Ways of the world

Cascadia has done it again, distilled the injustices of the moment on the back of a postcard. I Love that this side of the pond is BREXIT, Loser!

Every detail is considered and then executed with precision - although I might have made Jarvanka a scorpion, something poisonous rather than fire breathing. 

This postcard made me laugh, then it made me despair. Luckily we have a wave of young people with the energy and determination to make change!

The envelopes go round and round

John Foster's adorable 10 page, 20 sided add and pass boekie made out of old envelopes (with their  stamps, or part of their stamps) is sheer genius! It's simple, haptic, surprising quality makes me want to get doodling or stamping immediately. I also thought about taking it apart and altering it but I like the crispness as it is so will be good. 

Does he really want me to leave some space for others or should I fill it to the brim and send it back?http://thejonfoster.blogspot.co.uk

So pleased to be on Jon's mailing list again.  Now what am I going to do to stay there?

Puzzling piece - David Schulze

Thank you David for this puzzling piece! Puzzling in that I can't tell if it's stamped, silkscreened or painted. Or maybe it is a compilation of a few techniques?  Whatever, it is striking and pleasing.  

Once I spelled David's name correctly it was easy to find him on IUOMA and to find his website link. http://www.davidschulzefineart.com/index.html DAvid is like me, mail art is the fertile gorund of experimenation and reaching out, a surprising world of riches!  Thank you David, I know we've traded before but this time I feel as if I have gotten to know you a little better.

DKult Doodling reality ad infinitum

Brilliant to have this back from Mudhead, doodled on exquisitely. When I scanned the sheets I knew exactly who had made the doodles.  This addled older brain isn't sure whose eye that is now, though.  I see David Stafford's backbending double hatted man. I will need to trawl through things again to make sure I attribute everything appropriately… that could slow things down. Hopefully I will pull all the pages together soon and make some new DKult Doodle Therapy editions soon.  A few people haven't responded (sent back)  yet, though. Thanks for playing the game, Mudhead!

The Moon Rocks and Space Dust

Check out this cool envelope from David Stafford!  I don't know about you, but I think one of the best aisles in DIY stores is the one with the paint chips.  I could stand there, selecting colours, all day. Colour for the sake of colour. And then Dave goes and makes the paint squares feel like windows, I know, it's the face of a building for a rock climber? or maybe the grid of a map telling us where the space rock that is hurtling towards us is going to land?

The envelope is the house for David's doodles and the beginnings of doodles of others.  I trawled through mail art and found doodles to scan and sent them far and wide and mostly had them returned.  Diane Keys have you moved?  The elephant was one of Guido's. 

David has filled the reverse with a space story… he needed all that space (ha ha).  Beware of the space trash playing the accordion! But I'm not sure you will be happier once you land.  Those astronauts looks a little dubious…

And finally, thank you David for my office only card. It is in the pocket next to my heart as I type.

As Crufts comes to an end, Hermanka reigns

inner envelope

I've never been to Crufts and can't say I follow it but last night I caught a glimpse of it and couldn't help thinking that in the parallel universe of pets, behaviour was a little better than it is in our democracies. The askance look of the framed pooch above might be a window onto what our four-legged friends might think of us as we carry on…

As ever, Herman faces the political hubub in his characteristic visually humorous way.  You couldn't fail to notice that the world has been considering its position on 'me too' recently.  Herman's juxtaposition of a clergyman with a nubile young dark-haired beauty and that catchphrase makes me consider my views about sexism, power and privilege. 'Hermanka', pulls me into the Whitehouse orbit. And then there's just the aesthetics of it all. Red hot!

I love when Herman decorates his outer envelope.  The woman on the front heralds the treasure inside.  For me, a bouquet is one of my favourite treats - a mailing from Herman tops that!   

Our dog has only been groomed once and it was the most conservative trim you can imagine.  Mostly she just had her dreadlocks removed.  These dogs are doodle heaven and Herman's doodle fits in perfectly! 

inner inner envelope containing three images.

Add caption

Doodle page returned by Herman!

back of doodle page

stilllife from Herman's life with a few gifts from me!

Our mail crossed in the post and although I am a delinquent mail artist, Herman sent me a second mailing on the heels of the first.  As ever, I am very grateful!

Inside, outside, doodled about, Brot Tod and Bolst - The Bennetts

Delighted to have these beautiful collaborations in a bumper mailing from the Bennetts.  A little while back I mentioned that I had some doodle pages I was sending out and the Bennetts replied to Carina. I saw and sent them two.  Two has multiplied and I have two originals plus a few pages that I assume I can include in the next DKULT Doodle Therapy.  Fabulous and thank you! 

 What the Bennets do is far more than doodle therapy.  Read these two books of visual poetry, laced with asemics and drawings, underpinned with sounds and meaning.

Floudering Fascists driven underground by guitars

Sticker dude packed this envelope full of a range of provocative (collaborative) beautifully drawn and imagined mail art pieces from a dissatisfied band of mail artists.  Having said that, it's possible Joel has conceived and executed much in the mailing himself.  I spy that the Art Shul carving is by Ed Giecek with other helpers, see back of card. The ATC above is a design I have seen before with a sticker ammendment. Brilliant!

Agreed, we are in troubled times and to all appear to be FLOUNDERING. I love that word, floundering, BTW. I can see it.  In Dutch it is: flodderen. Apparently it comes from French and means 'to sink to the bottom', originally.  Now it's 'to flop about'.  The president's hair certainly does that and we are.

I couldn't find the author and illustrator of this wonderful (and depressing) zine… I hope it's some young person forgoing his device to draw with care to get his point of view out there, to stay on message and shed light on what is happening at this sad time. We must stay focussed! 

Or we could play the guitar and make artistamps! and then again, we might just doodle.

Thanks Joel! Another wonderful mailing.