Aladdin Seine, Karen Champlin, Carina Granlund & Thom Courcelle

[David Stafford]

Our friend in Paris, known only as Aladdin Seine, has painted his masterpiece. It arrived today. What may not be clear from the photo is that the white cottony mittens contain human fingers replicated in modern age plastic. Beneath the mitten is a neatly dissected Kleenex box that creates the powerful illusion of a dog resting his back leg against a background of lush greenery. I put the ruler in the scan to show the sense of scale he's working with here. 8" x 12", a size too big to render metrically without resorting to math.

The backside reveals the opulence that is Mr. Seine's trademark. World traveler and a man with limitless access to gilt-ridden candy boxes, you have now reached the pinnacle. Thank you, Dean.

Here are two of Karen Champlin's ATC-sized collages. No ruler necessary. I hope the scans convey the intricacy of her constructions. Thank you, Karen for this, all your other gift art-paks including the ephemera you send my way. Always inspiring.

Also arrived today, this amazing woodcut from Carina Granlund. Striking! Also inspirational. I'm going to go back in that craft room and look at that stack of unused woodcut material I've ordered from McClain's and then…that part of the movie never gets written somehow...Anyway, thank you, Carina. Always an honor to receive mail from you.

Finally, speaking of masterpieces, Thom Courcelle has written an epic poem about lustre-foam, a response to some sponsored mail-art I sent him. (Sponsored mail art is mail art that defrays the costs of postage by actively soliciting sponsorship. In this instance, from Luster-Foam.)

I can't quote the entire poem but here's a brief snippet:

I beg you, make not

Yourself abluted;

Roll-on applicators

We're not meant for the

hirsuted.

and

And LUSTRE FOAM

Shall pay the price

Of fines for regulatory

In-just-ice   (Poetic license)

Thank you, Thom. The poetic licensing commission will be in touch.