Incomings: February & March

After my trip to San Francisco for the attendance of Ex Postal Facto, so much great, quality incoming mail has delighted my mailbox! My life motto is "Quality, not Quantity". But man, when I can have Quality AND Quantity, that just really floats my boat!

(Gina Visione - front - recv'd 3/4/14)

(Gina Visione - front - recv'd 3/4/14)

I am behind in my replies as I'm stepping up my mailart game and putting more thought and design into my pieces as a lot of my new correspondence cohorts are people who are uber active within the Network and I would not want to disappoint. 

The lovely thing about mailart is anything goes. So I know internal pressure is unnecessarily being imposed on myself. However, it's more of an attempt to stretch my creative wings rather than to "impress".

It's kind of like my method of house cleaning. My daughter knows that if I'm cleaning the house, it means we have company coming over. It is not 'normal' for me to clean. I enjoy having a reason to clean, most of the time I don't. So I don't.

XPF Postcard Party!

 

I spy Stan Askew!!

I have my own goings on with my art (zines, various collages in different stages, ideas for artistamps). Most of my creations contain my own personal inside jokes, because I amuse myself, or are emotional purgings. But, when I receive something in the mail that I really admire, I'd like my reply to be in line with what I know the other mail artist enjoys. I reach for common ground and start from there. Sometimes it still ends up being mono-symbolic, but I do reach for it to be something that can be universally interpreted, or at least enjoyed and relative to the eye of the beholder. 

CM Bennett (front)

CM Bennett (back)

I think what I'm aiming for in this rambling is that it takes time for these new creative ideas to percolate. Or, if I'm creating a collage for a particular person, it takes time for the perfect papergoods to be found or to land in my lap. Having a reason to step outside of my normal creative routine in order to find a relative reply to an admired fellow artist, helps me to raise the bar in my own artistic flow. 

From Harrison, fellow LWA member

As with the majority of mail artists I know, I send my art into the mail system without expectation of reply. I send it for the hell of it. Because I like to practice letting my art be liberated throughout the universe. Yet, I enjoy the correspondance. I do reply to my Incomings, whether that same day of receipt, or months and months from now. Those that I still need/want/desire to respond to are listed in my handy-dandy Google Drive spreadsheet. Even though I'm behind on my correspondancing, at least I'm organized and know who I have replied to and who I haven't.  

Being detail-oriented and organized allows me the freedom to be chaotically creative. And to not have to clean the house that often!

*smile*

Upcoming blog topics (in no particular order):
Incoming from Stan Askew
Cavellini documentation & exhibits
Friends & Faux Postage
HeebeeJeebee
Incomings from Cascadia Artpost
Incoming Artistamp Sheets

Incoming: Meral Agar - Instanbul, Turkey

Current view from my desk

Outgoing

Reply from Val Herman

Received in reply to my entry for Valentine's mail art call:

“L'Art de la Carte Postale”/“Post Card Art”

I invite you to take part in two Mail Art Exhibitions on the theme “L'Art de la Carte Postale” or “Post Card Art” (it sounds better in French!) that I will be organising in Sigean, France, in the Spring and Summer of 2013. Details of the Exhibitions are below.

The Exhibitions will be linked to IUOMA's 25the anniversary celebrations (THE Day is 16 August, 2013)

Please send as many cartes postale/post cards as you like – the more the merrier!

Theme: L'Art de la Carte Postale/Post Card Art

Size: Postcard (10.5 x 15 or up to 15 x 21 cms/ 4 x6 or up to 6 x 81/4 ins)

Technique: Free! Anything goes – drawing, painting, collage, it's up to you.

Exhibitions: i) Médiathèque, Sigean, 12 – 27 April, 2013

2. Médiathèque, Sigean, 6 -17 August, 2013

Deadlines: i) 10 April, 2013

2. 3 August, 2013

No jury, no fees, no prizes, no returns

Please send your cartes postale/post cards (marked 'Exhibitions', and with your name and address on them) to:

                Valentine Mark Herman

                 1 Rue de la Vieille Fontaine,

                 F-11130 Sigean,

                 France

Orphaned Postcard Project

Before the move, I received three postcards from the Orphaned Postcard Project. I picked them because I've been there, and will have something to write about. I'm finally getting these back in the mail to Bonnie Jean.

Bonnie sent these to me in an autumn foliage art card and put some precious vintage stamps on the envie!