Through the letterbox book 2

Art through the letter box september 2013-july 2014

mailartmartha

Printed in the United Queendom of Retailia

art through the letter box The sequel

The artwork for the Artistamp I made celebrating the Postal Services, for which Kevin posed as the good sport that he is.

The Mail Art Show, the key to the artists’ names is on the opposite page.

The artists

21-22 Heleen de Vann 11 Cascadia Artpost 10 Ficus Strangulensis 29 Momkat 15 Christine Jones 3 Moan Lisa 12 XX Jones 2 Richard Baudet 6 Thom Courcelle 14 Artist In Seine 7 Marguerite Keen 33 David Stanley Aponte 16 Petropetal 28 Diane Keys

35 Jessica Manack 30 Thomas Brown 18 Andy Geezer 19 Fake Fine Art 34 Rebecca Gruyer 17 Robert Sweikiewicz 24 Elaine Fafard Marconi 37 Ruud Janssen 31 Carina Grandlund 13 Bee Greschak 25 Kim Jung Youn 27 Stripygoose 4 Jenny Soup 20 Viktor de Magalhaes 23 Alain Cotten 36 Anne L.Braunsschweig 9 Claudia Garcia 1 Dan Mouer

The Mail Art Show surrounded by the neighbourhood kids’ drawings.

the show

Heleen de Vann is so very nice. She drew my portrait, created an artistamp featuring the emblematic snail of my Queendom and wrote a book about me, under the pen name of Olivia Zalop. Also she sent me a most zalopy cartoon.

We are amused indeed.

I am zalopefied at so much unexpected zaloping.

Big zalops to you too Heleen!

Greetings for the New Year from Cascadia Artpost.

All the mail art Jack has received during the last year is here, what a brilliant way of making a New Year’s card.

Ficus Strangulensis very especial photos.

Look at that dragonfly! Also a poem and a strange fractal.

Apparently this last is something to do with a cucumber, an electrified one perhaps?

Has Fike tried to bring the veggie to life? If so, has he succeeded and is there now a purple cucumber stalking the world?

Momkat’s Blue Ppictures are legendary, but for Valentine’s Day she exploded in vibrant and passionate red.

There is a of thoughtfulness in her passion though, expressed by the coolness of the measuring tape.

A card made with collaged fabrics of her own creation, I believe, and such a fantastic riot of exciting patterns and colours.

Absolutely fabulous Christine Jones!

The artwork in its entirety above Moan Lisa send me an interesting essay on Art and Chess, counterpoising these two disciplines and comparing their respective characteristics. The presentation of the essay is a work of art in its own right, with the added dimension of scent. Those stains of blue, deliberately done I am sure, smell deliciously of printing rooms and student’s days, at least to me.

Above the centre stamp. The essay in full is on the following page

The mixed media work of this lavish artwork consists of painting and collage on card. is its title and was created by XX Jones. Surely it means that it was executed on a Sunday, not that it is amateurish at all.

The one thing I do know for sure is that it hasn’t got mustard, so it says .

Beautiful envelopes are the speciality of Richard Baudet.

They are fantastic and the handwriting something that I, if I were capable of such low emotions, would envy. Truth be told, I do envy, so there, I admit it!

A funny and clever poem from Thom Courcelles, and so true! It tells us of the plight of an elf with bad hair days in the run up to Christmas. Haven’t we all been there? My hair positively looks like wet seaweed when taking the wretched thing off. Off with pointy hats, says I ! Never again, ever!

Here in England we a have a strange sense of humour, even the Post Office, so it came to pass that one day, I wish I could say a sunny day but it always rains here or it is dull and windy at least, Kevin my postman gave me a piece of paper to take to the post office to redeem something sent to me. which turned out to be a collage on cardboard just larger than A5 so I had to pay 1.19 pounds to make up the lack of postage and also a handling fee as it exceeds the internal postage while had it been sent abroad it would have been OK and as the artwork is great, Dean, aka Artist In Seine, and I didn’t mind a little bit paying the fine, but I wondered if I should not have refrained from doing so as Mail Art should always be free at the point of delivery.

(You can catch up your breath now...)

This is a photo of Marguerite Keen’s collage of vintage ephemera on stretched canvas. Even in reproduction it is a beautiful and romantic piece of art; it must be quite stunning to see the original. Marguerite also sent a list of her achievements in 2013 and of her goals for 2014. Oh, my! Busy Mum, Zumba teacher, and more, and more. Among her goals there is

That is my favourite, I will try to join you in this.

Marguerite, you are such an inspiration.

David Stanley Aponte has a strong painterly style. This piece has depth and movement which carries the observer. Despite its small format it conveys a monumental feeling and inspires awe.

Petropetal, the artist with the industrial yet poetic name, is also full of fun. Hers is a most original work. The front of the envelope, above, is highly decorated and the back has the intriguing word ‘full’, whereupon opening it a solitary card with the word ‘empty’ falls out.

Diane Keys’ card is a collage of discarded paper and a note of a student to her/himself found on the road near a school.

A great piece of Trashpo anyway. Trashpo, poetic art work made with rubbish, is the speciality of Diane, at which she excels.

A Dkult fake Nancy Bell Scott by Diane Keys. A jewel of a mixed media collage with asemic writing.

Jessica Manack has found time to send me a super card while attending Ex Posto Facto, a huge gathering of Mail Artists in California.

Thomas Brown handles perfectly both strong and subtle colours in a transparent composition which vibrates as we look into it.

A Trashpo mandala by Diane Keys of Dkcult fame. To me it is a window opening from a transparent wall into chaos. It sums up everything I know of the world.

Very nice demonic eMailart from Carl Baker, full of a symbolism I am still working out. By the way; I am open to receive art by email which has been created by traditional means and scanned or pure electronic art, conceived, executed and sent by electronic means, no prejudice here.

An expressive manga postcard from Andy Geezer, now busy in Hanoi with his art. It will be fun when he comes back bringing a new set of ideas with him. This was a real surprise for me.

This piece transcends the Trashpo paradigm and makes an amazing and surprising incursion into Pop Art. It is the latest multiple created by the innovative artist who may be known to you as Indiana Rogers, Mean Sheena. Malibu Barbie or Crocodile Barbie.

She is currently working under the name of Fake Fine Art. I am very lucky to have acquired such an outstanding piece of artwork.

From Dean, Artist in Seine, a fantastic and very large cardboard postcard (above) with collaged material from Sri Lanka including monks walking on a railway line, chilies drying in the sun and assorted fruit all covered with packets of sweeteners. What can the message of such a cryptic art be ? May be the reverse illuminates us with its inspired poem (right), Sweet ‘n Low. Yes, it could describe me, as I am short and have occasionally, very occasionally been described as by some, most people know better. And of course, the chariot of the poem must be my defunct Shopping Trolley Gallery. Thanks Dean, your poetic muse has not deserted you.

And more from Dean! A couple of weeks later another great collage, this time flat so our (newly privatised) postal services did not have an excuse to charge extra postage, and with British stamps in an envelope at the back . Thanks Dean for the collage for the stamps but it was not necessary as I explained, tu est tres gentil.

Celebrating bananas is an everyday need for us bananophiles so everyday is Banana Day, Rebecca, here in Retailia. Rebecca Gruyer has gone all bananas, in a highly worked card, mixing collage, painting, printing and sewing. The result is a very tactile artwork, I am sorry you Internauts cannot have the pleasure to handle it. Simply delicious...

This is Robert Sweikiewicz, with his work called Prayer Column, which speaks about lotuses and loving-kindness meditation. The colourful printed prayer flags, similar to those used in Buddhist festivals, caress with a touch of peace all those watching and even projects from the photo.

Must have been really great to see it happening and better still, participating, if one could.

I hope the public was allowed to touch the flags too.

And from Elaine Fafard Marconi an intriguing envelope! Mail Art and a present, I could not be luckier. When I opened it a badge with an extract from a French dictionary fell out. I think the word defined is Bourrache.

I must look it up, Elaine. It is a fact: Mail Art improves one’s mind. I interpret the hunting scene as a metaphor for the focused and relentless pursuit of Mail Art values (Fun, Friendship and Fancy Envelopes.)

A moment in time in blue space from Momkat. The playful dots on the tapes, together with the vows for a happy New Year on the blue tape point also to the rebirth that Spring brings.

This is the message full of hope that we all need.

Ruud Janssen has sent a historic document that has passed through the hands and hearts of great mail artists, some my friends. It is good to be reminded as neither Clemente Padin, Ruggero Maggi or R. F. Cote are in the present online version of IUOMA .

Once we all were members of IUOMA, before the Internet, and we all participated in each others projects by snail mail only. I have passed this to De Villo Sloane, and I wonder where it will go from there.

Carina Grandlund is inviting me for dinner. Wow! How could I refuse?

Salad, bread and a glass of wine, or is it apple juice? And a cake made of cream and chocolate. A cheerful card to get this time of the year. Nice to see that Felix is well and happy with you in Finland, Carina.

Bee Greschak likes postage stamps and the mail and she would write to everyone if she could. Bee also likes libraries, museums, Van Gogh and Degas and old wooden spools and blue thread and old photos and postcards. I love the same things and I miss the wooden spools.

Kim Jung Youn travelling collage with a flavour of a farmhouse kitchen.

No doubt there is a rocking chair nearby and a steaming apple pie cooling on a big wooden table in the middle of the room.

Didn’t I remark that Mail Art enriches the mind? Well, here is another example from Cascadia Artpost. I am still trying to work it out. Theta rotation has something to do with subatomic particles, may be, and that is as far as my knowledge goes. I shall dutifully look it up, and come back to you, but sit down comfortably and and have a cup of tea, or two ...

Thank you Diane, Keys. After all this brain work, I do need DKULT as I am weakening by the minute. So you say that having my daily dose will not only resolve my reality issues but I will also be surrounded by luxury? WOW! You soon shall have some luxurious Trashpo from me.

I am glad you returned to your Blueness, Momkat, with this beautiful vintage Bunnie. And I am glad to see that it has ditched Time. I am convinced that Time does not exist, it is a Conspiracy Theory. I manage perfectly well with Now and Before and Later. It is to say, I would, if it were not for those unenlightened people who insist to do this, to do that, at certain times, Indeed! Dentists are the worst, they even charge you as if they had seen you, if you are not there the moment they tell you.

Until later.

European and African inspired imagery dance in harmony in Petropetal’s warm and lively artwork.

The big cat walking through gigantic flowers, accompanied by a butterfly and guided by a star towards a knot of Celtic origin speaks of deep layers of beliefs which we have not completely outgrown, luckily.

Also by Petropetal, this collage is only partly stuck down, which gives it depth and a degree of movement.

I imagine the red headed woman is a witch or such strong spirit giving the girl the encouragement she needs to go forth in life.

The blue and black circle reminds me of the talisman against the Evil Eye found in East Mediterranean cultures.

On the whole a highly empowering picture and very beautiful indeed.

And a collection of photo negatives of old USA postage stamps

From Margueritte Keen a great collection: an old photo, jokes, Bingo cards. I had never seen one, they come as a note book which could be used as a sketch book by an artist with a practical inclination, ahem...

And a sheet of golden stars. The envelope in which it all came was made from a leaf from an old magazine, this is its back view.

And these are the jokes and the poem also sent by Margueritte

Petropetal textured folded card has been lovingly worked on the outside with paint, collage and rubber stamps. Even the postage stamps are part of the exciting design and on the inside I found a big surprise: it contains a malignant spirit! I guess that, like me, Petropetal loves fairy tales.

Artistamps from Cascadia Artpost.

Jack Lattermann had promised to send me some clouds, and here they are, in these beautiful fake postage stamps.

This regal goose came form Stripygoose herself, who else? Sue has taken Goose Art to new heights with this amazing collage .

In the back was the most amusing cameo I have ever seen!

Said because I am afraid I peeled it off to stick on the garage door for the show but it is still in good health, stuck now on the door of my bookcase.

One does indeed, Maam.

From Jenny Soup a envelope decorated with a menacing Skull and Cross Bones, softened by a feminine touch of shinny bling. Inside a lovely plea for inspiration, very endearing. I am afraid I cannot help there Jenny, I have used up all my yearly allocation of inspiration already! Anyway you seem to be doing very well as this super picture shows

The title of this piece is Love Poem, or Poema de Amor for us Hispanophones, which is not a device for talking at a distance, it is a highfaluting way of saying Spanish Speaking Folks.

The ansemic poem is in red ink and overwritten in silver, on card heavily painted with lots and lots of lovely texture. The detached heart is intriguing, and the whole muy hermoso. The clever and sensitive artist/poet behind it all is Viktor de Magalhanes. This is the first time that I have seen his work and hope I will see more of it.

Alain Cotten works only on his envelopes.

On this very interesting collage Alain places a brain, a blind man with perhaps a nurse or doctor and a photo which I think shows Joseph Swan.

Swan was the English competitor of Edison and he was the first to come up with the idea of the light bulb. We know who is accredited with the invention. Money had something to do with it, I am told.

On the label on the top right hand corner it says Mail Art, Alain Cotten (address) with the collaboration of the postman.

This is a nice compliment.

Another puzzle, I feel like Sherlock by now but this time I am foxed. I cannot guess who is the gentleman in David Stanley Aponte’s intriguing postcard and why is he staring at a black dot in a circle in scarlet space.

A scientist? Galileo? The other postcard with the cross must be an obscure Sub-Real Alchemy symbol, it seems David is an expert in it.

Momcat is in a long journey of restoration it seems, although she cannot keep away from us completely and sent this altered postcard of Paris.

It was a lovely surprise as I thought I would not hear from Momkat for a long time.

From Cascadia Artpost four Lilliputian scenes which as Jack says takes us back to childhood, a very pleasant experience. Beautiful idea and on the envelope two Lilliputian artistamps to round up the magical journey.

Ficus created another great collection of amazing fractals and, more amazingly, photographed some fractal patterns which only he could spot in nature. Ficus even altered a work by Moan Lisa ( the blue pattern ) with his magic fractal wand. That is such a great idea and one that could be developed into a whole new art form.

Richard Baudet’s collage of a real postage stamp on an extract of Mm Bovary is a jewel in miniature. It even shows the stamp killed by Richard’s own postal seal.

On the envelope there is a beautiful current stamp showing a Chinese watercolour of a horse; which is my favourite subject at the moment.

Richard also added a transfer of a coach and horses.

From Anne L.Braunschweig; Anne urges me to keep mail art alive by creating everyday. I wish that could but Reality Issues get in the way, like catering for Visiting Relatives...

Moan Lisa is also a poet as well as a superb artist using mixed media. Here is one of her poems as well as two examples of her graphic art, the second developed around a quote from Sappho.

She handles language so well as to paint complex images with words. On her flat pictures her layered style manages to evoke textures and depth with amazing ease and freedom.

From Cascadia Artpost more Lilliputian scenes which Jack explains were placed by him along his route when walking daily in Seattle.

Now having moved to Olympia WA he is designing his garden and creating lots and lots of superb Mail Art.

Jack’s garden; I am glad there is room for bugs too.

David’s abstract design brings to my mind a tall building, with clouds behind. A really beautiful picture that wakes up the imagination From Sub-Real Alchemy.

Claudia Garcia has distilled the essence of a stroll hinting of dancing and happiness in a great image and sent also an origami dove with the words Paz on one wing and Amor on the other ( Peace and Love).

Beautiful work!

Moan Lisa’s pictures are always admirable and a source of joy for me.

A new abstract from Sub-Real Alchemy where as usual I can see lots of images whether intended by David or not, I always enjoy them.

This is an industrial landscape at sunset for me.

Margueritte Keen made a blank notebook for me, how thoughtful! It is very cleverly made, the cover is an envelope cut in such a way as to have two pockets in the front and back where a bookie and a lovely card live.

The bookie is a series of her own postcards, a brilliant idea.

Diane Keys collected exciting Trashpo in a tiny envelope: I am a member of the Trashpo of the Month Club now, it seems, and this is the special selection of this month, just for me. Gee, thanks!

It was great fun to find with the three pieces of subtle watercolours Diane also sent for me to work on in an art collaboration.

Dan Mouer went well beyond the boundaries of Mail Art with this superb mailing. The huge decorated envelope contained an atmospheric photograph of a field with horses. The photo is a hand coloured black and white print and the horses belong to him, lucky Dan...

There was a card also, exhorting us to use chop sticks whenever eating Chinese food, to respect tradition.

A box arrived, which was such fun to open, slowly and savouring the surprise, with a cup of tea at hand and a curious husband. In it Thom Courcelle had put a comic, a cutout of a four leaved clover for luck, some DKULT patches, to be able to overcome the stress of facing daily existential issues, very welcome, some ivy leaves too and a mysterious bag. The bag contained an oracle to predict the future with two wooden chips and complicated instructions in a scroll. So useful in this age of uncertainty principles. The crumpled paper was packaging.

This abstract from Sub-Real Alchemy is more specific than usual; a great outer space landscape, very original indeed. I like also the stamp of Emma Goldman. David’s work of late sends me rushing to investigate the personages that he shows, good for my education.

Katerina’s art is usually blue, only in the colour she uses, I mean, because her work is always full of fun and joy.