Mel Anie's Blog (63)

Ana Kawajiri and I have been trying to exchange mail since I fist joined IUOMA and she started the Potato Group in December 2020. Mail between UK and Brazil was suspended but today, 8 months later, look what arrived!

Thank you, Ana. I love the potato package, artistamps and potato people all. Does this mean Brazil and UK mail is open…

Today, a first immigration was recorded at 14.32. Thank you, Cascadia Artpost, for these. Since their entry was hasty and without official clearances, I must inform you that there are no known Peeps in this land. But, graciously, I will name them The Limpho (translates from Sesotho as 'the Gifts'). None of us are on first name terms yet. …

I sent Motherbrando one of my Pattern Book starters. She fashioned it into this! Thank you, Mother B, and I hope you are keeping well.

Ticket! Ticket! Series 6 is out and mine came by Polar Gold Label. Jack, our Cascadia Artpost is a continual mail art dream. Thank you, thank you.

Cascadia artpost is taking contribution for Series 7. Send hime reminders of daily life in the form of tickets, receipts or other ephemera by 30 June…

Deep dreams, and a whole lot more from good ole' Fike. I could - and probably will - spend a few hours with your mail art pieces.

Thank you.

Round and round he circles. Very striking piece with a little Portuguese vocabulary lesson for me too. "Look up, what do you see?"

Thank you, as always, Luis Filipe for your stimulating mail art.

Greek Mail Art Trashpo Time - with Potatoes - from Katerina.

Also with some UHU butterfly collage, and the wonderful shiny Greek stamps. Made it to the UK in just under 1 week!!!

Thanks, Katerina :)

My part in Sharon Silverman's expansive and generous 50 Mail Art Books project arrived. It is very sleek and she has arranged mine and her work in a complementary manner that I think is also complimentary. …

A postcard and an envelope (sent by Gold Polar Ticket, of course) from Jack @Cascadia Artpost.

Full of lovely artistamps, postage stamps, a letter, banana-nuttishness, and all round jolly good heart-warming, entertaining stuff. I love getting mail from Jack. Thank you, thank you very much.

Yes, I think you never…

James has beautifully bound a multi-section journal for me using two 'cards' that I sent him in response to his 3 'not triptych' postcards.

Not, neither, nor, he said. So I sent 2 not/book covers that were/not a diptych. And what a gorgeous and generous response he sent me. It also came with one of his lovely textured postcards. 

And,…

Thank you, John, for you co-response. I sent John a page from a Rijksmuseum pamphlet about Rembrandt's portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet.

Rembrandt didn't 'erase' the hands but he moved them. John has done some fun things with it. 

If you look on John Gayer's page at his blog posts, you…

Iver tried to mail this to me, twice. The first time it was returned, opened. He revised it and tried again. Second time lucky!

I'm glad you persisted, Iver, and I'm delighted that it reached me. There is so much for me to see and explore from the envelope, to the ATC and the finger-span. This is certainly an eventful journey. Thank you,…

Once upon a time, in New Mexico there may have been...so says Tyler, and I thank him for this unique hand-coloured linocut.

It's always good to know that Ed is alive but now he's sent me a piece of a t-shirt. I hope it wasn't his favourite one - but maybe when I press it, he will like it again.

Nancy sent me her wonderful 'Peacemaker' collage. Apart from all the usual wonders in Nancy's art, what I like about holding this piece is its core strength giving solidity to all the fragilities of the old papers she uses. 

There were also some 3-scrap collages and instructions too (funny, funny; made me chuckle). And an envelope with stamps. …

Louis Filipe has sent this arresting and unfinished narrative woodcut engraving along with two anecdotal stories, in response to my Chronicle son the Unseen that I sent him. Now, Ife Niklaus has been drawn into the circle too!

The narrative portrayed in the print is of police brutality and the disappearance of a brave man who…

Thank you, Jack for all the wonderful seeds of all sorts I received today: postcard, flowers, letter, a treatise, 12 Ideas, box instructions, Fluxus Dreamtime stamps, and somewhere for me to get some exercise and lay my head to rest.…

I Can't Draw book from James Chester, held closed mostly by a thick rubber band. What an intricate and clever binding James has used too. Apt from all the things he can't draw (and these are numerous), I am enthralled by the binding technique. …

Fleur sent me three Mexican frogs & a Window all contained in an ATC & a postcard in a letter in an envelope. Thank you. 

Spring Blue post from Katerina in Greece.

A 'Window Selvage Time'  Desired Landscapes postcard, the little 'Blue Boekie' back to me for the 26 Boxes project, a 'tape' collage, passing the Fluxus buck, and a bright green owl envelope. Spring time? Well, the flowers are doing their thing but it's freezing cold here!

So this 'boekie'…