Tag: Making postcards

So Much Art!

Dear Liza,

My friend Jennifer is such a sweetie! A few weeks ago, she was up visiting from California and asked if I would be interested in ‘an art calendar’ to use in my collages.

“If you feel like mailing it, sure!” I smiled. I have learned never to turn down art supplies.

And just the other day, what come in the mail?? Three years of this art calendar!! A whole 1,095 pages, printed on BOTH sides. A whopping 2,190 pieces of art.

These are on good quality paper, and about 4 inches by 5 inches. That’s a lot of art!!

I am already feeling both inspired and overwhelmed. With just the two evenings I have spent flipping through and sorting, I have pulled a couple that seem destined to go together. These two, a fabric print and a piece of jewelry, look like a poster for The Lion King.

And this fellow, cut from an unrelated postcard, could use this millefeuille glass paperweight as a lovely mandala. He needs work, though…I’ll let you know.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Back to Postcards

Dear Liza,

Once the collage bug gets me, I sink in real deep. Besides doing collage with poetry, I have started making postcards again.

I make them pretty quickly, because when my brain is in the mood, the pictures come to hand and go together like lightning.

The only problem is, I can’t always think of who might enjoy the images. Some of them are pretty weird.

For you, dear Liza, I always seem to find some way to “improve” a landscape.

One of these is coming your way, and the other is going to my dear friend Richard in Salinas.

Making art just for the sake of making art, for the joy of laying down color and pattern and the satisfaction it brings, has been such a revelation for me.

Once you get past “Yes, but what’s it FOR?”, life is good.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Creating Postcards Part 3

Dear Liza,

I’m making more postcards! This time I have been focusing more on who the cards are for before I make them. It turns out, if I think about a person while I hunt through my collage box, things show up that I hadn’t seen before. It is some sort of weird picture-association Jedi mind trick.

For this batch of postcards, I thought about my newest friend Amy, my old friend Rick, my French teacher Veronique, and my newly-retired teacher friend, Cynthia.

Amy lives in Lake Oswego, just south of Portland. Every time we visit her, we get stunning views of Mt. Hood. When I mentioned this to Amy, she told me that she was as fascinated by the mountain as I am.

So of course the mountain had to be on Amy’s card, as well as some images that show her love of her garden.

My old friend Rick has an odd sense of humor and a long, tangled history with religion.

For his card, I put a silky terrier’s head on top of a print of a Cardinal on his throne, placed so Frida Kahlo’s head flowers and wallpaper shows. The foil that came wrapped around Christmas pears make up the finials of the throne.

Veronique is from Belgium and loves beauty in all forms. She is multi-lingual and has been an inspiration to me for many years. This Diego Rivera painting reminded me of her. The French on her card says “You must water the flowers” and reminds her to relax and appreciate life.

Cynthia and I taught together for many years and took French lessons together from Veronique. Cynthia has a Master’s degree in library science and is a cancer survivor, and has recently retired. The many changes in her life are making things a bit hectic. The French says “There are so many things to do.”

I am having so much fun making these small, mailable pieces of art.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Creating Postcards

Dear Liza,

Since so many of my friends and family are far away and travel is difficult, I have started making cards and postcards to send to folks. There are many things I like about this type of art.

First, it is super cheap. The materials (old postcards, stationary, and magazines) can be found in free libraries and garage sales for next to nothing. The biggest expense in Mod Podge, and one $5 jar lasts a really long time. I also sometimes use acrylic paints as a background.

Next, it doesn’t require great artistic skill. You just paint, snip, place and layer until you like the way the card looks, then glue it down.

Third, each piece is small! You don’t spend a lot of time filling big spaces, and you can do several in a busy afternoon.

Fourth, it is easy to share your art with friends! After pressing it flat under books and protecting it with a spray of Kamar varnish (another expense, but one can lasts practically forever), just put a postcard stamp and a cheery note on your masterpiece and send it off.

Since the back of the postcard won’t match whatever you put on the front, you can glue plain paper to the back. I re-use the insides of envelopes, seen here being glued onto the back of the postcard. It gets trimmed to fit afterward.


And the best thing about this portable, inexpensive art form is that it can be made especially for the friend it is going to. Sweet flowers for Mae, a giraffe for Ruthie, or a beautiful butterfly mutant for Richard. It’s all for you to decide.

Have fun and send me a card!

Love,

Grandma Judy