Landscape Beautification Project

This is one of many images of my Landscape Beautification project. I don't remember if I've posted it before, but here it is again, if I have. I've enjoyed adding paintings to vintage landscape postcards, most of them kind of boring. Finding the right painting to fit into the image, the right angle, the right color, is challenging and fun for me.  This one was sent out to someone - I can't remember who - the other day.

Artist Trading Cards - random poetry (VisPo)

Went into my studio this morning and 

got the sudden urge to make 

some small poetry ATCs. 

Adding to the Mail Art - A slow but steady year.

#116

 This year, I will not get 365 pieces of Mail Art completed. So it goes. I was out of commission for a bit this year, which set me back but even so, I'm no where near my usual out put.

And because of that, I'm not getting as many in-coming pieces of Mail Art. This makes for a sad mail box. SO, I'm going to get busy and ---

#117

#118

#119

#120

make more and send more. That's the solution!




Card #120 was inspired by Hannah Hoch. See an example of her work below. She's one of my favorite collage artists, and I'm a member of her fan club.

Hannah Hoch

What's been going on?

#72 re-d0

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#105

 Here are some recent pieces of mail art, including one that I added pieces to related to music. I sent it to a Mail Art call exhibit in Columbia - theme city of music.

#106

Besides, making my own Mail Art, I've been busy scanning mail coming in for the bicycle themed exhibit.  This is in conjunction with the UCI World Races which will happen very soon here in Richmond, VA, USA. Exciting!

Oh I have to get busy posting and making signs and lists of participants for display at the venue.

 We took a few days away from the city. My DIL found a lovely Airbnb for us to stay in at Duck, NC, on the Outer Banks (OBX)

It was a great location, short walk to the ocean, and to the sound.

It was wonderful to hear the sounds of the waves, again. Two of the days, the no swimming flag was up, as the ocean was wild! We were sad to say good bye but are already thinking of our next stay there.

What happened!

#84

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#86

 4 days after my previous entry, on the 12th of June, I had an unfortunately encounter with a cement floor.

The next morning, I was in surgery and when I came out, I had a new hip.

It's been like a strange dream, I can't believe it happened to MOI!!



While in hospital PT and OT, my hunny brought me some supplies and I made several collages.

That made me feel more myself.

I had a bunch of bits cut out and hunny brought those to me so I had good material to work with.

#87

#88

I'm happy I had lips and hands and eyes, amonth other things, and black paper. How convenient!

All of these are little narratives. All they need are titles, and maybe stories.

#86 reminds me of the book I started by Neal Stephenson, for some reason. It's called Seveneves.















The word is from an envelope that I received. It looked handprinted on it, and I liked it a lot so I saved it.

It was perfect for this collage on the day that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the equality of marriage.

Some art, and a reminder about Slow Art

 A collage on an old book cover. I'll be sending this out with the address on the same side as the collage? I left room for that and yet, I'm not sure about doing it that way. I guess I can add an address label on the reverse on the book cover image. What do you think? Address this side? or leave it alone?
Advice?

My friend Andrea, of Found Art fame, sent me some things including an old postcard from Russia.  She said that I could alter it, so I did.

 Here's a photo from last year's Slow Art Day event. Folks looking at a Jasper John's painting, slowly.

So if you can join me, register HERE so I'll know you're coming.
If you don't live near me, find a venue near where YOU live. Check out the venues HERE.

Come along, bring friends, family, whomever, all ages welcome.

No experience needed, just a time to look at art slowly and enjoy.

Sunday, fun day.

#51

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#54

I just learned about a postcard project through Brain Pickings. Wow, check it out HERE.
This group of mail art collages were made using scraps sent to me by Cecil Touchon of the Museum of Collage, Assemblage and construction.  Well, actually, I donated money by purchasing a packet of the scraps. What a cool idea. And in return, I cleared a path on my own work table and sent him a bunch of scraps to use for collage night at the museum. Fun, this is such fun.

Mail Art and why I've been gone so long.

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#23

 Some lovely person, who's a member of IUOMA (International Union of Mail Art) sent me a piece of very old newspaper, plus a friend gave me some old books. I enjoyed playing with this old paper, though carefully, as some of it was quite fagile.  I felt like I was getting back to my collage "roots."


I made a number of these red cards to send out to friends. Now I want to make lots more in various color themes.

  Hostage colors, someone once said - must have red for Valentine's day, and red and green for Christmas, etc. But red IS such a lovely color.

Here's Mona with a red ball floating in the water behind her. She doesn't seem to notice, or doesn't care, or maybe she's the one that tossed it in?

If you haven't checked out my latest Mona post, check HERE.

So things have been busy. We went to New Orleans NOLA for a few days to celebrate our 48th wedding anniversary. Yes, we've been married since we were babies, in case you wondered. It was sooo much fun. That is a fabulous city for celebrating. They're all about hospitality!

And I've been working on a couple projects, which I'll tell you about in a few weeks.
And I've been spending time hanging out with our grand-girl, who is delightful.
And I've been knitting the never-ending toddler sweater project, which I unravel and reknit trying to get it right.

I'm actually trying to distract myself at this moment, by writing this post, as I've news from afar that my mother is in hospital. She's 101, so one never knows.
So it goes.

Do you have something you do when you want to distract yourself from thinking about something you don't want to think about? Share, if you'd like.

The weather, the cards, the cat, & me.

 What a difference a day makes! Here's what the little lake looked like on Wednesday when I cut through the park after my Spanish class. Gray day, with a few birds heading my way thinking I had something for them. So chilly.

But just warm enough for SNOW. We awoke to find a dusting of snow. It continued to snow light little flakes that melted quickly. I'm glad I got this photo from the bedroom window. So pretty, but I"m glad it didn't pile up and immobilize the city.

I'm happy to be knitting again and have filled my yarn drawer with the best supplies. Since my favorite yarn shop is gone, I've ordered through the internet. This yarn came from England in a pink mailing bag & a net gift bag. Sweet! The source is LoveKnitting.

This week, I've been practicing the zigzag/chevron stitch. Tomorrow, I'll have the maestra check it out in class to see how I'm doing with it.

I'm continuing to make Mail Art. I've just started to number them in order of making them. Simply #1, #2, etc.

 The pressure is off to make one a day, but I'm making 2 some days, 4 another day, zero another day. It's just so fun and, the practice has been established.

Remember: Creativity is a Practice.

I was busy working in the studio when the story stopped suddenly. I turned and saw the culprit! Bizoo!
He ejected the disk - Neil Gaiman reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane. What? He didn't like it.

More catch up, before the time changes....

 My neighbor decided that a Halloween party was in order. I don't like to do costumes, so I dressed as WARM because it was very cold the night of the party. Beetle Juice is played by my honey in a costume created by our son a few years ago. It was quite effective

#303

More Victoriana, some French and some Italian text on cardboard from a cereal box.

#304

I treated myself to some new Washi tape. Here I use it merely as a design element and not in any narrative context. 

#305

NEW, this card, however used OLD elements. The paper scraps are from an old book.

#30

Minimal - a circle, some old paper, and four random words.

This is another nail polish color that I like to wear in the fall. I've been very careful about polishing my nails. It's like a meditation, waiting for polish to dry. I have to be quiet, not move about, be patient.

Catching up my Mail Art (again!)

#251

 The plants are popping up, it seems like over night. I looked in the alleyway yesterday and no iris, or so it seems, and today, several iris in bloom! Lovely to look at, lovely scent.

I used some cardboard for this weeks mail art;  scraps of paper samples in non-random placement for these 2 cards.

#101

I really like this #100. Somehow it just satisfied me. I used scraps of paper sample and looked for an arrangement that pleased me. Turned out that it appears that one part got cut off from the other, which I didn't intend. It works! Lots of action and space.

#100

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