Pro-Snail Mail

This one goes out to an incredibly special person. I hope we send letters to each other for a very long time to come.

Pen Names

So...it begins. The movement marches on. I will probably regret using my real mailing address and have to one day get a PO Box, but until then, here are some ideas for pen names.

Wrightless Smalls
Caffeinated&Enthused
JustDancin'
LatelyExpressing
Shift&Quake
Fightin.a.good.fight
Earth-Art=Eh
Not.a.Corporation.inc.

I'm kinda liking the last one.

We'll see where this takes me.

Send Me Your Face

I forgot to mention. I had told my friend Kayla that I missed her incredibly so, and she told me that she would mail me a picture of her face so that I wouldn't have to miss it so much. Well...she did. It's barely in there, but there's also 3 other faces I have been missing. Hi Josh, Kathy, Lawrence. Then I realized...these people live all over the place. I'm one lucky gal to live the life I do...and I need to stop bitching about how little of money I make or how long my commute is, because I have 2 months out of the year to really get to know the most awesome international folks ever.

Josh is from Alabama, Kathy is from South Africa, and Lawrence is from Hereford, England. Kayla, who I have mentioned before on here, is from La Crosse, Wisconsin. I just need to figure out ways to expand my efforts of Art Appreciation. I'm sure they'll help me...if only I would ask.

Complete Strangers

I hung out with a friend, and a friend of a friend, while I was visiting my old college town during the Veteran's Day weekend, and thus guy gave me the bestest of ideas! I know people already do this, and I had heard of it...it wasn't anything new news to me.

I need to start mailing #PostalArt pieces out to strangers...and I just realized I got a brand new phone book the other week. I'm not gonna be all creepy, I'll certainly explain myself, but...what fun!!!

I could connect with complete strangers! Should I have a pen name? A P.O. Box? So nervous. You're probably all thinking...what a freak. I know right? I'm so fabulous. Screw you...unless you like the idea, haha. Laters, friends.

Margaritas

When you can't share a heavenly drink with a friend...mail them one.

Emily Jones

She got her letter made of Starbucks cups. Inside was a Halloween themed letter that said, "Trick or Treat, smell my feet, send me something JUICY to read." And on the other side was a list of things I love about her.

She's one of the many who encourage me to become a freer soul. Love. Live. Laugh, my friends.

Scissor Sisters

Josh Boling...quit meowing in places where I can't see you! It's still stuck in my head...

They better send something equally hilarious back...or I'll personally show up in Utah and kill 'em. Not really. I love them too much to do that...nor could I afford the gas. I'll fart in their faces the next time I see them. THERE!

To All My Recipients

Text: Dear So-and-So, Dear Friend, You are always on my mind. What has to happen? A response maybe... Love, ME. #PostalArt

Mission Statement

I have recently decided that it was time to write a mission statement for what I hope to accomplish with what I do. So...it may be an ongoing process, but here is the first draft of the #PostalArt project. #PostalArt: Proof of existence, mailed to a desired recipient: known or unknown. It's physical form and the nature of content is the complete freedom and responsibility of the sender. That's all I can come up with so far. Later to come are rules of conduct.

One of a Kind 4 a One of a Kind

Side A:

Side B:

Any material is fair game. Search on, my friends.

TO my Brits!

Received Gems

I have finally remembered to show you guys some of the awesome PostalArt pieces I've been receiving recently. Here's one that my good friend Laura sent me from Chicken, Alaska while I was at Camp this summer.

On the otherside of this home made postcard, she took paint samples from hardware stores and cut them into a scale patter and painted a thick coat of gel medium over it. Quite creative!!! Matches all the colors she dies her hair on occasion too.

This next one is from my good friend Kayla sent me from Lacrosse, Wisconsin. Just goes to show that you CAN send odd shaped things through the mail. I'm still miffed that they wouldn't sent my circular letter out from Washington, but WHATEVER...over it!

And finally, this gem is from my friend Bethyn. She folded the envelope out of a page from an antique coloring book, and inside I found bright red fall leaves from North Carolina. Gotta love her! The leaves are so brittle now that they're almost a month old now...I would hate to lose them.

With love to all, happy mail day! Hope you find joy in these #PostalArt Gems. ~Cheers!

Kesha-Kanye-Sexified-Pumpkin Postcard

Couldn't help myself...

Humor

For goodness sake...let's not forget why we do the things we love: TO BRING SMILES TO YOUR EFFIN' FACE! Hey, Arizona. Hope you enjoy this postcard made from an antique bingo card. The bingo-ness is on the other side...obviously. Halloween is quickly approaching. Holla!

Long Time No See

Hello all. Sorry that I haven't updated the PostalArt blog in a while. I was in Wisconsin all summer working at Camp Timberlane for Boys, and since I've been home I've been busy with work and camera-less since it broke at camp. Not having a camera has made it rather difficult to take pictures of the fancy letters I've been making and receiving recently. I'll do my best to take some webcam documentation of everything. Laura Hahn sent me an awesome homemade postcard from Chicken, Alaska over the summer while I was at camp. My good friends Bethyn, Jane and Kayla have sent me some pretty awesome things as well since I've been home. In no time at all, I'll be back in full PostalArt swing. Hang in there.

The Battle Continues

REALLY?!

Dear Post Office,

I expected so much more from you.

Not love,

Heather Wright

Vintage Love

My new favorite materials:

1. Vintage stamps (found at antique stores, sold in bulk for CHEAP)
2. Antique sheet music books for various instruments.
3. Starbucks cups
4. Starbucks cup sleeves
5. Vacation and bus stop pamphlets
6. Embroidery floss (hand sewn details)


Keep experimenting, my friends.

OH, and also...I have officially made/written my very first love letter.

*GASP*

I can't imagine long distance relationships back when letters and the Post Office was all you had...

Sounds painful.

Reusing Photo Negatives as Stationary

Don't ask me how...but this idea came to me in my sleep!

It's a good thing I didn't throw these negatives away. There's tons of them in my room, and they're not really worth using for photo duplication anymore. They're from photography classes I took in high school, and it's about time I found a use for them now that I'm a college graduate.

Got any lying around? Sew them together at the edges. I used just a larger craft needle and embroidery thread. Then I stuck my white package labels on the back to create a writing surface.

I sure wish I could think less while I slept, maybe then I wouldn't be so tired all the time.

Incorporating Memories

This one is going out to my old roomie at Camp Timberlane. We thoroughly enjoyed singing along to "Beaches of Cheyenne" by Garth Brooks, and taking many a naps throughout our busy days in Wisconsin. She's a highly entertaining gal, and thus deserves a bright and lively letter. On the back of the envelope, I have written out some of the beloved song's lyrics, emphasizing verses with my watercolor pencils. I didn't have any water on hand to activate the pencils, SO I licked those areas of the envelope.

I hope she's not afraid of cooties!

BTW, most Dollar Trees sell packages of envelopes. They're kinda flimsy things, and don't work super well if you're attempting your paint all over it or plan on using a water-based material with it, but WASTE NOT, WANT NOT. Get what you can find, and upcycle it!

Letterfold Challenge

Here is a letter I received from my good friend Ashlen. I had asked her to go to this website: http://www.ghh.com/elf/ and pick a particular letter fold that she liked. Based on the directions I've looked through, she chose the Butterfly fold, and used a lovely magazine page with feminine images.

She has challenged me to "find a page of sheet music, and using a Sharpie, create a connect-the-dots art piece using the notes. Coloring in the picture is welcomed. And if the music has lyrics, highlight chosen words to make a found poem that fits the picture just created. Using your envelope folding directions, fold it up and ship it off with the next challenge."

She also mentions that I can cut it down to size if needed for a particular letter fold.

Such an awesome challenge. I will certainly take pictures when I have completed it.

Good work, Ashlen. I love you so!

My Life's Soundtrack

Here is an email message I sent my best friend explaining her next PostalArt challenge to me. Maybe it will inspire you to create your own challenges. Get CRAZY with 'em! I certainly do!


1. Find a discarded cd case.
2. Use a cd to trace it's shape and size on paper or card stock.
3. Cut out 3-5 paper "cds," and make me a five tracked soundtrack of your life.

I expect you to draw, collage or write on each "cd." Pretend each "cd" only has one track on it, so each "cd" is one song on your life's soundtrack. You can use real songs, or make up your own song titles to use. Place these "cds" in their case, and mail it to me. If you're worried about a cd case getting crushed in the mail, then make a case.

It's up to you.

I will be working on the same exact challenge, and will send my life's soundtrack to you within the month.

Favorite Colors and Patterns, Patterns, Patterns

This is in response to Bonnie's recent crayon rubbings beauty. She challenged me pick 3 of my favorite colors, and incorporate them into my PostalArt this week through "patterns, patterns, patterns!"

This is a perfect example of one direction your PostalArt can take you. Rather than writing boring letters back in forth...make the experience competitive, a new medium of expression, and ultimately giving a simple letter a completely new purpose.

Make it fun, for BOTH parties!

I have challenged Bonnie to describe her year (September to June...'cause I will never be able to shake the 'school year' calendar) in three words, and incorporate that into her piece.

We'll see what she ends up sending. I can hardly wait!

What I've Gotten Back

These two pieces are from my good friends Zach and Bonnie. Zach currently resides in Spokane, Washington and Bonnie in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We all went to college together, and it's awesome to almost reunite through our creativity mailed back and forth to one another.

"No body sends letters anymore!"

Wanna make a bet?!

I believe Zach wrote "To: Heather" on his hand/forearm, and scanned his armed at his work's office. Always the anarchist, haha.

Bonnie used crayon rubbings using a variety of colors, shapes and textures. She's a budding Theatre Lighting Designer. So colors are part of her passion of study.

Great stuff so far!

Lesson Learned

Apparently there's a minimum size requirement envelopes must be in order to get sorted. Your envelope must be 3.5"x5".

I dare you to find a clever way to say "Eff you, Postal Service!"

I'm thinking envelopes sewn together to make one big envelope...about the size of a manila envelope or something, and THEN paint one big pretty picture on it!

No letters...just a canvas of envelopes.

It WILL happen!!!

Muahahahahaha.

With Love

When decorating your envelopes for close friends, incorporate their personality. It will ultimately say, "I love you."

Unconventional Materials

Don't forget to consider unconventional materials as envelopes and paper.





Like a hand-sewn shut Starbucks cup, for example. If you have room to write the addresses on it, they'll send it. The Post Office workers may give you funny looks, but don't take it personally. See it as a chance to become friends with all of your local Post Office workers. I'm still working on that one, myself.

My PostalArt Station

These are my current examples heading off to the Post Office first thing tomorrow. I used watercolor pencils and fine tipped Sharpies. The envelopes are also hand-folded. If you're interested in hand-folding your own envelopes, I highly recommend you check out this website www.ghh.com/elf/


You'll love experimenting from the long list of picture instructions, I assure you. So far my favorite is the DS Letterfold pattern.








I work mostly off of the end of my bed while watching movies in my bedroom.
I purchased an antique galvanized steel tool box caddy from an antique show in Monroe, Washington, and loaded it up with all my PostalArt supplies. I like having everything all in one place. It's chalk full of sealing wax and presses, magazine/newspaper cutouts, to top ramen packages, as well as a few writing utensils.

Enjoy!

The Beginnings

Hello all,

Welcome!

Here is where I shall share art pieces I send and receive, but let me start over.

What is PostalArt, you say?

PostalArt is an ongoing art Networking project I started while unemployed for a month between jobs.

It all started with a book, and a need/requirement to create art that made people happy. Something I didn't have to worry about making a buck or two off of; just for the pure enjoyment of it all. The book is "Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art," by Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler.

The idea is simple, really. You mail off a piece of art you make yourself, whether it's how you creatively fold the envelope, used multimedia elements, or just doodled on the paper you wrote the letter on. JUST MAIL IT! And hope that whoever receives such a beauty has smiled.



Here are the "Basic Mail Art Rules," created by Hinchcliff and Wheeler.

1. Every piece of mail art that comes into your mailbox should receive some sort of acknowledgment in return. (This is one of the unspoken "golden rules" of mail art Networking: if someone has sent something to you - at the very least send a "thank you!" in reply.)

2. Mail artists do not charge money for their mail art. (Mail art is a gift that you give selflessly, because you want to. Money only complicates the whole thing.)

3. No returns. (Each piece that arrives in your mailbox is yours to keep. It stands to reason that every piece you send to someone else will become part of that person's mail art archive. Mail art is about giving away, not accumulating and hoarding.)

4. You Give as good as you Get. (If someone sends you an out-of-this-world piece of mail art, you are honor bound to send back something equally fabulous.)

5. Be sure to document. (If you are running a mail art project on your own, be sure to send documentation to all participants in a timely manner.)


From here on out, I shall post images of real PostalArt examples, as well as tips concerning PostalArt documentation. I'll even post creatively crafty ideas to help you get started.

Mail as a means for staying in touch has dyed.

Lets bring it back, and bring it back better than it was before.

So, in the words of Henchliff and Wheeler; "Happy Mail Day!"