Becoming: Mail Art

Originally intended as a Poster/Calendar Page
Approximately 11.5 x 9 inches - although it can be printed in larger sizes and retain clarity.

This is a digital collage. It's mostly from work I've done in the past year including ATCs, 4 x 4 art, Postcards, Digital Drawing/Painting, Scans and Photos. It is a mixed media piece including Watercolor, Acrylic, Ink, Colored Pencil, Colored Ink, Stamps and Digital work. Prints of it are available in my 19 Planets Cafepress shop.

Two Feathers Postcard

Moments Of Touch Remain
4 x 6 Inches (10.16 x 15.24 cm)
Ink, Watercolor and Acrylic

A Postcard that should be winging it's way to Australia sometime in the next week.

Five ATCs; Ideas of Floating Space

These five ATCs were an exploring of ideas for a Mail Art Watercolor ATC swap. Each one works in a slightly different way. I chose the fifth one and did ten Watercolor ATCs based on it.


Title: Ideas Of Floating Space; 1 through 5 of Five
Watercolor & Ink
2.5 x 3.5 Inches (6.35 x 8.9 cm)


1 of 5




2 of 5




3 of 5




4 of 5




5 of 5

Three Gecko Rescue Mission Postcards

1 of 3
3 of 3
2 of 3

Gecko Rescue Mission Postcards each 4 x 6 inches (10.2 x 15.25 cm)
140# (300gms) Cold Press Strathmore Watercolor Paper - Postcard address and stamp area on the obverse side with the paper information.

One of these will be used for a Postcard Mail Art Chain Swap.

Two Flutter Wing Butterfly ATCs

ATC Title: Flutter
Ink, Watercolor and Acrylic


ATC Title: Flutter Wing
Ink, Watercolor and Acrylic

Two Flutter Wing ATCs that encourage the viewer to flutter the butterfly wings. Hold the body side of the butterfly up to a mirror then flutter the wings gently.

The image in the mirror will have a space between the wing halves, which is the thickness of the mirror. In the mirror it will look something like this:


Flutter Wing ATC With Simulated Mirror Image

Digital Faux Artist Stamps

A sheet of Faux Artist Stamps. I print this sheet of stamps out on 8.5 x 11 inch (21.6 x 28 cm) paper, then cut the stamps into single units to place on Mail Art envelopes.



Each stamp image is approximately 1.25 inches square (3.18 cm sq) with a paper border that makes it about 1.5 inches square (3.8 cm sq). I use a clear Postal tape to go over the entire stamp when placing these on envelopes.

If you are swapping with me you are likely to get one or more of these stamps in the next few weeks on envelopes.

Two Feather & Mind ATCs

I didnt really slip off the face off the planet. It just seems like I step off sometimes. I've actually been working and scanning, just a little over loaded with projects so I havnt been posting.

These two ATCs are from several days ago, at least.




Title (left): Mind Flight
Title (right): Mindscape

Watercolor, Ink & acrylic with liquid mask

ATCs are always the same dimensions: 2.5 x 3.5 Inches (6.35 x 8.9 cm)

2 ATCs & 1 Postcard: Space Play

These 3 pieces revisit a theme I play with off and on, Space that alternates from foreground to background in ways that can exist in 2-dimensional space easier than it can exist in 3-dimensional space.

All 3 pieces are Ink and Watercolor on
140# (300gsm) Cold Press Bright White
Arches Watercolor paper


ATC Title: A Gift Of Space
2.5 x 3.5 inches (6.35 x 8.9 cm)



ATC Title: Revisiting Space
2.5 x 3.5 Inches (6.35 x 8.9 cm)



Postcard Title: Places of Space
4 x 6 Inches (10.2 x 15.25 cm)

Pages In An Altered Book - 02

Mixed Media Altered Book
Working title: Seeing Tomorrow Risk

6 x 9.25 inches (15.25 x 23.5 cm) closed
Open spread approximately 12 x 9.25 inches (30.5 x 23.5 cm)

Facing Pages



Image #003 – Feather Against The Light
Acrylic



Image #004 – Searching Is Always Now
Acrylic, Ink & Watercolor

5 Leaf Drawings; Drawing On Leaves

This is a variation on a project I began several years ago.


Leaping Leaves
Approximately 4 x 6 inches (10 x 15 cm)
These are Signature Tree leaves. Lightly scratching into the surface of the green leaf creates a line that is light in value.



Dropping Spider
Approximately 4 x 6 inches (10 x 15 cm)
One of the reasons I like to keep an image of the leaf at this green stage is because of the good contrast between leaf and line. When dry sometimes the contrast between the leaf and line will remain reasonably distinguished; at other times the lines become quite subtle.



Leaves By The Sea
Approximately 3 x 7 inches (8 x 18 cm)
When dry, leaves range from varying shades of golden tea browns to mid dark value coffee and cream colors. Signature tree leaves are reasonably tough when dry although they may become brittle.



Leaf And Feather
Approximately 5 x 6 inches (13 x 15 cm)
These leaves may become part of a swap I began some time ago.



Laughter Sweeping Leaves
Approximately 4 x 6 inches (10 x 15 cm)
Creating something like these leaves and leaving my name and copyright off the leaf would fit my vision of glamour bombs. I’d then like to leave them in a park or beneath a tree or blowing in the wind.

Beginning Pages In An Altered Book - 01

Mixed Media Altered Book
Working title: Seeing Tomorrow Risk

6 x 9.25 inches (15.25 x 23.5 cm) closed
Open spread approximately 12 x 9.25 inches (30.5 x 23.5 cm)


Image 001 – Inside Cover: Once Is Enough If You Practice
Ink and Water Loaded Brush




Image 002 – Risking Leaps
Colored Inks

Two Black & White Mail Art Zine Submissions

Rotring water soluble permanent Ink on Bristol paper


Across The Net They Reach - Tumble (late 2006)
Approximately 6 x 9 inches (15.25 x 23 cm)




Spider Mind (late 2006)
Approximately 4 x 6 inches (10.2 x 15.25 cm)

2 Red & Black ATCs

Title: Into The Dance Laughing




Title: Feathers Of Life

Two ATCs for a Red & Black theme Mail Art Swap.

Ink and Watercolor on 140# (300gsm) Watercolor Paper

ATC: Summer Blues

Ink, Watercolor and Grommet with attached loosely woven strip of paper.

The writing reads:
Summer Blues
Become Summer
Greens When
We Dream

2nd Summer Triptych ATC Set

This Summer Triptych Set was the first set I did. This set works as a unit however the off center placement (which in general I prefer for most works) of the lanai meant the center and right card panels didn’t work as well as I wanted them to work on their own. Because I wanted the cards to also work well individually I did a second set (shown in the previous post of this blog).

The view is looking out toward the sea from the lanai of a beach house. Lanai is a Hawaiian word that loosely means porch or veranda.

Left Panel - 1 of 3: Summer Trees
Center Panel - 2 of 3: Summer Seas
Right Panel - 3 of 3: Summer Drinks

Mixed Media including Ink, Watercolor and Acrylic on 140# (300 gsm) Cold Press Bright White Arches Watercolor Paper





The back side of this Summer Triptych Set has the following written across all three card panels as one piece:

Whisper within the trees Whisper within the night and day
Across the endless skies Across the endless seas
Summer find a way to come back to me Within
The endless breeze Within the endless blossoms
Summer find a way to return endlessly to me

If the space were the right shape I would probably have written it this way:

Whisper within the trees
Whisper within the night and day
Across the endless skies
Across the endless seas
Summer find a way
To come back to me
Within the endless breeze
Within the endless blossoms
Summer find a way
To return endlessly to me

Summer Triptych ATC Mail Art Swap

Three ATCs that will be swapped as a unit in a Summer Triptych Mail Art Swap.

Left 1 of 3: Summer Hawaii Bonsai
Center 2 of 3: Summer Hawaii Seas
Right 3 of 3: Summer Hawaii Breeze

Mixed Media including Ink, Watercolor and Acrylic on 140# (300 gsm) Cold Press Bright White Arches Watercolor Paper

The view is looking out toward the sea from the lanai of a beach house. Lanai is a Hawaiian word that loosely means porch or veranda.

Spring/Floral Theme Chunky Book Page

Mixed Media including Ink, Watercolor and Pressed Bleeding Heart Vine Blossoms on 140# (300 gsm) Cold Press Bright White Arches Watercolor Paper

4 x 4 Inches (10.16 x 10.16 cm)

The back (left) & front (right) of each page was drawn and painted individually.

The words beneath the pressed blossoms on the front of the page read:

See
The Color
Of
Flowers

The words on the back of the page read:

In
The
Colors
Of
Spring


A total of 17 pages were created for this project. Approximately 12 local artists participate in a project similar to this with varying themes every 4 to 6 weeks. A Chunky Book with a page from each participant is given to each artist.

Collaborative Mail Art Sketchbook Spread; Sanctuary

This sketchbook is approximately 9 x 6 inches (23 x 15.25 cm). An open double page spread becomes approximately 9 x 12 inches (23 x 30.5 cm).

Contributors in this Mail Art Project initiate a sketchbook with a theme of their choice. The theme of this sketchbook is My Sanctuary.

My spread is Mixed Media, including: Ink, Watercolor and Digital Technology Painting and Drawing. Each contributor works on a double page spread (facing pages in the open book). They then leave a small piece of work on the next page for the following contributor that in some way continues from the work on the previous page. The idea is to create some continuity flow from work to work. The four spirals at the bottom of the left page above were placed for me to work into my double page spread.




This is the piece I left for the next contributor to work into their double page spread.

The sketchbook is passed on or back and forth through the mail until the sketchbook is completed, at which time it is returned to the originator.

Bonsai Theme ATC; Belief

ATC Title: Belief
Subject: Bonsai

Ink & Watercolor on
140# (300gsm) Cold Press Bright White
Arches Watercolor Paper

I often paint several washes as a background on my papers. These backgrounds influence color in my work and sometimes become foreground as well.

If I remember right this Arches paper is sized both internally and externally. Sizing helps to hold paint on the surface of the paper rather than being absorbed into the paper which can cause some of the intensity of a color to be lost. Light reflecting up through transparent watercolor from the surface of the paper is what helps to create depth in layers of transparent watercolor as well as creating a sense of brightness in the color.

This image is actually on the reverse side of the watercolor paper. The paper is from a sheet I did for chunky pages which are now at a mid-state of creation. Chunky pages are seen on both sides as a page in a book would be seen so I like to give both sides a background of washes. I like the way paint goes on this side of this paper although I usually prefer the other side for most works. In this case I liked the color scheme on this side of the paper for the Bonsai ATC.

Hourly Comic Day & Mail Art: Panel #7 - May 1, 2007

Ink, Water-loaded Brush & Colored Pencil in a sketchbook.

One of 18 panels I did for HCD (Hourly Comic Day) on May 1, 2007, or in my particular case DARK Hourly Comic Day.

Around the first of each month several people from around the planet attempt to do one or more Comic panels around the clock on their day for every hour they are awake. It's an attempt at humor in a very raw way. . . or sometimes it is at least. Sometimes it's even funny.

These are not intended as finished work, just spontaneous in-the-moment thoughts and ideas scribbled down roughly each hour we are awake on that day in a sketchbook for the fun of it.

A number of the participants in HCD are also involved with Mail Art. Mail Art is how several of us met and why we sometimes poke about in fun with Mail Art.

You can see the other 17 panels i did on May 1st plus any thing else submitted to the HCD Day's Worth Blog here:

"Day's Worth" an Hourly Comic Day Blog

You can click each panel for a larger version of that panel or page - which makes it a little easier to read.

You are welcome to comment, or just have fun looking.

You are also more than welcome to join us in the activity and submit the work you do on your own Hourly Comic Day. Even stick figures and speaking dots are welcome - post a comment to Bonnie Clyde if you'd like to submit your HCD to the Blog.

Of course you are welcome to just stop in a little after the first of each month, which gives us a little time to post what our HCD was like, to see what we did too.

I think their is always room for a little more humor in life. If you dont have at least some fun in your life what have you got? - have fun. - aloha - Wrick.

Within Spring 1 ATC

One of two ATCs entitled: Within Spring

2.5 x 3.5 Inches (6.35 x 8.9 cm)
Ink and Watercolor on
140# (300 gsm) Cold Press
Bright White Arches Watercolor Paper

88s Shrine

Ink and Watercolor on
140# (300gsm) Cold Press
Bright White Arches Watercolor Paper
4 x 6 Inches (10.2 x 15.25 cm)

Another version of one of the 88 Sins Shrines in postcard size.

Two 88 Sins Shrine ATCs

Ink and Watercolor on
140# (300gsm) Cold Press
Bright White Arches Watercolor Paper

These ATCs are a result of a recent visit to Kauai (a neighboring island) where I sketched the form of a shrine similar to these that fascinated me. That shrine was created by monks who had created a walking path of 88 shrines.

While on Kauai for a week I worked on 22-25 ATCs, 25-30 pages in a sketchbook and took 400+ photographs all of which will probably show up in some way or influence my work for some time. For the time being I will probably keep the ATCs I did on Kauai because they are so connected to the trip. Recently I have begun to create ATCs and other work for Mail Art projects using the work I did while on Kauai as inspiration. These I will use in Mail Art swaps and other projects.

Postal Stamp Postcard Swap Postcards: MAIL ME

These postcards are for a 3/3 mail art swap (send in 3, receive 3 in return). The only requirements being 4 x 6 inch (10.2 x 15.25 cm) postcards, each with at least 3 used snail-mail postage stamps on the card and that the cards be un-addressed with an available message space.




All 5 postcards are on either 140# (300 gsm) Cold Press Strathmore Watercolor Paper (4 cards) or 140# (300 gsm) Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colour Paper (1 card).

In addition to the postage stamps I've used watercolor, acrylic, ink, graphite and colored pencil on each postcard.

I've been wanting to play with stencils again and this seemed like a great opportunity to do so. The stencil i used is a simple small plastic one that is old enough to be breaking up easily. While working i was wondering how much longer i would be able to use it for actual lettering so I'm glad i managed to use it on all 5 postcards. Some of the letters were made using 3 broken pieces to form the letter.




The Fifth postcard (above right) has one of my own Plumeria Blossom 23¢ postcard stamps from my 19 Planets cafepress shop (from a time when postcards were 23¢ to mail).




This postcard has a 25¢ letter stamp from 1990. i like to keep the cancellation mark with stamps as much as possible because i think they are visually interesting as well as providing bits of information like city and date as well as other phrases or images occasionally.




This is the obverse side of the third postcard. All 5 cards are similar to this on the message side.

Tomorrow (later today) I plan to mail the 3 cards that i will be submitting to the Postal Stamp Postcard Swap.

Tree ATC

Title: Tree
2.5 x 3.5 inches (6.35 x 8.9 cm)
Ink and Watercolor on
Arches Bright White 140# cold press Watercolor Paper

An ATC with a tree potted as in bonsai. bonsai is a theme i return to often. this is one i did working out the idea for the 4x4 piece Trees i posted a couple of days ago. I may use this ATC in an open theme Mail Art swap group.

Feather To The Sky

this is an ATC (Artist Trading Card) from a few months ago entitled:

To The Sky

Ink, Watercolor, Acrylic, Grommets and Punch on Watercolor Papers.

ATCs are always 2.5 x 3.5 inches (6.35 x 8.9 cm). the same size as baseball trading cards or a standard card from a USA deck of playing cards (hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades).

i frequently work with feathers as imagery. personal symbols have become visual elements in my work.

working several pieces at one time for mail art swaps has become a habit. creating 3 or 4 pieces more than required for a swap allows me to keep a couple. one as documentation and resource/inspiration for future pieces. another may be used for display purposes as well as back ups incase there are late players added to a swap.

One Start Another Stop

aloha & Welcome to More 19 Planets.















Title: One Thought Next To Another

One of these planets will become my current abode. however for now art, bonsai, stones and life about the middle of the pacific ocean also work well for me... as do some of the other 10,000 things.

as a first posting to this blog (above) i've added a 4x4 watercolor and ink piece i did recently. i did two of these. one has been sent off as part of a Mail Art Swap. the image below is another 4x4 watercolor and ink piece sent off in the same swap.















Title: Trees

because i do things and work in sizes other than 4x4 i thought i'd add a 4x6 postcard too.















Title: Night Shore

have fun reading, viewing and exploring what i do here. commenting is welcome - have fun. aloha - Wrick