Valentine Mark Herman's Blog (134)

I have been 'monitoring' those IUOMA members whose Birthdays have appeared on the 'Birthdays Today' part of this site. I started this, because I did not recognise many of their names, and wondered if they were indeed active members of IUOMA?

This led me to try and define what an 'Active Member' was, and to see how many of those whose birthdays were listed are indeed active.

I found that about 1 in 5 of them…

This morning I received a package from Katerina. 'It rattles', said the PostLady; 'Perhaps it's got broken.' This what the package looked like:

'DO NOT SMASH' it says on the front of the envelope. And what's on the back?

Oh Katerina! (And how did…

The package from His Ernisness looked innocent enough (rather like Erni, you might think):

A bit crazy (rather like Erni, you might think), and so I flipped it over:

And there was Muttri and Flanby, going head to head -- with a Spanish orange, I…

The following article appeared in the UK press last weekend: I know what was in it -- MAIL ART!

“Letter arrives 62 years late, and empty”…

....some REAL Christmas cards/messages/envelopes, etc, mailed to me -- me, personally -- through the post, with a stamp, with my address on, etc. These I will value. To me they represent the spirit of Christmas.

What I do NOT, definitely do NOT, want are impersonal and mass electronic circular Christmas messages sent to me and a Hundred and One other people (and their dalmations) at the same time. These I do not…

On November 22, 1963, I went to the Globe Theatre, Stockton, to see the Beatles. It was the only time I got to see them.

I went to the gig with 2 girls I was in love with -- Diane and Jenny (for the purposes of this Blog, I will not use their real names -- Jenny and Diane).

It was a great concert, although you couldn't hear much of the music because of all the screaming.

We took the bus back to Darlington, and snuggled up all cosy and warm together on the back seat, and…

This appeared in the UK 'Daily Telegraph' of 12/ix/2013:

"Australia's postal service has released a world-first 'video stamp' which allows people to send a 15-second video with their parcels. The new service allows senders to scan a coded stamp on their mail bag and record a message on their smartphone via an app, and then stick the stamp to their parcel. Recipients can view the message by scanning the message on their smartphone or tablet or by entering a code on the…

At 06.29 CET on Tuesday 8 October, I am the ONLY one of IUOMA's 3,136 members to be online.

Does this mean that I am, albeit only temporarily --very temporarily, I hope -- representing in some way the whole Mail Art community?

If so, the responsibility is too much.

It is overwhelming.

I am overwhelmed.

I had better log off.

(But then who will take over?)

Good bye, Val

As I am sure you do not reminding, but I will remind you anyway, September 25 is St Hermann's Day, and I am sure that you would like to join me in celebrating my (sur)namesake's day.

St Hermann (1013-1054) was a German musician, poet (alas he could not spell and ended up with two 'n's at the end of his name) and mathematician. He would, of course, had been a Mail Artist, had postage stamps been available in the 11th century, but they…

It's my IUOMA anniversary day today (15 September, 2013) as :

I have been a member of IUOMA for exactly four years!

In those 4 years, I have:

* sent nearly 1900 pieces of Mail Art, of which some 99% have gone to IUOMA members, at a cost of about €1500/$2,000 (no wonder I am broke)

* received almost 1800 pieces of Mail Art --I have all of them, and they are boxed up and weigh over 25 kilos/55 lbs (no wonder the local Post Office and…

The 8-artist/photogrpaher/sculpture Exhibition opened on Saturday 24 August. Here's what it looked like just before we opened the doors to the thousands of fans who had been camping outside overnight and were clammering to get in. Well 3 people and a puppy. But more came! People that is.

Two general views of the Galerie to start with, and then the works of the individuals…

... to the following for sending Post Cards for "L'Arte de la Carte Postale" 25th IUOMA Anniversary Exhibition.....

* Angie

* Snooky

* Angie & Snooky

* Snooky & Angie

* MomKat

* Katerina

* Bruno Charlone

* Tatiana Makarova

* Lois Richter

* Rochleigh Wolfe

* Anne Brems

* Arac

* Gail Anderson

* Keith Chambers

I posted photos of the Exhibition in 2 Blogs earlier this…

The Exhibition opened on Tuedsay night with 1110 Post Cards!

It's one of the Exhibitions that's celebrating IUOMA's 25th anniversary.

The Post Cards fillled a series of display panels in two large rooms in the local Médiathèque/Library.

Thank you/Merci beaucoup to all of you who have sent me Post Cards.

Here are the photos of the various display panels in the second room.…

The Exhibition opened last night __ with 1110 Post Cards!

The Post Card fileld a series of display penels in two large rooms in the local Médiathèque/Library.

Here are the photos of the various display panels in the first room.

(Photos of the second room will be posted tomorrow)

We begin with the Sigean Mail Art Fan Club at the vernissage:…

Well, all our recent Neslons & Mandelas, which are being exhibited at the Cafe Jenze in Maastricht until the end of August;

Here are some photos of them.

(Sadly you cannot see the Neslons in the passe partout frames that we ordered for them, because the frames were of the wrong size. So we had to make do, and make what we could of unadorned Neslons. The Mandelas are properly framed, and look goooooooooooooood!)…

all the people listed below who have sent me postcards in the last week or so.

On July 2nd I posted a 'Help!' message saying that I had 920 postcards and was desperate to get to 1000.

Your response has been magnificent -- 24 days later I now have 1089.

Which means that I've received 169 postcards in just 24 days.

I'm claiming this Exhibition to be one of the largest ever (please tell me if you know of one with more Mail Art), and it's all thanks to…

...in the Beeldentuin Heerdeberg in Cadier en Keer, near Maastricht in the Netherlands.

A 'Sangoma' is a traditional healer in Southern Africa

This sculpture was made on Monday 22 July, 2013.

It started with a 17.5 kg (38 1/2 lbs) piece of Zimbabwean stone, and ended as a Sangoma.

I was helped by Zebb Chakawa (who comes from Zimbabwe).

Here are pictures of Zebb, the original piece of stone, and the finished Sangoma.…

The Beeldentuin Heerdeberg is in Cadier en Keer, near Maastricht in the Netherlands.

The stone sculptures are from Zimbabwe.

The Polo is from the packet in my pocket.

Here goes.....…

* Anna Usiva

* Nico van Hoorn

* Janna K

* Amy Irwen

* Karin Hofvander

* Monika Macken

* Taidgh

To you, and everyone else who has been kind enough to send me postcards, here's your invitation to the Exhibition.

Do come!…

Bonjour Boys and Girls!

I am on target to reach 1000 postcards.

Today my Mail Box was stuffed with Post Cards for my forthcoming exhibition

And so today's THANKS/MERCI BEAUCOUP/BEDANKT message is to:

* TicTac (Toe?)

* Dimitra Papatheodorou

* Extra Terrible

* Nico van Hoorn

* Andreas Horn

* Jan Theuninck

* PO Box 831544 Ocrla (?) FL 34483 [Who's this? Miaou]

* Simon…