Mail Arty Gallery in the Clouds II

[Mail Art Martha]

Back to mailartmartha.org.uk if you came ferom there.

Thank you, my friends, for sending me such great images; they will all be eventually published in an eBook.

Today I received not one but two wonderful postcards from Cascadia Artpost, on their back there are the Cascadia stamps made for the Editions Janus project, A Ray of Light. 
The images on the stamps are of recollections of happy things and situations which together with the beautiful flower photos have brightened up this dull English spring (?) day. thank you so much!

Dean is away, on retreat perhaps? but as a parting gesture and to liven up Kevin my postman's dull deliveries he has sent this belated Christmas card full of gold and fun, seen here held by Becasine. Thanks Dean, wherever you are and may the Banana be with you.

Momkat sent a super landscape made with collaged sand paper which she describes as Sandpo, very appropriately.

From Pierce a great little bookie of tiny poems, my favourite is the above,

and also a collage and three beautiful monoprints, below.

From Pierce's Mom, Jinny. a purple bird for Indigo

and a sticker showing a very thin mermaid .

Jinny Pierce sent some very original puppets and has written a few words of poesy as well. I shall try my best to be Beauty and Rhythm and may take them out dancing in beautiful downtown Snailmail-on-Sea, the capital of Retailia, when the weather is better.

From Nelda Louise Harris a striking piece of eMailArt celebrating the Year of the Snake. This is a photo she took of one of her neighbours as she lives in Snake Country!

An artist self portrait, Jack Latteman, made in Amsterdam while the artist was on his Grand Tour, sent by Cascadia Artpost.

A decorated envelope from Richard Baudet all the way from Marseille, France.

A birdie, jet propelled? arrived from Spain, as usual, an example of the great and funny art of Stripygoose.

Rider, who is 7 and has the good fortune to be the son of a Mail Artist, has sent me a very clever and beautifully composed collage.

He is obviously interested in science which is so exiting now; no wonder it inspires art. I also am fascinated with it but haven't find a way to turn it into art, Rider has beaten me to it!

'Legs, what can I do with you?' My translation of 'Pernas, pra que te quero' I hope it gives de gist of the saying which is the inspiration for the lovely collage sent by Ana Marta Austin.

From Mim a lovely minimal picture that suggests a lot more, just beautiful!

Fleur Helsingor sent a super Spring time photo with a flower added for good mesure. Just what I needed, here the sun is scarce, the East wind blows from Russia and the flowers are very shy to show themselves.

A 3D banana from Erni Bar. it is quite a shock to see it casually flung on the coffee table. The comsumption of bananas has gone up in our house, seeing the fake makes us hungry for the real thing. You will have a lot to answer, Erni!

A fantastic piece of art found by XX Jones, within a decorated envelope to match,well spotted Double X!

 

Marguerite Keen has sent a blue little beauty with loving hearts, gorgeous.

A sad landscape, her  description, by Sue Vallance. a good refelction of the winter we had and are still having now in spring ...

Yet another fantastic postcard from Dean Marks, huge collage with even a broken pair of glasses, how do they survive the cares of the post is a mistery. I love the stitch work.

From Moan Lisa, a beautiful folder with a great image of a swimming turtle inside.

And this superb drawing is not for me, boo hoo! It was sent by Frieder Speck to Mailarta but with my address. Frieder has told me that if it found its way here it must be because it was meant to be, so I get to keep it, sorry Mailarta.

A beautiful photo of a shop window from Fleur Helsingor, a piece of material for a butterfly covered curtain? I would love one!

Dean Marks cannot refrain form making Mail Art even when travelling. This great collage was created on the ferry to the UK.

A package arrived and in it, after much unwrappping, I found a banana. In very good condition, surprinsingly,  but before I  had time to taste it Darwin grabbed it and it needs a braver woman than me to prise it from him. It was of course sent by Erni Bar.A great photo of Erni being held at gun point is on the reverse of the envelope. I hope they did not take all of his bananas.

The US postal service has joined the Mail Art community! This is what I got the other day. Notice the tear on the plastic envelope. When I read the message I got worried and opened the wrapping expecting to find a ruined work of art. Not so, Dear Reader, the superb fe-mail art message of Marguerite E. Keen (sadly not a member of IUOMA) was impecable as usual as you can see.
Was the US Mail trying to join in with a little touch of their own?

A Twee bit of Mail from XX Jones and an Edelweiss as well. Beautiful fun.

From Ficus Strangulensis, with whom I exchanged many an artpiece in the prehistory of Mai Art, a collection of superb postcards in a fantastic envelope. Including a selfportrait, saying Boo! So Ficus, so great!

An image by Viviana Maria Cernjul, absolutely lovely. It came by ePost which is fine with me. I think it is probably a photo or scan of a painting but it may have been painted directly onscreen. 

From Lynette Killam, stupendous artwork and subtle haikus, very much to my liking.The top picture will be my daily inspiration from now on. The first Artist's Trading Card is called 'Times ripens all things' and the second ' Solitude'.
Simply beautiful.

Commemorative stamp from David Dellafiora, a very suitable homage to Shozo, who will be always remembered in Mail Art

A fantastic envelope with lots of IUOMA goodies from Ruud jansen. Much honoured to see the Ex Libris I sent him on it.

And one I forgot to add, a bunny from no other than Lazybunny Amo

Two beautiful collages from Momkat, all about eggs and eggmaking.

From Val an old postcard, for my collection of old postcards of course.

From Momkat two great cards chasing each other to my mail box. A gorgeous Valentine day greeting with Love in Greek and also a collaged Banana Valentine card, beautifully put together. 

A pink heart came in a transparent envelope from Moan Lisa, entreating me to grow. That I shall do, if not in stature at least  in girth,I cannot help it...Joke; I know what you mean, Moan, and shall strive to do it.

Marguerite  Keen sent me a transparent envelope, too beautiful to be opened but as they say one destroys the things one love most, I did open it and two small and empty envelopes, two labels and lots of pink and white hearts were set free. A lovely experience.  

Mary Grellner sent me a collection of work by her friends in an envelope that she had received and turned inside out, showing the nice pattern that lines it. That's a novel idea.

A fantastic bookie from Suus in Mokum, which bowled me over, amazing and complex work the like of which I cannot do in a million years. It is built around the postcard I sent her for Banana Day. I am so honoured.

Fleur Helsingor has sent me a beautiful photo of a Christmas window, I wish I could enter that shop, it seems magical. And a Fluxus Buck, it's been ages since I have seen one. I shall carry it with me for a while and then sent it on its way, as tradition dictates.

And another one from Dean.Three artworks in a month,and that is just to me, my! this boy has superenergy! Must be all those bananas ... A great dotty picture and a funny bit of writing too. I love his literary efforts, always bring a ray of sunshine.

A composition with those attractive dots that appear alongside sheets of stamps and other printed works. I always thought they have artistic potential and here it has been proven. On the other side of the postcard a hilarious piece of writing, all by Dean Marks. 

Et les artists postales, d'ou viennent - ils? Merci, Val!

From Janine; an intriguing collage. I am watched now, I shall have to behave...

From Richard Canard, a vintage invitation to an exhibition of the art work sent to him. Richard participated in the original art movement iniciated in the 60's by Ray Johnson, which is known as the New York Correspondence School and from which Mail Art was born. I am so honoured to have this historic piece in my collection.An Artist Trading Card with a superb heart made in wood from Piccadilly Post, that is Margerite E. Keen, with a sheet of stamps to match. I love the feel of the wood on the brown card and the old yellowing book insert.

Elizabeth Zois are friends of long ago and now IOUMA has reunited us. In celebration this beautiful image of a cardinal with hand made frog stamps came through the post. Fabulous, and funny!

A cute lion, with no return address, anybody knows the artist? Clue: somebody who draws very well and lives in Britain. And now we know: Strippygoose has claimed this beautiful piece. 

Fleur Helsingor sent a super photo which sums up my holiday activities very well!

More inimitable work by Val, all in the envelope used for the cutlery at La Rotonde.Too much time spent in that cafe, methinks.

From an old friend, Guido Bondioli, a mixed media collage, very beautifully composed and worked on both sides.

A welcomed message of hope from Elizabeth Zois

Dean Marks has made a leap in his artwork from straight collage towards a sophisticated abstract imagery with this very creative use of the lining of envelopes, something that most of us don't even notice. Dean certainly can do anything.

Moan Lisa has sent me three lovely and very elaborated images of Fe Mail Art, a lot of thought there expressed in beautiful colours.

From Pedro Bericat, a refreshing bit of Spanish Trashpo, juicy oranges and grapes!

[Mail Art Martha]

Thank you Jinny and Rider. Of course you put it in the right place, all places are right for me! 'cos I still cannot fathom how all this works.

[Jinny Pearce]

Martha, I hope I am putting this in the right place! Thank you for this lovely blog post and putting Rider's piece up-what a delight for him-and to get to see the rich diversity of mail art that is out there. What a vibrant community! and beautiful documentation! I will be sending some democratic multiples your way soon, as well-they are in process! 

[xx jones]

thank you for blogging, Martha! 

[Ficus strangulensis]

I'd wondered if the colored spots, etc. hidden inside the cereal boxtop folds were to check the registration of the printer[s]. No matter what, they're beautiful and I salute those who notice and use! Envelope 'hider patterns' [security patterns?] are another example of something utilitarian which may result in persons showing their creativity or their subconsciouses at work. I think both of these might be part of a substratum of art. Accidental art? Incidental art? Byproduced art? Unintentional art? and of course it is "found" as in all art, the finding is half of the art whether it is in the intended aesthecipient [sp? apology to Bob Grumman] or all of the art if it is art which was not intended and only art since it was found to be art.

[MomKat]

So glad the Valentine/bananas arrived on time, Martha.

Thank you for this nice blog! xxx

[Mail Art Martha]

Dean I am sorry your art work lost some spots in the post, but think of it as la Poste- Royal Mail artistic interaction with your opus. Anyhow, without decrying any artistic merit to the visual aspect of it, the outstanding literary merit has been preserved intact.

And yes, everybody I am very lucky with all the magnificent art sent and cannot wait to make an eBook with it, which may be sooner than later because there is a limit on the eBooks size and the blog is getting very big.

Finnally the lion has been given its proper acknowledgement, Stripygoose, well done! all that mail art in a year! (although I wonder how much I produce as I never have counted it)

[Dean]

Happy they arrived and thank you for the very nice blog.  I see the colour patterns took a hit in the post.  The original is here:

[Janine Weiss]

Whole wonderful diversity of mailart! Very nice blog, Martha. thank you.

It is truly a joy to be part of IUOMA.

[Amy Irwen]

Super! Love it all...

[stripygoose]

Only just noticed my lion - did I really not say it was from me tut tut it's from the 365 project : > )