Friday, April 10, 2015

#65 April, May 2015 Mail Art

Creating mail art in response to calls for entries is always a fun challenge and full of surprises.  These two months I have sent out entries to multiple venues. I have used a variety of media to create these mini-artworks. 

The following entry is for an exhibition celebrating the Canadian artist, Anna Banana, and her 45 years of promoting artists' stamps and the mail art genre. The exhibition will be held at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, BC, Canada, September 19, 2015 to January 3, 2016.


By CR for "Passing the Flame, A Celebration of Mail Art", 
at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Media: Gelli-plate print with collage

As I was making the envelope for the above entry I discovered that there was a poem about mail art on the backside of the envelope--how serendipitous is that!!!



Mail Art Poem: Reverse of envelope for Anna Banana's exhibition.
Medium: Stamping on a page from Invisible City, March 1979 issue-
a poetry review published in San Francisco, CA, USA

These three postcards were created as part of a small series. Geometric collage elements were added as counterpoint to the calligraphic lines.



By CR for Melissa Fletcher, TN, USA
Media: Acrylic inks and collage


By CR for Thomas Brown, MD, USA
Media: Acrylic inks and collage


By CR for Olivia Arrow, Chicago IL, USA.
Sent for "META" call for entries.
Media: Acrylic inks and collage

Gelli-plate printing continues to be a medium of exploration for me. I usually embellish the paper to create unique postcards. Silver acrylic paint adds interest to the underlying color in first two postcards.



By CR for 'Woman-Fashion ' Call for entries, Paraguay
Medium: Gelli-plate print with collage, gel pen


By CR for Jan Hodgman, WA, USA
Medium: Gelli-plate print with collage


From Thomas Brown, Baltimore, MD, USA
Medium: Stamping


By CR for Olivia Arrow, Chicago IL, USA.
The second of two postcards sent for "META", call for entries.
Media: Gelli-plate print with collage  

These two postcards are making their way to Milan. They are the last postcards in the two series that I have been using. They are quite different in style and media--such freedom of expression is encouraged within the mail art community.


By CR for the RUN 5, Call for Entries,  Room Galleria,  Milano, Italia.
Medium: Acrylic inks on paper

By CR for the RUN 5, Call for Entries, Room Galleria,  Milano, Italia.
Medium: Acrylic inks on paper

A teacher sent out a plea for mail art for her fifth-grade class project. The following is one of the six postcards that I sent out. Participating in the mail art process is wonderful way to help children learn about geography, art and communication.



By CR for Beth Allums, Henrico, VA, USA
Fifth-grade, mail art project. Media: Eco-printing and stamping

An international bicycle race is coming this autumn to Richmond, Virginia. I sent this drawing that I made for a design course to the call for entries. An IOUMA member, Richard Canard, wrote, " ...Ms. Carmela Rizzuto turns the bicycle into some sort of graphic Picassoid personnage. I am in admiration of those who pedal bicycles as well as those who make art at the mention of a word..." (I am in awe of your way with words, Richard!)



By CR for Mim Golub Scalin, Richmond, VA, USA.
Sent for BICYCLES, Call for Entries. Medium: ink on  Bristol paper


From K. Chambers, Anaheim, CA, USA
Daisy, hook, tiger:  digital print

The following painting from KS Chambers did not reach me for 3 months---A very elegant and colorful collage.


From Keith Chambers, Anaheim,  California.
Mixed media collage


My sister, Ann, sends me  lovely handmade cards--this one celebrates Spring.


From Ann: Happy Spring!
Watercolor on watercolor postcard paper

I have sent several postcards over the past few years to Helene and Peter of Goop Gallery. They photograph mail art that they have received in unique places. To discover where this one ended up go to http://goopmailart.blogspot.com/2015/04/carmela-rizzutofrom-usa.html


By CR for Helene and Peter 
GOOP Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 
Media: Acrylic Gelli-plate print and gold gel pen