On a week in July...

[David Stafford]

I received five pieces of stellar work. First, Suus in Mokum sent me one of her musical watercolors. Alas, the luminous quality of the ink she used isn’t readily apparent in this scan but trust me the inks are opalescent. I believe this is an abstract but you never can be sure these days. Like if I zoomed out from earth just beyond the depleted ozone layer would I see the pattern? Maybe but you don’t have to squint to feel the organic animalosity (like that word, Suus?) It’s very Rousseau takes acid. Now Suus is going to point out some ridiculously obvious non-abstract form that I missed. Oh well. Thank you, Suus.

Next up Stephanie Blake who sent me this card while on vacation. Above and beyond. Routine tourist card gets a Blakeover and suddenly St. Augustine looks like an interesting place to visit. Thank you, Stephanie.

Lesley Magwood Fraser and I have been exchanging handdrawn stuff for a while now. (I mean, most of my stuff is handdrawn, all of hers is). I like that. It’s hard for me to tear myself away from the pixels. They’re kind of like crack. But, really, they lack soul. You can put the soul back in but often (with me, anyway) it’s trying to add back the organic (that word again) quality of a handdrawn line. In fact, one could write reams on the number of photoshop filters that give things a rusted, broken, scratched worn out look. (Google Mr. Retro filters for an example). (I hasten to parenthetically exclaim that I love Mr. Retro filters). Of course, you could just draw something and not have to add the soul back in. Just look at Lesley’s lovely rendering of these Zulu Lobe Plugs. They’re like mod anthropological drawings. They convey the info but they also build on it. It’s fookin’ art, is what it is. Thank you, Lesley.

I’m embarrassed to say that Cheryl Penn has probably sent me two or three pieces before this that have escaped blogging. This one happens to be a bit of flash fiction that explores in a kind of fairy tale way how the work that you struggle with and think is a failure (for whatever reason) has its place in the universe. Whistler’s Mom, it turns out is the dispatcher of said works to their proper owner who now happens to be moi.Check out the poor interviewee and notice that the one image is a extreme close up detail of the larger one.

Finally Lisa Iversen sent me this box with her sinuous calligraphy on it. To me, this alone qualifies for mail art. To see your name projected this way gives a person a false sense of self-worth. None of this I-coulda-been-a contender stuff. You are the main event. Top of the bill. The right honorable David Stafford whoever he is. I am somebody the letters declaim and you are too. Inside the box some drug paraphenalia for the pen addicted. Love those Lamy pens, Lisa. Thank you.

Hmmmm...Lisa's images will be added separately....the upload mechanism isn't working properly.

Computers! Anyway thanks to everyone who sent me stuff including the ones I have not blogged yet...I’ll get there...I’m gonna get there....

[Suus in Mokum]

Yo! ' 'Animalosity' sounds very interesting (??). Now, I could make up some vague story but I have no idea what my drawing means. Just playing with lines ;) Maybe it is a secret message for green aliens? We will have to ask Tom Cruise...

Lisa's calligraphy is awesome!

[Lesley Magwood Fraser]

Thanks David for blogging the Lobes.... and your tube mail has arrived! Love collaborations. And yes Cheryl, Lisa's calligraphy is most covetable.. the box looks like an ancient manuscript, only complaint is it hasn't got my name on it.

[cheryl penn]

o WOW! Lisa's calligraphy skills are HUGELY coveted by 'moi', beautiful work by Lesley, Stephanie gets time to make mail art on vacation - thats dedication that keeps us all in post and Suus - fine work  too :-) X

[David Stafford]