Memories are Made of this Too

[cheryl penn]

As a few of my friends have been reminding me, this month is one year of IUOMA contact for me. Serendipity came to the celebrations.  You’ll see why.  The first piece of mail I ever received was from Jen Staggs.  I received her Plagiarist pages two weeks ago – Jen has been weighed under her own studies, but took the time to send the pages back.

 

Bifidus sent me the second piece of mail art I had ever received from an IUOMA member  -  again without me asking.  It was contribution to The World is a Town – in fact it’s the image which begins my photo album of that project – which is STILL ON THE GO!!! Does the World have a Backbone? That’s what I called it – Bifidus never disagreed – or – come to think of it agreed :-) - and on Monday I received Methuselah’s Mixture.  Is Bifidus asking why we grow old? I never know – once I saw backwards writing that I could read in the mirror  on one of his postcards – he said I was basically mad and seeing things - so now I just enjoy and keep my runaway thoughts to myself.  Bifidus I STILL have not forgotten that NO-ONE cracked the code to the Crimson Giant and The Tower of Babel??? Thank you Haptic Boss.

De Villo I ‘met’ soon too – his buttons and  found materials arrived on Tuesday.  This is his very  curiously interesting contribution for the Asemics 16 project.  Asemiotics.  DVS -  newmade vocabulary – all the po’s you invented and the blue shirt that disappeared – did you steal the buttons from there?? 

I am VERY curious about peoples choice in trashpo – its actually quite revealing! Thanks for all the collaborative things we’ve managed DVS – and MOSTLY we’ve managed to keep our sense of humour! 

 

From LMF - Another Tuesday arrival - many thanks for the YEARS we have been sending each other mail - for all the projects you've contributed too, for enabling the SA MAil ARt School and for contributing HEAVILY to my diary books - they're a big part of my exhibition motivation - how can the committee say no to this!!!????

Angi Cope I met very soon too – and I have learnt over my time at IUOMA that Heart DEFINITELY Matters to Angi. 

She is a constant on IUOMA – Snooky too of course! Angi sent me TWO Heart Matters. The first questions Heart Matters as related to being homesick.  This one made me sad for some reason.

The second – pink and blue for girls and boys – mapping the territory of the heart.

Inside is a ATC of the Letter Guy and she sent a warm embrace in glittery ribbon – A FAB Angie – thank you :-) XX

Karen Champlin was also DEFINITLEY one of my first round of friends and yesterday – another FAB arrived. KC has an inimitable style, recognizable STRAIGHT away.  It is SO GREAT that your work made it to my September party – I mean, how serendipitous is that?? Many many thanks for your work – SO great to see you in the mail again.

We are all aware of whats involved once you're taken up with this mistress...

Marie has become a fast friend and she sent ANOTHER World is a Town Contribution arrived today - this is HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!   It’s a COMPLEX CRITTER! It came in its own box

– with instructions – you’ll see why –

O, she knows me well :-))

and Sweet Pea – place some pics here please – I know your photographs will be enviable! It's a conceptual representation of the physical-ness of a palimpsest, where the text is raised, not lying FLAT on the surface. 

Each piece of text is bound together by thought threads. MAN!!! It’s a FAB too :-) X - no, I didn’t POP!

 

Today – ZALOPA arrived – Ruud said it was a small variation of ZALOP – maybe a verb? Yes, but I’m a busy entomologist (?) with a full platter right now – so I must take time to do this justice – Many thanks Ruud for your constant support,  calm interaction and making this a wonderful platform for all us madly swopping artists. 

Erni – I had to squeeze him in here, even though I have not got mail this week – he was also a firm new friend – I don’t know if you can see the glitter? Do you remember those images of trees in the snow you sent Erni? They are imprinted in my memory.

 

So, many thanks to friends new - and old - you know what I mean by old - its been a WOW year!! :-) XXXXXX

 

 

[De Villo Sloan]

Mademoiselle Cherry Blossom, a happy year ahead for all except those who were awarded a #63 by the Mail-Art Psychic and were crushed beneath the karmic wheel. Angie and Snooks provided many good fortunes.

[Marie Wintzer]

What a party in here! I would also cry in my morning latte had I not not finished it right before opening this blog. The Crimson Giant... fantastic times I remember so well. Magic. Thank you Cheryl for bringing us together and for all the inspiration. Next year has already started and it's going to be great.

[De Villo Sloan]

Lesley, Cheryl was trying to clue you in on the "concept art" foundation in mail-art. Certainly you can get by without it, but it does enrich it (IMHO) to the point where some of these things turn into performance art, such as the Erni & Bifidus cheese decomposition. Who would have wanted to miss that...

 

And poor Bifidus! Off somewhere crying in his latte - that was classic

[Lesley Magwood Fraser]

PS..... CP just cos I understand CONCEPT doesn't mean I have to do it.... just FYI. :)))

[De Villo Sloan]

And Karen Champlin's work is here too. The Champ's work had a huge impact on me when we met a little over a year ago and we're enduring friends. Go KC!

[Lesley Magwood Fraser]

Cheryl - LOVE you too! You have been such an influence in my life... remember our first collaborative book - you used to shout at me Les! You need to have a CONCEPT and i would say no man Cheryl, I just paint and draw cos thats what I do, and we would go round and round, well now I understand concept and it has made me and my work so much better. so thanks my friend.

[cheryl penn]

I remember - In her absence she was replaced :-)

[De Villo Sloan]

Somehow I think it all started earlier. But the first draft of your chapter was blogged 9.25, so an anniversary of sorts for THE Giant. Yes, and Jen Staggs too! You know I thought Jen Staggs was you for a few weeks - I mean she posted some of your work and I thought she had done it.

[cheryl penn]

DVS - wow - thats almost to the date! I didn't know that. The symbols - they REFUSE to be done - at least my writing has improved - its gotten even MORE illegible :-) XXX

[De Villo Sloan]

I think this is the first thing I received from Cheryl. The blog date is September 25, 2010. I seemed to have thought it was an add-and-pass but it turned out to be a chapter for "The Crimsoned Giant" book - where I first got to know Bifidus and Marie very well, among others. Erni and I were already close. Notice Cheryl's asemic handwriting: