Alley Cats, Tigers and Retalia

Received this wonderful mailing from Mailart Martha.  The images are posted in a random order, although as it's elevenses the banana biscuits seemed key.

A while ago I aksed Martha if she wanted to exchange boekies with Kevin Gillen and me. I sent Kevin and Martha boekies.  I got this haiku back from Martha.  From her comments I suspect Kevin's boekie is yet to arrive, as I have not had anything from him yet. I am so slow responding to everything and have a backlog of blogging so when it does arrive, and I know it will,  it will be exactly the right time.

Beautiful book. AM yearning for spring today!

I missed this in Privte Eye.  Patrick, our Private Eye devotee, often shares things that he knows I will laugh at, and this was certainly a good one! How could he fail to entertain me?

And to put everything in context, Martha had wrapped her enclosures in the above shopping Trolley gallery info sheet.  (Martha used to actually have a trolley with Mail art that she took around). I love the word 'foldilope' too!

Thank you, Martha!

 

Be More Delighted

Well I was certainly delighted to receive this mail art from Pat Bingham in Idaho! The juxtaposition of beautiful watercolour and collage is stunning, personal and joyful.  Although I don't know Pat, I am convinced of her affinity for nature and happy to spend time looking at her wonderful creations.  Thank you. 

 

When Everything Sparkles

I remember when the Artist in Seine's holiday greeting arrived. It am always excited with this mail art. and the reindeer was twinkling in the front garden, the baubles were on the tree and everything was possible. Conjuring Howard Hodgkin kissed by Gillian Ayres, I can almost see the holiday spirit across the channel. 

Cheers, Artist in Seine! Happy last day of Chinese New Year, happy 2022 and see you in the post or maybe at the Tate one day! 

 

FE mail art

Great to hear from Gerda Osteneck with exciting plans a new movement is afoot in the mail art network… the FeMailArt movement! 

Who knows how long ago Gerda sent this or how long it has languished in my 'current' mail art file. I look forward to a new collaboration soon.

 

I'd swim with you, Bonniediva!

Over the years I have received a few pieces from BonnieDiva. All collages, I believe. One came from The Sticker Dude, for my archive.

When I receive something that is more abstract or a collage, with no context, I look for impact, for relationships, for colours and I rely on my emotional response to interpret or to commune with the piece. The first thing that came into my head, before I turned it over and saw 'Happy New Year, Be well!' was that it feels like a folk song. Perhaps it's the woman who reminds me of Carol King? I want to sing the Crosby Nash Stills and Young song: 'our house' as I look at it. Or the Coca Cola Ad ' I want to teach the world to sing.' It is looking backwards to a simpler time and hopefully forward to a time when it will be possible to all swim together again.

I feel your hands reaching across the Atlantic, Bonnie Diva.  Aren't we all starved for hugs and ready to pull our masks down and be part of this big, wide world with all our humaity!

Thank you.

 

Demise of a Democracy

As I keep hearing, 'we are at an inflection point' and the inflection point Sticker Dude is honing in on is the demise of our Democracy.  But I guess it's not all bad in the world according to Sticker Dude, or 'sticker art dude' as he calls himself on this mailing. Look at the mailart title/ tidal he presents us with: 'This is how Democracies fail and the quiet revolution blossoms…' 

I guess it's all a little bat-bleep crazy behind the voting curtain. Or maybe I shouldn't say that, perhaps that is perpetuating the big lie?

back of envelope

and as mailartists we all have our role to play. and if you are anythinglike me, you are a different mailartist on different days.

I read Sticker Dude's clipping service when the article first came out and re-reading it becomes more alarming.  After all the US has hadJanuary 6th since then. 

Thanks Sticker Dude, that's a lot to think about on a sunday night in January!
 

What can you do with your Celine Handbag?

Great to see that Dave and Patti have been able to take a well-deserved holiday to the precipice of Niagara Falls and that they got back in one piece, to send the postcard! 😉 Belated holiday greetings back at you!

I hope Dave forgives me for copying his personal note.  I just loved that play on words and thought I should give him all the credit for it! The carved Celine purse is fabulous, genius! I can see David's creations in the Sainsbury Centre with all the other ethnographic works of art! when you come back to the UK, we should visit. 

BTW, this is two mailings from Dave!

And as for Kate Moss, as I have been painting (in my green phase) all day, surely Gumby should be green. I see KM as more totemic than plastic child's toy anyway.

Thank you, David!