Gosh, I am feeling so green right now! I am spending most of my free time looking at all the cool artwork from all around here and the blog links. I am wondering about proper etiquette for sending and receiving mail to people here at IUOMA. I love to get mail and I am building pieces to be able to send out soon. I have only sent 2 cards out so far, but I want to know if I add friends on here should I expect to get a piece of mail from them? Or do I need to ask them to send one to me when I make a friend request, or should I just send one out to all my new friends?

All your ideas and feedback is welcome! Looking forward to exchanging cards soon!
Thank you,

BTW, I love this place! Thanks Test Tower!

Views: 231

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Thank you! Yes, it helps- I guess I just thought that everybody sent art to everybody all the time! LOL! (See, I'm such a rookie!) I will ask friends once I get a few more on here if they want to trade. I have always loved stamp collecting since I was a kid, so this makes it even more fun with all the canceled stamps & postmarks! Thanks for the tips!
"Senders receive", as the saying goes in the 4th Dimension :-)
Make friends, send mail art to them, and usually you will get an exchange.
Then, too, participate in several of the mail art calls, often with exhibits and
most always with documentation. It is a great community of artists here!
Thanks! I'm just trying to determine if I should keep the drawings I do original to each individual, or if I should scan and print to multiple friends........hmmmm. My wife seems to like the first option because it will challenge me to draw more! Sounds good to me! HeeBee JeeBee said it well and I will take that into consideration. Thanks again my new friend!
Hola tocayo Francesco ( yo soy Francisco) comencé a conocer esta página de IUOMA hace un mes, envié mail art a Taller de Zenón Sevilla y me contestó con mail art muy completo, él me guío para mis primeros pasos, he enviado trabajos a varias convocatorias y suelen enviarme e-mail cuando reciben los trabajos, yo envio originales pero los escaneo para tener yo un recuerdo o referente, es buena idea escanear e imprimir a varios amigos, pero si lo que quieres es una obra única y personal pues no. Yo ultimamente pongo añadidos pequeños trozos donde aparece fotocopiada la foto de mi cara para que me conozcan los amigos o algun dibujo curioso diseñado por mí y quiero que llegue a varios.
From everything I've seen in the short time I've been sending things out, the only real etiquette that I've noticed is "Senders receive."

Otherwise, there seemst to be varying levels to which people participate, from those that simply mail out a few photocopies, such as myself, to others that mail out each original singular piece of art.

Some don't participate in calls for submissions/gallery exhibits, and others do.
Just don't replicate my mistake and neglect responding for over a year, I still feel pretty crummy about it. There's always a little time in the day, at the end, or the beginning to do a bit.

I guess the question, is the same as all participatory acts, how involved do you want to be?
hola francesco!

you had mentioned if you should create original art for everyone you send to, or scan send copies... well to let you know what i do: i create everyday so have lots of original art around, but i also scan and print them too. so to someone new i might send something original from me, then through many exchanges with that friend i usually send a mix of original and copies. i create mini books, which i photocopy and send out but usually accompany it with some other art work or goodies. so i guess my answer is that i do a mix. original art sometimes and copies other times. it will also depend how much time i have and how many people i plan to mail out to and how well i know them.

when i started here at the IUOMA, i would ask my friends if they wanted to trade. i don't think i came across someone who said no. and up to now have mostly always received something back. and with some of my friends we exchange back and forth and i have lost count on the number of exchanges! really fun stuff!

now i'll often just create a bunch of art and send out as surprises. it's the best to get the reaction of surprised mail art friends, a real treat at the mail box! but will still ask to trade with new friends or to re-initiate trades with old friends.

hope this helps!

and i have a little mail art something something leaving my hands soon for you...
see you in the mail!

jennlui
Thank you! You have some really good points. I am trying to draw and create as much as possible right now too, however my schedule has been crazy and I am self employed. But I might have found a way to accompany my new found love.......I'm printing a scanned original and coloring them individually and sending them out. So now Its a matter of coloring time! LOL! Thanks for sending me some Mail Art! I will get something out this month to all my new friends! Appreciate your feedback and thanks for adding me!

Visit my network at: http://monteleoneart.ning.com/profile/FrankMonteleone to see some of my paintings
Hi everybody - Well I am feeling badly because I owe most of you at least one Mail Art each. Sheesh, it's tough keeping up. Unless I am answering a Mail Call, I usually make mini editions (2 - 5 copies) and send them to friends. This last one, I made 8 ea. and sent them out, trying to catch up. I think your question on this is a good one Frank. Unique is best, but it takes so much time! Plus, this strategy allows me to be much more lazy! -- just kidding - kinda.

And it takes time to get settled into exchanges - send out things everywhere and see what comes back. The more you send out, the more you will receive in return. I think it was 4 - 6 months before I got anything back - and boy was I excited to get something. Must have faith and patience my friends.

So, for you who have sent me a lot of stuff - Like Wilma and Katerina (dear friends), I will get something out in the very near future - (sorry it took so long - please don't cut me off Wilma)! Frank and Jennlui too - for let it be indeed true - Senders receive! Anybody else - send me something already! And Frank - we need to get together over a beer soon and discuss things. Sound okay? Cheers all, Test
Not too stress out about having to send to each and everyone who sends you mail art...
or at least, not to have to do it immediately.
I tend to work on a theme often inspired by one of the artist's blog or interests (thus so many art postcards with "towers" for Test Tower ). I do not expect that I will get a card for every one I send, that is not my intention anyway. My aim is to make art!...(and send it out in the world to friends).
It is NICE, however, when that friend sends a "thank you" via message here or email, that it arrived,
(and some post it here at IUOMA or on their blog,too.)
With the fast communication here and on the internet, getting a notice that mail art has arrived seems to be good etiquette and very much appreciated. Thanks .....tis nice to make art!
i agree with katerina and myself don't always send someone who has sent me mail art something back right away. depending on the theme that i am currently working on, it might not be a fit for that individual. like katerina, i work in themes. so will makes lots with a certain theme then get inspired by something else and move on to another theme. but up until now, i have sent back a little something to everyone who has sent me something (or working on it...), yes senders receive.

well it helps that i usually work in miniature... most of my works are ATC size (2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches) or smaller, currently i'm loving 2x2 inches. i sometimes do postcards but those are usually collages and my largest.

when i joined the IUOMA, within a few weeks i had received some mail art and got started quickly at networking and asking for trades. again like katerina, i find now that i am at my happiest with simply creating and sending out without expectation and for the joy of creating and sending.

honestly, my favorite is to receive a note here or email saying that my mail art was received, and most do that. it's not a written rule or anything, just nice. i will always send a note here to the sender that i have received their art and plan to send something out soon (or in a few weeks...) or even telling them that i am swamped and will get back to them when i can. i used to post all the mail art i received on my blog, but now have such a gigantic pile of mail art that i just stare at it and think that i will eventually scan it and post it... eventually.

i think to have a real lasting love of mail art is to create for the fun of it and send out to share that love. receiving something back is way awesome, but to be attached to that outcome only would be discouraging sometimes. however, i've had had only good experiences in the 6 months that i have been here.

wow this is getting crazy long... all the best francesco!!!

RSS

Support

Want to support the IUOMA with a financial gift via PayPal?

The money will be used to keep the IUOMA-platform alive. Current donations keep platform online till 1-july-2024. If you want to donate to get IUOMA-publications into archives and museums please mention this with your donation. It will then be used to send some hardcopy books into museums and archives. You can order books yourself too at the IUOMA-Bookshop. That will sponsor the IUOMA as well.

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

© 2024   Created by Ruud Janssen.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service