#67 July 2015 Mail Art

Sometimes I try to respond to the ideas I discover in a sender's art work. I saw concepts of beauty, strength and survival in the card from Chambers. So I am adding to the dialog that he started (see posting #65) . Unfortunately this was lost in the mail.

By C Rizzuto for KS Chambers, Anaheim, CA USA
Triskelion: Response to 'Daisy, Hook, Tiger'
Watercolor digital print, collage, stamping

I had not received anything from Connie Jean, a veteran mail artist, for about 2 years and  this arrived in my mail box unexpectedly. It deserved a special response--and was responded to in return.

#1 From Connie Jean, Florida
http://sub-luna-tic.blogspot.com
Stamping on postcard

#2 From Connie Jean, Florida
Death of the Roadside Attraction
Love the sarcophagus and the reference to nearby Disneyland!
This is a response to my postcard below.

By C Rizzuto for Connie Jean, Florida.
Not Dead??? Watercolor and mixed media.
My response to postcard #1:  Glad to hear that rumors of your death were greatly exaggerated!

From Gina Ulgen, UK
"Let them eat cake": Altered card with Collage

From Mercedes La Marquesa, New Mexico
Media: Sponge painting, stamping

From Moan Lisa, Iowa-diva of digital prints
Media: Digital print #1

From Moan Lisa, Iowa-diva of digital prints
Media: Digital print #2

By C Rizzuto for Patricio, Celestial Scribe, Curitiba, Brasil
Earth Mandela: Entry for Transpersonal, a Mail Art Call
White gel pen on Canson-mi-tiente paper

By C Rizzuto for Erin Young, Canada
Numbers 1/5:  Gelli-plate print and acrylic inks
 First of a series on the theme NUMBERS:
'numbers are the key to unlocking the mysteries of the universe'

By C Rizzuto for Nancy Bell Scott
Monotype fragment:  Createx inks, chine colle

By C Rizzuto for Ann
Monotype fragment: Createx inks

To Pete
Abstraction: Ink wash and Inktense watercolor pencil

By C Rizzuto for Perry Hoffman, Wonder Valley, CA, USA
Entry for the Glass Outhouse Gallery's Call for Entries.
 Desert Inspiration: Monotype and gel-pen

By C Rizzuto for Rebecca Guyver, Stowmarket, UK
'Thank you' note: Eco-print, collage and stamping

By C Rizzuto for Mercedes La Marquesa, New Mexico
Numbers 3/5: Gelli-plate print


 

By C Rizzuto for Tammy Riggins, TN, USA
Numbers 2/5: Gelli-plate and mixed media

#66 June 2015 Mail Art

From Nancy Bell Scott comes a collage in her inimitable style.

From Nancy Bell Scott, Portland ME, USA
Above the fray: Collage, paint, asemic writing/markmaking

This is the third piece that I am sending to the 'Meta' Call for Entries. Originally developed as part of  a collage project, it is now making its way to Chicago. How many different fabrics compose the image?

By CR for Olivia Arrow's mail art call, 'META'.
To be exhibited at Uncle Art Gallery, Chicago, IL.
Medium: Collage from clothing catalog

Moan Lisa is a prolific mail artist from Iowa. I recently completed 2 Add & Pass projects that she originated.

By Moan Lisa and CR
'This is art': mixed media collage

By Moan Lisa, Esther Kamkar and CR
'5089': mixed media collage

The Philpott Lake Project asks participants to alter one of 50 postcards. Here's my rendition scanned against a grey background--the figure extends beyond the edge of the card.

BY CR for Diana Hale of Crozet, VA, USA
Entry for the Philpott Lake Project: Collage, acrylic inks, photo pens
http://philpottlakeproject.tumblr.com

The original postcard for the project features a wonderful fish print--how appropriate! 
Note the special stamp.

From Diana Hale
Decorated envelope for Philpott Lake Project: Original print

Tammy Riggins sent this card in lovely pastel colors.

From Tammy Riggins, Clarksville, TN, USA
Gelli-plate print in luscious pastels

From Katerina Nikoltsou a 'thank you' postcard with a delightful Hellas stamp on the envelope.

From Katerina Nikoltsou, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Thank you card in her signature blue with stickers

Arrived recently from Erin Young, a poppy themed card.

Erin Young, Innisfil, Ontario, Canada
Mixed media

Thomas Brown (aka Bhomas Trown) uses stamps to create minimalist designs.

From Thomas Brown, Baltimore, MD, USA
Dig Love:  Stamping and hand lettering

#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

#64 January, February, March 2015 Mail Art

MARCH 2015
Katerina Nikoltsou  and I have corresponded over the last year. This is my latest sent to her.

By CR for Katerina Nikoltsou, Thessaloniki, Greece
Fragment of monotype with stamping added

For Roberto Bergamo's call for mail art, Identity.

By CR for Roberto Bergamo, Lecce, Italy
Acrylic on paper, fragment of drawing using tri-tone pencil on paper

And headed to Marseille, France for the prolific calligrapher, Richard Baudet...

By CR for Richard Baudet, Marseille, France
Drawing: ink and tri-tone colored pencil on paper

FEBRUARY 2015
Katerina Nikoltsou is a prolific mail artist--many of her online friends received Valentines, an unexpected treat--it arrived on Feb. 14th. She is known for her blue series and she managed to include some on this card.

From Katerina Nilkoltsou, Thessaloniki, Greece
Mixed media Valentine

A beautifully crafted envelope arrived last week from Richard Baudet, a gifted calligrapher. Merci, Richard!!

From Richard Baudet, Marseille, France.
Romance vs. Drama: Collage and Calligraphy

JANUARY 2015
Armchair exploration is a benefit of mail art correspondence. I'm motivated to view maps of and read about geographic areas that I will probably never see. This incredibly complex imagery, sent from Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa, spurred me to read about its unique location.  I was intrigued by the mail stamp that features the Taita Falcon of South Africa, and learned that it is a victim of pesticides, as are falcons in the USA. Both are endangered species.

From Petrolpetal, Hilton, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa.
Digital print of wonderfully complex imagery laminated to sheet music.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
This creative seasonal greeting arrived recently--the Commedia dell'arte stamp acknowledges my Italian heritage--Merci, Richard!  The calligraphy is Richard's specialty--a wonderful treat to start the new year.

From Richard Baudet, Marseille, France

Seasonal greetings: Collage of ephemera and wonderful calligraphy