Wednesday, October 29, 2014

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.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

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!!

Thursday, October 16, 2014

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?

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Saturday, October 11, 2014

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!

How did I get into this?

I was asked when I started doing Mailart. Good question. Like many artists, I was making and mailing art without even knowing it had a name ...