Chris wells's Blog (68)

"Fairytale Blackout #1" and "Fairytale Blackout #2" from Kait Moyers (http://mothpuppies.tumblr.com/). Thanks,…

Thanks, Keith!

Three ATCs from Toni Hanner (tonipoet) - the "Wayfarer" 2d series. Thanks, Toni!

Another minimalist postcard received from Amalgamated Confusion. A day I do not surrender to pulchritude is a wasted day--that's what I always say.

Thank you, Keith!

I received the above work from Matthew Stolte. An accompanying note says that it is 1 of 4 printed books, of which this is the centerpiece of the 4-page booklet. He sent scans of each of the four, so it is easy to see how each work is a unique print from the same plates. It's quite a beautiful and inspiring work, and I was honored to get one of the four…

Above are three ATCs I received from Toni Hanner for my birthday. I have not made anything in the ATC format yet, but this work is quite inspiring--I may make a few myself sometime, and by "may", I mean "will."

Thanks, Toni!

I received the above erasure poem from Keith Chambers. On the other side of it is the stamp below.

A few weeks before I got the compelling work above, I got the postcard below.…

I received my first piece of mail from Carina, and it is an amazing and inspiring work. I have on occasion made some books, but I have not done it in a while, and I have never made a book quite like this. When I received this piece, it made my day.

First I'll share the envelope. Above is a detail from the front and below is the back.…

I received this collage postcard from Jay Block.

Thank you,…

I received the above items from poet/artist Kait Moyers, who goes by "mothpuppies" on Tumblr. To my knowledge, Kait is not (yet) an IUOMA member. We met on Tumblr, where she expressed interest in some of my poetry, so we decided to do an exchange. As you can see, the work above would be welcomed by many other mail artists, and I am sure if she so chose, she could…

This is my first piece of mail from Mr. Courcelle, and it is an amazing "printed by hand on antique letterpress" (according to fine print on the back) postcard incorporating many visual elements. Below is the other side of the postcard.…

Despite the upside-down postmark in the lower left, I believe I have oriented this correctly. FinnBadger and I spend our days in not-too-distant proximity to one another--I actually had met him in person prior to joining IUOMA. I feel like I've owed him some art for a long time, as he helped me figure this place out.

Thank you, Phillip! I will reciprocate in the…

I had been waiting for my gift for participating in one of the desAMORes exhibitions, and my educated guess has me educatedly guessing that this is the gift. Thanks!

This is a beautiful piece of mail from Richard Baudet. He is a very skilled calligrapher and his collage is wonderful, too. This is an envelope in which he enclosed a letter as well. In the letter he is modest about his English skills, but there is no need for modesty--I can guarantee that son anglais est meilleur que mon français! 

Thank you,…

I was really struck by the simple beauty of this piece. I love the handwritten poem, the collage, and the hand-drawn elements, all of which work well together. Just wonderful stuff.

Thank you, Juana! 

I received this beautiful and striking collage/visual poem from tonipoet (Toni Hanner) a few days ago. At a little over 10 x 6 inches (or about 26 x 16 cm), it is one of the larger, more ambitious pieces I have received from an IUOMAer. This piece is entitled "He said he had an itch to get out of here," and Toni indicates on the back that she made it specifically for…

I received two artworks from Jan Hodgman earlier this month. Above is her piece entitled "Moon Poem." I have a particular fascination with the moon and moon phases, someday hoping to create an artist's book about this very topic. I really appreciate the piece above.

The piece below is also wonderful:…

I received this surprise in my mailbox earlier this month. I have not received anything from Lorella Castagnini before. I enjoy the textures of the paper that come through in this abstract piece. I believe it has been made with pencil, at least primarily. Thank you,…

I got this nice little New Year's card from rubber stamp artist Pia Zaragoza. Thank you, Pia!

Above are some great stamps on an international holidays greeting card from Katerina Nikoltsou. I have had some ideas for artistamps but have created just two so far. This card inspires me to create more.

Here is the other side of the card--a really nice mixed-media piece of stars. It seems quite Christmasy to me:…