting D-Kult

Diane of Trashpo fame has been making trash quilts and I have been following this new direction avidly on her blog: http://dianekeys.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/trashwork-quilt.html 

There is something about Diane's trash quilts that turned on a lightbulb for me and I have been obsessed with my own version ever since!  So, you can imagine how delighted I was to receive an original trash quilt from Diane. I love the palette of this beautiful piece. 

 I think Diane and I can probably agree that once you start seeing things you find them everywhere.  With Diane and her envelope full of goodies I am seeing quilts.

 Of course Diane is a trashpoet first and foremost and 'Ragu Pasta Sauce' is a striking example of her flair. 

Not everyone sees a bit of trash, is inspired, picks it up, stashes it for the right moment and uses it in such an effective way! Diane, everything about this is right on my wavelength.

For the cat lovers among you, you might be interested to know that Diane's 'cat count is up to six'! their names have a trashpo feel: mystery and pop tart.
Thank you Diane.  I am just off to reclaim some plastic and fuse a little something for you.