Trying to tame new ink

So inspiring to visit six stunning gardens yesterday.  Today it rained so was indoors more than usual and found time to think about some of the motifs from the day.  The sunhat was a recurring theme.

These new Akua Kolor inks just aren't behaving the way they did in England, so I am having to work back into prints.

These are postcard size but perhaps I can take some of the ideas and scale them up or translate them into a different material.

Mailart Makes the World a Town

I've been considering Cheryl Penn's 

http://cherylpenn.com/wpb/ 

mailart exhibition and celebratory zine for some time now.  I thought I was supposed to make four pages and I just couldn't find a way to do this until I got to Cranberry island. I borrowed and read a copy of the Black Mountain College pamphlet #4 about Ray Johnson and the final pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. 

I collected some lines from the pamphlet:

'Ray touched the letter 'm' which was an intitial of mother.'

Ultimately the most satisfying art for him was the art of friendship.'

'The signs along the street or highway were like art supplies for him.'

'He took a piece fromt he whole.'

Then I set off on a letter safari up the Crnaberry road.

These two images put together in a particular way form the first page.

Because I believed I was creating a series of four pages (hadn't read things properly) I wanted to create a progression towards the inevitable 'Mailart makes the world a town' and my world of lettuce was an image I began in England, dazzled by the leaves in my garden. There is also a nod to trashpo.

Marianne North was a Victorian painter/explore/plant hunter and her book Vision of Eden is a great read. She created a room of flower paintings a Kew in order to share the beauty of the world with all.

Finally the Island Mailart exhibition.

In order to make each pair of pitcures (Ray + salad) and (Marianne+exhibition) I had to integrate some of the imagery from the other pair.  If you are a Zine recipient - you might see how I worked it all out.

missing letter!

5/6 of these arrived on Cranberry Island for the Island Mailart Exhibition.  Apparentl 'L' is outstanding.  Why does that happen and how will it change things?

Making Meaning with Abstract Ideas

I'm following the conversations on IUOMA more now and getting to know some of the artists and their work.  I find it inspirational! I get things in the post and these provoke reactions and experiments.  On some days i have an idea and I pursue it.  On others, everything that has been feeding me rattles around in that intuitive space.  I do much more abstract playing. This declared itself as a landscape, I called it Sea View.  But what if it were turned this way...

Conversation in Studio?
Conversation with inner self in studio?

Show us your Artspace still life

One of my latest Mailart 365 groups is called

Show us your Artspace

It is reassuring to see that most of the people making mailart, although attempting to order their world, look as though they work in a creative frenzy that creates a fair bit of chaos. I found lots of evidence of this in my own studio.  This mess still life pleases me.

Playing with cake

The great thing about mailart (for me) is the permission it gives me to play and experiment with different ideas and materials.  I go through my day in a state of hyper-sensitivity to words and colours, hoping to be inspired.  I am now on # 72 of my 365.  Where else could I go with cake?

finding a little inspiration

Another mailart fitted into a busy day.  A deadline of 30 mins and NO IDEA what I would make.  As I looked under the table to select a box of scraps I noticed a magazine and what looked like a face.  It turned out to be a Sky magazine promo.  Sky turned out to be timeless suspended between art nouveau and the sixties.  Fun, fun, fun.

Decorative Mailart

When I was a pre-teen I have a zodiac colouring book - these are derivative and were lots of fun to make.  I have been so busy plastering, lime washing, working and today spending a delightful day with my Niece and nephew that I am empty when i begin my daily mail art.  I never know what will happen and am surprised again every day when I find something to say, even if it's just I that I love to play with colour!

Remembering an inspiring teacher

I was sorry to hear that Vita Petersen had died.  Vita was my first life drawing teacher.  I was 12 and remember Vita covering the window to the art room door with paper to keep prying eyes out.  With Vita I looked carefully at Matisse's Odalisque with Raised Arms and today when I go to my life drawing group, I hear Vita's voice in my head as I follow a contour.   #45/365 http://mailart365.blogspot.com/

Chantry School Mailart exhibition at Tesco Copdock, Ipswich

Mailart #23 - a warm hat

The weather is set to plummet but I have a new hat that i bought at the Cranberry Island non-fair sale. I have sent the mail art as a bit of island PR too.