September 25, 2010

going postal

When I was 13 I had a drawing of a horse published in the Junior Horseman section of Western Horseman magazine. From that picture and a request for penpals I suddenly had more correspondents than I could ever keep up with. It taught me something about letter writing and friendship and two of those penpals are still friends, decades later. It also taught me about mail art. Veronica (who came up to visit just this year from Los Angeles for the Olympics) and I would make very elaborate light drawings in pencil on the front of our envelopes, then write the address over top in darker ink.

When I first dicovered Nick Bantock I was immediately won over and love the Griffin and Sabine books. He is pretty much the master of the genre in my mind.


Then, last week, Toni linked this to Facebook the same day as Rudy sent me this. A day or so later John said something about wanting to join some postage art project I was supposedly involved in ... which I'm not (though Di probably is).

Do you think I'm missing some cosmic message? (Maybe it'll be in Monday's mail.)

10 comments:

Toni said...

Thanks for the mention Andrea :–)
There is something cosmic about mail art. I love creating and sending it.

sonya said...

I'm kind of speechless. I wish we still had that issue of the Western Horseman. Wouldn't that be something? Great post Andrea. I too love the Griffin and Sabine books. And to think that Nick Bantock lives just over on Bowen. How neat is that?

andrea said...

Toni: I love your latest.

Sonya: He lives on Salt Spring Island. I almost took one of his workshops a couple of years ago.

Di: On your grumpier days I'm sure you wish it were all snail mail still. :)

valerie said...

that is me :) valgal :) hi tony!

valerie said...

mail art is the shizzle :) i have given my friend Anney every Griffin and Sabine book, she loves them :)

mrwriteon said...

I like this tale, and the story of your early artistic prowess, and I am not at all surprised.

Caty said...

YES! start a postage art project! (would love to participate!)LOVE Nick Bantock's work, and yours as well, you know :)

Hayden said...

When I got the first Griffin and Sabine book I had no idea that what he did was possible. I was instantly in love with this new way of "writing." (See how the lens changes things? LOL) Those books are amazing.

I'd love to see you turned loose on mail art!

andrea said...

I have made some sad attempts to do something along these lines but my brain just isn't cut out for it. I'm a big fan, though!

Hayden said...

andrea, I've temporarily closed my blog to "outside" readers. Send me an email if you'd like to be invited... I didn't find your email. mine is foster_hayden@hotmail.com