Pretty but mean

You may remember Jessica's blog about posting my secrets- this is another idea like that.  Look carefully and under all the insects she wrote ps you give me the willies. Making a mean statement on a carefully drawn, hand made card, what a concept.  She wrote about how it was fun to think about this idea, like a fake fly in someones food; but wrote next there might not be much of a market for these kind of postcard sets.  Some days that passive aggressive side of me comes out, and I want to write a card that says something awful. What do you think, what would you write on the front (or back) of this kind of card? Jessica ended her card by saying she needed to draw to get her life back into a balance.  Hopefully February got out of your system pal!

Tamale Tree

This is a dot portrait from a photo Jessica took in Tamale.  Sometimes she posts photos of her neighborhood and office which help me to imagine her daily life in Ghana.  Still finding dot drawing therapeutic , Jessica wrote about making time to be creative helped her to add something more than just "de-stressing" to her life.  It was a time for a whole other way of being and thinking.  She sits down two times during a month to utilize postcards as a way of getting in touch with a different part of her life.  My process is more doing batches of postcards at a time, sometimes 4 or more in a day.  It's interesting to me to read about her process and compare it to mine because both of us use these postcards to make time to do art because art is an integral part of our lives. 

Dirt roads in Detroit

This this is another 'driving' postcard from Lynn. She wrote that she likes to take dirt roads in Detroit when she is seeking a scenic view. If this was not irony enough, she said that the way that the tree shadows fell starkly on the road made her think of store barcodes. Looks and sounds like December winter in Michigan to me.

Vessels

Jessica had been throwing pots for months by the time she wrote the card.  And our blog had been up for a while too.  She was in the throws of creativity and seeing her cards online reminded her of her other art, I guess she decided her cards were always drawn with little boxy borders.  She wrote "I have been so stuck in a box!" and then decided to draw this lovely gathering of vases around a box to branch out! 

She wrote about how art was helping her stay centered during her job search, something I know we both share and one of the reasons we like this project and blog!  Jess also asked about Holiday plans for 2009, which was fun because we would get together!  Its a bit earlier this year, but Jess has already started to make her holiday plans, and I'm thrilled they will include me again!

Under the surface

Have you ever noticed how much of your daily life is happening under the surface?  Maybe its just me, but often the thoughts that I'm consumed with aren't what you'd guess.  In this card, Jessica's drawing makes me think of that with the pattern and detail she's put underground.  On the back she wrote about really wanting to move, but assured me she hadn't done anything yet.  I'm really not sure the drawing was meant to be about the thinking or life beneath the exterior, or was connected to her desire to move.  I like this little metaphor I created looking at it, but I also like the layers of the earths crust she drew.  The simple black and white ink amazed me again!

Restore

Jess drew and sent me this peaceful image last summer.  A woman looking centered and calm.  Odd that this was on her mind just as she was launching her world-wide job search...or maybe not odd at all!  On the back she wrote the transition was making her feel topsy-turvy and our drawing   project was grounding her.  She also wrote, "Yes, let's blog!" and that she would consider some of the names for our blog that I'd brainstormed.  A few weeks later I would visit Jessica in DC for the final time and we would do yoga.  Talk about art imitating life!

Ink and Paper

and water don't mix! Yikes, this card got a little water damaged.  But hopefully you can see the lovely black and white textures and patterns (if you ignore the bottom right corner!)

In this card, Jessica wrote about our postal pals project which was almost a year old.  She talked about moving from postcards to anything you can put in the mail.  Also though, she articulated something that both of us feel about drawing- sitting down to create is meditative.  When life is coming at you fast, or well, not fast at all and is a little stale, sitting down to do this little routine thing can leave you feeling restored on the other side.  Well said!

Trendsetting

We've inspired someone. My brother sent me a postcard from his trip to Delaware! On the back he wrote "your postal pals blog inspired me to write." Its fun that he took the time to send snail mail from here, although he also posted video from his polar bear so he's not too old-school.

Jess' card from last year is this nice drawing. She wrote, "I ended cutting paper because my glue stick dried up!" This little tidbit makes me laugh. Her drawing was inspired by a food magazine her dad left at her apartment- must have been old because card was from Spring. Jess also wrote about getting ready for a work trip to Pakistan, saying she spent time drawing to avoid packing.

New Directions

Happy 2010!

There's a news story I've been over-quoting over the holidays (apologies to family members who have already heard this...) I recently read about a contest that was held to name this decade...you know because its not easy to nickname like the eighties or nineties. The winning name was the oneders (say it like wonder). Seems appropriately fresh, positive and ambitious today.

Here is Jessica's card from this time last year, which also is a variation on beginnings. I like it. I'm curious about the * near the greeting, Jess do you remember why you put it there? (being ironic again?) On the back, she wrote about how she had tried to do something new, cards with cut out designs but hadn't made anything that she felt good about. Then she commented about the ebb and flow of the creative process. Ahhh, again how nice it ties into the them of New Year's. I think this blog, and being creative was part of a resolution for both of us! I hope to keep it up in 2010, and as we have so boldly stated on the side bar- until we are both old women!!

Wrapped to perfection

Lynn and I have decided to deviate from our normal posting so as to document our brief holiday meet-up in Michigan. Although we had dreamed about working on various projects and could have chatted for days, busy schedules meant that we only had a few hours together on Sunday. (I will happily take what time I can get, especially considering my imminent move to Africa.)

It was a good day. Lynn came over early and I made a breakfast of coffee, scrambled eggs and toasted homemade rolls (the picture is a shout-out to my favorite foodies). We then traded Christmas presents. Inspired by a post on the blog In this Instance, the original scheme had been to spend time creatively wrapping presents. Lynn succeeded and, despite an elaborate plan, I failed miserably. The mug I made Lynn was pathetically wrapped. Lynn, however, surprised me by making me a beautiful bathroom set that matched each other as well as the wrapping - even the bag she carried them in matched the set. The picture below show the presents wrapped and unwrapped.

I really liked how grey, black and white color scheme as well as

the simple lined designs matched the relaxation theme Lynn had set. And, yes, lets be honest. I have needed a bit more relaxation in my life. Thank you Lynn!

Lynn and I spent the rest of the day visiting each others family, wandering around downtown and hanging out at Morsels in downtown Traverse City. A nice visit - but oh so short. My fingers are crossed that my plan to stop by Lake Orion as I drive back to Michigan from DC in a few weeks to drop off my things before flying to Ghana will work out. It would be so nice to meet up one more time before my big move. Fingers crossed!

An owl and polka dots

Sorry this post is a couple days late. It has been a crazy week. I resigned from my work today and announced that I am moving to Ghana in a month. So exciting. So unreal. This blog is going global once again....

So Lynn sent this card last December after having been home to visit her family in Minnesota. While there she went with her mom to the Paper Source in Minneapolis to buy more book making materials. I remember being really pleased to hear this since I had been the one to get her started on her bookmaking/Paper Source kick. She also wrote that, inspired by my black and white tree card, she sat down thinking polka dots and owls and ended up with this card. I love that we were riffing off one another.

For you!

Here is a card Jessica drew around the holiday's last year. To help with our challenge to readers to use the post more- I am including a download for you. Simply print the file via the link at the bottom of this blog post, and you'll have 4 postcards to send using just a 25 cent stamp each! You can even try to squeeze on your holiday letter.

Before this blog started up, I scanned all Jessica's postcards. Now I find that the originals of one or two have gone missing from my stack. I am perplexed as to what Jessica might have wrote me last year. Because I don't know, I'll keep with my theme of this week and share from a postcard Jessica sent to me in August 2003- likely one of the first pieces of mail I got in Japan. People, the US postal service got it to me but it was a tad wrinkled in the corner and they stamped "Please accept our Apology" on it. How can you not like them?! Anyways, that was the important stuff. In her card, she wrote how anxious she was to hear about my new digs and job in Japan, and about her time in Pancake Bay Canada before she left for the Peace Corps. Also- this proves we have been at this for more than 7 years :-)

Enjoy the download but please remember it is for personal use only. This art is not for re-sale or re-distribution. Send it to your friends, share the holiday spirit and help the U.S. Post Office.

What was I up to this time last year?

You may have guessed cooking my first turkey as a married lady, or some other Thanksgiving type activity. But, the truth is we'll never know because last year around this time I was shirking and failed to send Jessica a postcard. So loyal readers you will see more of Jessica's handiwork today. What was Jessica up to? Visiting both Eastern Market and the farmer's market where she scored some butternut squash that she turned into soup.

Here is her postcard, something she told me was inspired by a photo she found in Zambia. I truly adore this card-its striking and very graphic yet it's actually a scene from nature! These are the kinds of things I picture in my head but can't quite get down on paper. Don't worry, while I was shirking around this time last year I didn't give up entirely. I forged on, though I hope to see as the year goes on that I've improved my artisitc skills and in some way am approaching Jessica's.