Mail Art Inbox

Michael Leigh, UK

Jean Jackson, USA

Sally Wurlitzer, USA

Test Notebook #2

Most of my collage materials are stored in boxes until I move them to the new space. In the meantime, the materials I have access to are ones I rarely work with since I mainly cut and paste. I also don’t work in color too often so I am surprised that I am making things that are exploding with it.  I have not put any thought into this work.  I just put down colors, stamps and whatever other materials I stick down as I listen to books on tape or music. I don’t find them to be finished works, but the raw beginnings of something new for me.

I think leaving social media has strengthened my experimental thinking. Essentially not caring what I post or how much I post (too much or too little). I’m just making whatever feels right/good to me and allowing those channels in my brain to be open to anything and everything. Many times I’d look at art on IG and wonder what I was doing wrong because the algorithm showed me things that were nothing like my work and had very successful views/likes/followers. I’m old enough to know better than to let things like that make me question my own practice, but whatever hoodoo voodoo those folks do over there seems to work. Obviously everyone gets something different from it and there are many positive aspects to it, but for me, I am free of it and I definitely feel better and more productive. 

Acid Test

In the spirit of my test/error cards, I attempted something similar yesterday morning on a blank 9x12 piece of paper. I found it meditative. While doing it, I found several new ideas emerge. 

Studio WIP

The new studio is coming along. I’ll be happy to have a sink just for art. 

New Supplies

John and I went to an estate sale on Saturday. The sale had already been going on for a week so it was 50% off. From the photos, the woman had been a very serious crafter with massive amounts of scrapbook and craft materials including rubber stamps. I thought I had alot of stuff, but this woman was definitely on a hoarder level.  I was told she taught classes which might explain the entire finished attic space filled top to bottom with supplies. Unfortunately, most of her stamps were  Stampin’ Up which I’m not a big fan of because they’re on the cute side. I knew she would have some stamp pads and reinkers and I did find some still in the package. I bought some clear stamps which I don’t normally buy, but everything was dirt cheap so I thought I’d give them a try. I did buy a couple of Stampin’ Up stamps that were basic shapes or designs. I also bought a bunch of clear plastic clamshell boxes which will be perfect for storing extra unmounted stamps. 

Hot Tuna

Making kooky artiststamps combined with vintage rubber stamps that are racehorse names.

Test/error cards

 

Squares

This morning’s stamping. 

J. Adams

 Pittsburgh, PA

Rickolong

 Canada

Jennie Hinchcliff

 San Francisco, CA

Richard C.

Carbondale, IL 

Russell Manning

 Dallas, TX

Jean Jackson

Seattle, WA 

Picasso Gaglione

Colorful drip paintings and a rubber stamp, Knoxville, TN.

A.1. Waste Paper Co

 

Michael Leigh, UK

General Correspondence

Recent mail art from a most entertaining correspondent, General Correspondence. 

Rubber Stamping

Well-being

 B&W collage notebook.

Mail Art Inbox

Spiffy Biffy Whiffy, Austin, TX

Estate Sale Supplies

More art supplies from an artist estate sale yesterday. Purchased a large case filled with supplies from an art correspondence school from 1973.  It seems the owner only did one or two exercises and abandoned ship.  I pulled out what I could use and donated the rest like oil paints, the case, some brushes, etc.  At some later point, they might have became a working artist in illustration because there were lots of books and supplies on the subject.  I also got a large stack of high quality sample papers for $5 which I think were probably used for book making.  I am cutting them down to make artist cards, postcards and maybe zines for mail art. 

The Uncle Rebus Rubber Stamp Box

 Two different sets.

Old Supplies for New Art

I love to find supplies at artist estate or garage sales that I can use.  Such a nice assortment of pens and nibs found recently at a sale.  Especially happy with the marbleized ones, but the prize is the advertising pen for the Rice Hotel.  Everything was stored in one small box and well worth the price which was under $5 for all of it. 

Friday Night Wrestling

I have four vintage wrestlers from Minkey’s Rubber Stamps that were a very generous gift from a friend.  The page is from the Rubber Stamp Album by Joni K. Miller & Lowry Thompson, 1978.  I would be thrilled to have Mr. Wrestling, Doctor X or any other wrestlers from this line, but probably a rare find.  If anyone ever sees one for sale or has them for sale, please let me know.

Shoes for Blondie

 Mixed media drawing on vintage postcard.

Make Do Coloring Book

I have clipped hundreds of magazines and books over the past 30+ years for my collages. I also keep pages that have been drawn in, scribbled, defaced, etc. In several instances I have found where children used magazines as coloring books. This page from one of my scrapbooks is an example.

Acey Deucy

 Rubber stamp in original package and catalog, circa 1994. 

Used Car Salesman

Mixed media postcards.

Rubber Stamp Art

 11x14

Creeps in Tees

Had fun with a t-shirt rubber stamp today.  

 

Error Cards

Worked on error/test cards this morning.  It’s a fun challenge to bring ruined cards back to life.  I might even start to send these out as mail art.  I also added a few stickers.  Some years ago, we went to an estate sale at the home of a wealthy woman who had a massive craft room and she had multiples of everything.  I purchased hundreds of Mrs. Grossman stickers which I once bought as a kid for my scrapbooks.  Some of you might remember the rolls of stickers at stationery stores.  

Ideas

Today’s mail art postcards.

Mail Art Inbox

Recent rubber stamped postcards from Sally Wurlitzer, San Francisco.

Rubber Stamped Postcards