Enticing trashpo bubble from Lynn Radford, with words of wisdom

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Lynn sent me a wonderful and original trashpo piece, part of a short series, and it is an honor. Much thought, inspiration, and work went into it, and the shape of no other mail art I've seen matches it: 

Please excuse poor camera quality in second photo, which happened despite long effort with bad camera. Lynn has a better one that I hope she will post here. The see-through plastic "lump" contains rust(!), some signage on orange strip, handwritten "scenic route," a button, possibly some styrofoam, and _____? I'll never know, because although it tempts you to rip it open, I love it as is and will not do that.

Hershey's, and "we help heal," what a great combo. Yes, chocolate heals, absolutely! The address side is this:

Lovely messages! "Take the scenic route" and "You may find buried treasure" both made me laugh while also such a good idea, you know? A wise reminder.

Lynn did some fab trashpo collage on both sides. Thank you for this, Lynn! More on its way to you soon.

[Lynn Radford]

Alas, I did not think to take side shots, Nancy... I assume the tear-off tab to which you refer is the little black thingy, just visible in the lefthand side of the pic. The "signage on an orange strip" is a BURIED cable flag, found on a path in the woods during the same excursion as the now famous POSTED sign. :D Scenic Route was the disposable strip of a printed 12x12 paper. The button in the center fit perfectly and I knew it had found its home. There is also a long piece of scalloped backing from an adhesive tape wound inside. Not too sure about the styrofoam, but I think there are bits of a Miracle Grow bag that had been chopped up by a lawn tractor... Next time, I'll have to capture side views!

I almost forgot! Your favorite bit? Is a piece of tack strip from a discarded chair. Apparently, those little "brass" tacks are not tacks any more than they are brass. It's a cheap metal strip, attached with tiny tacks through the wee holes in every so many... I have very little of this great rusty find, but have been considering sending you another piece to see what you might do with it! Game?

As for the "too busy" warnings, I cannot imagine a world where a piece of art does not take on a new life with each viewing. I find that happens only when there is so much going on as to make it impossible to take it in all at once. For me, it lengthens the viewing pleasure. My favorite museum pieces are those I visit again and again, finding something new and fresh in them at each visit. Artists are rebels at heart. The critics cannot confine us to a box. Art is TRUTH. We are HONEST. :D

Diane, I find it difficult to believe that you haven't been here before... As it is, you have paved the Tpo way for many... Thank you for all of your diligent efforts which allow for a deeper appreciation of Tpo in all its many forms! P.S. Working on a special bubble for you, DK!

I am excited to see if Carina Granlund has received the first in this series... Equally excited to hear if DVS got his bubble!

 

[DKeys]

Brilliant idea Lynn! This is definately  a trashpo first-trashpo time capsule art. It's like it's still connected at it's roots-nice and rustic thanks for blogging Nancy!

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Well put, KDJ, and yes, "substrate" seems right--brilliant identification! Such an *interesting* choice of substrate, Lynn, and ripe with possibilities. I'm no stranger either to the "too busy" warnings, which were ignored because they just had to be. I'm glad you ignore them also; your mail art is rich.

My camera is very simple (because I am a simpleton at tech) and won't do close-ups on small items with any clarity. It's pathetic. But the RUST is my favorite element. Surprised? :--} What ARE those rusty things? They're beautiful, like a chain or bracelet. I've never seen anything like them. I'm also fond of the black letters on orange, and get a kick out of the tiny "tear off tag," which we have to hope isn't crucial on some item since it is almost impossible to read. Took a magnifying glass! I just tried scanning the bubble from the side, but it's not close enough to the scanner glass and came out one big blur. :--{   If your camera took side shots, I'd love to see them ...

[Lynn Radford]

Interest is something I strive for in all my work. Warnings of "too busy" have oft been issued in response, making me glad for your words of appreciation here, KDJ. Packaging has long appealed to me, though I must confess that my facination with the plastic bubble-like receptacles has been a more recent development. Everything contained in my bubbles is trash, though I confess that much of it has been rescued from my own bins around the house. I really wish that Nancy's camera could show the bubble from various angles so that she could point out the bits that interest her the most. The RUST is a given! :D

[Lynn Radford]

A clearer pic of the piece from the front, before mailing. Each of the lines was inspired by a bit of the Tpo collage itself. Like with a book, work top to bottom, left to right and the lines will almost write themselves.

The back before mailing:

Thanks for blogging, Nancy! Glad you liked it! The touch 'o rust was just for you! :D