Martha....you've got mail!!

In my previous post I mentioned receiving a piece of mail art by fellow artist, Martha Miller.

Following "Mail Art Etiquette" I created something in return!

Here's my mail art to Martha!

I wanted to create something special, eye-catching, and unique!

Still new to the whole mail art scene, I wasn't quite sure what could and could not be mailed. So I decided to stick with a traditional envelope (6" x 9") which I illustrated. Afraid paint would come off too easily, I decided to use waterproof black ink instead.

Here's the back.....

It features a series of phrases written over and over. They read, "Run free. Tears blowing in the wind. Run free. Shine brightly and run free!"

I'm so terrified this is going to get lost in the mail! Or worse yet, some postal employee will just keep it for themselves! Oh, that would make me sooooooo mad!!!

This experience has opened me up to a whole new world! Who knew something so simple as exchanging decorated pieces of mail could be so fun and invigorating?

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!!

I've got mail!!

It never hurts to ask, right?

Last month, the fabulous Martha Miller posted some mail art on her blog. So I simply asked how I could get one.

We exchanged addresses and look what came in the mail earlier this week. Mail art from Martha Miller!

Ooooooooooooohhhh!!

This is SO unusual looking!

Very quirky and fun and unexpected! I love the silhouette of the woman's profile. I'm surprised this was even able to be mailed! It measures roughly 10" x 7" and appears to be layers of bound paper.

The front features ribbon and stitching underneath several images. On the cat's forehead it reads, "May I be filled with loving kindness. May I be well. May I be peaceful and at ease. May I be happy."

Here's the back of the piece.....

More stitching with a female nude. The side reads, "Just remember....the darkest hour is always just before the dawn....breathe...."

This is just what I needed! It was a little pick me up and a bit of joy that came in my mailbox!

Following "mail art etiquette", I now have to create a piece to send to Martha! I sure hope I don't disappoint!

Thank you, Martha, for my very first piece of mail art EVER!!

It's only a matter of time.....

Gray clouds, big as ships, sailed through the sky. Every now and then a light rain would dot the ground. And determined winds, with chilled enthusiasm, tried to force changing leaves from their homes....albeit too soon.

This was the scene from the front window today.

The desire to draw and paint comes and goes but it is assuredly always brief. Those creative impulses grow more and more infrequent it seems.

What will I do if they cease altogether?

If I didn't have my art and my writing I would shrivel up and die. A slow death that would eat away at my already fragile core.

At this point, I'm too worn out too cry. Good....I'm sick of crying.

Puddles have formed on the uneven sidewalk while overhead the sun tried to emerge. I smiled when the clouds overtook it and swallowed the sunlight whole.

I think I've doomed myself. No job. No real life. I've never achieved any of the goals I set for myself years ago and quite honestly could case less. I feel like I ran out of options.

Each week that passes I feel more and more like a failure. A day older....I'm falling behind that much more. What if it's too late already?

What do you do when you don't know what to do?

The drive in me has become a faint scream that nobody hears. Not even me.

Lifeless. Lost. Trapped, Detached. Closed-off. Disappointed. Worthless. Negative. Unhappy. Unmotivated. Wasteful.

Ah, I guess I was wrong. I'm not too worn out to cry.

The leaves fluttered on tree limbs, tickled by the cool air. Try as they might, they cannot hold on forever. They will fall eventually....it's only a matter of time.

When the urge strikes.....

I feel like I'm a nomad, packing and unpacking from place to place. I'll just have to get used to it....for now.

I've been staying at my aunt and uncle's for several days at a time, then go back home for a day or two, then return to their house all over again.

The good news is that my aunt and uncle are in better spirits compared with last month. My uncle started his first chemotherapy treatment this week and thankfully all it did was just make him extremely tired. We can deal with that!

We were told that the chemo would have an accumulative effect as the treatments progressed. So as the weeks go on, he'll get sicker and sicker. But we're trying not worry about it until it happens.

I've been charged with putting away all the outdoor things from their backyard and chose a rainy day earlier in the week to get started (I love the rain). I rolled up and stored the garden hoses and will be wrapping up the central air conditioning unit soon.

As I disconnected the backyard sprinkler and placed it on the pavement, my eyes caught its reflection in a shallow rain puddle.

I'm sure every artist gets that feeling where you see something and know you MUST draw/paint it! It's like an itch you have to scratch!

So at that moment, I sat down on an old bucket, rested a giant umbrella over my head to protect my sketchbook, and franticly sketched away.

The unusually cold weather didn't deter me but I was chilled to the bone. By the time I was finally done, my fingertips were slightly numb! Oh the things I continue to do for my art!

But I had to capture it down on paper before the sprinkler was officially put away for the winter. The urge had to be satisfied!

Wordless Wednesday - Tree's canopy after the rain.....

For a limited time only!

Smack dab on the side of a dark building. Next to a vacant lot filled with weeds and rubble. Surrounded by a tall, chain-link fence.

An unexpected piece of street art!

I had a job interview earlier in the week near the West Loop and this just caught my eye!

Close-up shot! Doesn't he look cute!

This little yellow guy popped against the all-black wall. From a distance I thought maybe someone painted a bee. Upon closer inspection though it's some kind of robot/anime/video game-type character that's been pasted onto the brick surface.

Very cool!

In another week this will most likely be painted over so I thought to capture it with my camera before his fate is sealed.

Here's some tagging a couple blocks down from that spot. Sorry, the letters are being obscured by the lower building. I'd have to climb onto the roof to get a better shot (and yes, I did look for a fire escape....I will go to great lengths to get a good picture!).

I love the color combinations here. Something about the pink, red, and black that look great together.

I'm so impressed at how some people can pull this off without getting caught, using only spray paint, markers, and limited time.

It all makes me want to start doing some street art of my own! Before you know it I'll be marking up storefront windows and spray painting the sides of buildings!

Hahaha no, I'm too much of a goody-two-shoes to vandalize other people's property....at least as of now!

Just wanted to share my discoveries with you all. Now time for me to buy some spray paint! Kidding!!