Good Grief! A month has gone by?

#210

 What a busy month it's been.

I was knitting lots and lots in preparation for a pop-up shop, making finger-less gloves, giving myself some sort of on-the-job wrist stress!

But it all worked out well, as my Etsy shop is empty, the pop-up shop sale was a success, but I still have a few pairs mitts at NEST! Stop by there if you're in RVA.

Mail Art still happening, too.  #210 has a throw-back look, doesn't it. I'm making lots more using the prints made for both C's and my pages from the Artist Coloring book. Fun to alter, as I've said before.

#244

#237

 I made my "Peace" cards again this season. Adding swashes of Inktense color to them.

I numbered them but didn't scan them individually except for this one. So far this year, while not doing a piece of Mail Art daily, I managed to make over 250 pieces, with a few more to come. My experiences with my 365 projects has made my practice of getting into my studio such a normal part of my life. There's no question that I'll go in daily and make something, even if it's not Mail Art.

We celebrated one night of Chanukah with friends, at Perly's Deli. We enjoyed a little carafe of bubbly, and a whole lot of delish food. If you're in our neighborhood, go there and eat!

We were delighted by our grand's delight at all the candles. Our niece & nephew hosted their annual gathering with many candles and excellent latkes.

It's been a wonderful year, full of lots of enjoyable experiences. How lucky we are and we know it!


Happy and healthy New Year to all of you, just in case it's another month before I post again.

Here's a photo of Bizoo, contemplating the world outside.

So Busy! With what, you ask?

#205

#206

#207

 After the exhibit for the Artists Coloring Book came down, I got back the prints that were hung up for people to color on. I cut them up into standard postcard size, of course.

They were on nice card stock, perfect for altering.





My honey gave me his prints to cut up, too. Lucky me, so many cards to alter.

#208

But what I've really been busy with is KNITTING! I'm like a maniac with knitting. I have some of my fingerless gloves, mitts, at a lovely little shop called NEST. They've set up a gift shop within their gift shop, full of hand crafted items by local makers.

If you're in my area, check them out.  Lots of fabulous goodies, including my mitts, and special small art pieces by my honey.

 I'm also participating in a one-day Pop-up shop on 12.13.14 (I love writing that!)
It's at the home of Bad Girl Artist Keithley Pierce.
Check it out here.  There'll be art for sale, including my mitts, and stuff by lots of other makers. There'll be beverages and snacks, too. Come on over, if you're nearby,  and chat with the makers and buy gifts for yourself and others.

Here is some of the lovely yarn that I use and here are a couple photos of already sold mitts to give you an idea of what they look like.

Meanwhile, I've got to get back to knitting.

Hope to see you!

Now where were we? What's going on in my neighborhood?

 At the end of October, while the weather was still warm, we took the grand-girl for a walk to the museum. She pulled "pull-dog" to but fro she needed a lift in her stroller. The pull toy is a Keith Herring wolf sent to me by a friend in Germany a couple years ago. The grand really likes it a lot. She's wearing her favorite spider socks in her starry shoes, by the way.

The weather has changed dramatically due to the Polar something and we are not liking it. We don't have proper clothing for these temps, or shoes.

We're staying indoors this morning, not just because of the cold but because we are hemmed into our neighborhood by the annual Richmond Marathon!! I can walk a block or two in any direction and see people running.

My African Violets are in bloom. Lovely to see them in this chilly weather. A reminder of spring.

I received a box of yarn from my niece M for my birthday. I've been making finger-less mitts and caps out of it. Nice colors! I've been production knitting. I have a dozen pair in my favorite little gift shop NEST, and am participating in a one day pop-up shop mid-December. My wrists will need a rest after this.

 I received this leaf from NSW, Australia. It's an alteration of one of the cards in my Installation last month at the Nowra River Festival. So far, only this card has been returned to me.  We're planning another installation there in May with triple the number of postcards.

These are the cards that I made for Banana recognition day, which is this coming Monday. I'm not sure it's a real "holiday" but my buddies in the IUOMA celebrate by sending cards. This is my second year of participating.

It's fun to have a theme, right?


So this is what's going on these days since we last met up.


Oh and we can't end without a photo of our cat, Bizoo, right?

Mailing out circles- Conversatioins!

#201

#202

#198

#199

#200

Mail Art, of course, and some news!

#193

#194

#195

 Notice that I'm circle happy these days.

Perhaps because I've started a group on IUOMA (the Internation Union of Mailartists) that is all about circles.

It was suggested to me by a colleague
and it's taken off. Obviously, it needed to be started!

#196

#196

The two pieces with the black background were inspired by a jacket that someone in my Spanish class was wearing. I was very attracted to it - it had a black background and a print of pink and rose calla lilies with green leaves. These pieces do not do it justice but they are reminders for me.




















My friend sent me this eye so I had to use it to alter a card I received announcing a photo exhibit.













This collage was sent off to France as a thank you to someone who sent me a lovely little water color painting in an envelope with my name calligraphed on it so beautifully. What a treat.

I like how this piece has a spatial quality to it. It's so float-y. Do you like it?

So here's my news!

Shoalhaven River Festival NSW Australia

I sent 30 prints of photographs that I took driving the New Jersey Turnpike (I've mentioned these before) and made them into postcards that were sent to Micro Galleries (friend Kat Roma Greer) who had them installed along the river for the festival. The deal was that people would take them away, alter them, and send them to me. I'll set up an installation here, locally, with the a copy of the original and the pieces I receive back. All of the pieces were taken so I hope I get lots back, but if I only get one or two, I'll be delighted.

Some Mail Art and more

#189

#190

#191

Rte 40

Folk Festival 2014

The two pieces with the hands are old familiar defaults. Grab a piece of paper that I've punched circles out, add circles inlayed or on top, add a hand; compose and Voila! More Mail Art!

The Cavellini card is for an exhibit that Mark Block is putting up about Cavellini. It's the 100th anniversary of his birth and I just happened on an announcement for a 2013 exhibit on his work. Perfect to take apart and re-position.












More on the topic of Inequality of Income: I just read an article today and got this information that I"d like to share with you even though it's no longer Blog Action Day.

"The average net worth of the bottom 50% of families - a group of about 62 million households - was $11,000 in 2013. Adjusted for inflation, that figure is 50% lower than in 1989." Are you shocked? I am! And then there's this; "The average real net worth of families in the country's top 5% has jumped from $3.6 million in 1989 to $6.8 million in 2013...an 89% surge."

What can I say? Again, no solution given in the article to how to correct this inequality. Dang!!

Blog Action Day 2014, #INEQUALITY, #BAD2014

 When I registered to participate in this year’s Blog Action Day, #BAD2014, with the theme of Inequality, I had in mind one thing but something else kept popping up. Several references, an article, something on the radio, a snip of conversation, all about Income Equality. So I had to follow where the universe was leading me. And I'll probably be stating a lot of obvious things.


An article, in my local newspaper, by David Sirota really sparked my interest. He asked why income inequality is not a big issue? Why are people not making a really BIG deal out of it. What was revealed, for the United States, is that most people are not aware of how BIG the gap is between rich and poor. A new study by Harvard University and Chulalongkorn University was noted. Data from 40 countries was  analyzed. They found that everyone underestimated the gap. Here’s the information for the U.S. - People thought that the ratio of income between a CEO and a worker was 30 to 1. Well, guess what folks, it’s more like 350 to 1. HUGE! Because people aren’t aware of this, the desire to take action isn’t there. People feel that it doesn’t impact them directly, but economic inequality, if not dealt with can create problems in the area of criminal justice, economic growth, personal and public health, and even our high infant mortality rate. Who knew, well some people, of course, but not enough.

People working in minimum wage jobs cannot support themselves, let alone families, and provide them with adequate nourishment and health care. Just not possible. This is a direct correlation to income inequality. The cycle of poverty surely can’t be broken, under these circumstances. Oh dear.

The Sirota article ends with the fact that “Americans mis-perceive just how unequal their country has become.” Here’s the link to the list of 10 countries with the worst income inequality. Some of the countries on the list will surprise you. Unfortunately, the United States is one of them. Surprised?

Unfortunately, ah, I use that word again, the author of the article offered no solution.   One thing I do think would help would be to raise the minimum wage, have every job provide a living wage, so that people could afford a place to live, enough money to feed themselves and their families, and have affordable health care. Our entire country would be better off if everyone was healthy, housed, educated, and not hungry. (tso - to state the obvious!)

Oh dear, again, I’ve just made myself  blue. I think I’ll go make something. That always cheers me up and makes me grateful for every advantage that I’ve had. Really.

And I'll vote. Hopeful me is thinking that someday we can make a difference.  What was it that Margaret Mead said? - “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Oh Margaret, I sure hope so. Now where do we start!

Any ideas? Any one?

Tomorrow - Blog Action Day 2014 #blogactionday14

Join me tomorrow! The theme - #INEQUALITY
See what I've chosen to write about.
For more information see Blogactionday.org.
#BAD2014

Some Recent Mail Art and A MAIL ART CALL

#186

 Our museum of fine art, VMFA, is having a major exhibit from China opening very soon. I've made use of their promotional materials in a few of my collages.


Lucky me to have such good material to work with.
I'm looking forward to the exhibit, too.

#187

#188

photo credit: M. Dove

My friend has been "bitten" by the Mail Art bug and now she wants to share Mail Art with her community via her art gallery.  Here's a photo of the country side in her area. Lovely, isn't it?

Please send her some landscape Mail Art!



Global Landcapes


The Cooper-Finn Gallery, in the picuresque village of Millbrook, NY, wants to spread the joy of Mail Art.

Where do you live? What does your landscape look like? Interpret it as you wish for this upcoming and on-going exhibit.

Theme: Global Landscapes
(family friendly, please)
Size: standard postcard
Any medium
No jury, no return, documentation on-line

Deadline: open

Mail to:
The Cooper-Finn Gallery
P.O. Box 1355
Millbrook, NY 12545

Really? A month?

I can't believe that nearly a month has past since my last post! Incredible! I don't think this has happened in all the years I've been doing this.
Well, what's up! We went on a beach holiday on the 14th of September for a week. That was lovely.

 I left origami birds for the Fold the Flock project in Corolla.

photo credit: N.Scalin

We stayed in a lovely beach "cottage" that our DIL found through the internet. I wanted to stay there forever!

 The beach was beautiful and quite sparsely populated this time of year.

Our grand-girl loved the ocean and the sand. One gigantic sand box to play in, right!

I'm on a roll!

#170

 Since, I'm in a catch up mood, I'll post some of the other pieces of Mail Art that I've made. More of my exploring the Inktense and water color pencils.

#171

I added some collage bits to these, just because. I'm particularly pleased with #172, the way the large circle appears to be part of the water color area.

#172

An acquaintance invited me to submit something to an exhibit in one of her Micro Gallery projects. She wanted 30 items, Mail Art for people to take away. 
 Since I do individual cards, usually, this would have been difficult, but I thought of the prints from another project that had gotten water damaged. I was able to cut away the borders, where the damage was, and ended up with postcard sized works. They're photos that were printed up for an exhibit I had several years ago.
It was called the New Jersey Turnpike Project. I would take photos, not driving, allowing the irregularities in the roadway, to cause the camera to move. The results were such fun. Lots of lights along the strip from the Holland Tunnel to Exit 11, if you know that route.

Here's a photo of the grand girl contemplating the big Buddha, at VMFA.