Resting Poses

I love this card that Jessica sent me!  I think the overall pattern and color are fun but also all the little details in the people on their yoga mats remind me of books like "Where's Waldo?"  You can enjoy looking at the people and notice their pose, their clothes and they almost seem real- yet a quick glance is also enough to enjoy the illustration too.  Given my recent obsession with fabric for sewing I'm thinking this would be fun printed up on some cotton?!

Jess wrote to me about my upcoming visit, when as I mentioned in the last post we did Birkram Yoga in Georgetown.  This is a theme of our get-togethers, Jessica plans some very strenuous physical activities and sort of gives vague details about what I'm getting myself into.  Before I realize that I can't breathe/am sweating like a pig/no longer can move/forgot adequate water its too late to back out!  I'm mostly exaggerating, as in the end, I always appreciate doing it.  But I do have to laugh when I look back at all the times this has happened since I met Jess in college.

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!

Senseless

These poor hounds lost their noses somewhere along the way. I like the card though and think the idea is good. Lynn, have you considered doing a few more of these? They would make a good set.

This card was drawn as Lynn was preparing for a hiking trip in Peru. She was in dire need of a break and I remember being glad that it was finally her turn to jump on a plane.

The postcard's underbelly probes me for news on my birthday and latest eharmony ventures. Which, if I remember correctly, included dates with a guy who said very non-PC things to perfect strangers. Lynn was living precariously through me and I certainly was enabling this by going out on second dates just for kicks. Perhaps, I too had lost my senses. This is especially humorous now that I find myself a workaholic on another continent - I seem to be chasing extremes.

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!

TLC

Last year around this time I received some very sad news.  My postal pal Jess sent me plants right away, and today the memory came back to me of how thoughtful it was.  Sometimes a letter, a call or an email don't say I'm thinking of you enough.  I like to send and get plants and flowers on these occasions- just the right kind of TLC for a friend.  Thanks pal!  (I went onto flowers.com and found a picture of the little arrangment that made me smile.  Enjoy!)

Handwritten

When I saw Pilot Handwriting's new webpage that lets you turn your handwriting into a font to use in emails, I immediately thought of postal pals.  (To be honest, I've always been a little obsessed with handwriting.  I used to love a handwriting analysis kit I got as a child, and frequented this website about getting my own font.)  Here's the thing that made me think of this project, Jess now lives further away and while writing letters or postcards is great it takes a while for the news to travel.  The idea of an email is more appealing for staying in touch.  I like that with this little program I could send her a message via email that looks worthy of blog post because its in my own handwriting.  How would you feel about this combination of the new and old?

Lilypad pop

At times, Lynn has been apologetic about not following the postcard 'rule,' but I love her pop up cards. I will admit they mystify me and it takes a lot of willpower to not dissemble them so I can figure out how they pop - especially when they are small. I love pocket size art. This one is as big as my hand when opened.

I may be posting this a week or so early because she was preparing to go to Canada for her mom's birthday right before this was mailed. A great break after a long spring. She was also quizzing me on what I had planned for my upcoming birthday, and preemptively reacting to birthday complaints by reassuring me that I had a lot under my belt to be proud of - be forewarned Lynn, I am going to need more reassuring soon! And vice versa?