I wandered through Chelsea Market on Sunday, festive white lights were still lining the hall, people were milling about on a cold but sunny, winter day and a sweet, 3-piece band played off to the side, creating a perfect, lazy-day atmosphere.
As I passed the band, I noticed a man reaching into his back pocket while leaning down to his son. I could tell this was going to be a little “moment” where he explained why he was giving the little boy money to put into the band’s open guitar case. I don’t know what I expected, but his simple words just made me smile...all he said, in his beautiful smiley, french accent was, “because musicians are wonderful.”
Clockwise from top left:
Bowling Bag with Hand Painted Shark by BrightWall
The Dude Abides Print by RighteousLens
Bowling in the Tropics fine art photo print by abcdimages
Tiny gun pin by deersnotdears'
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Company coming into town cancelled at the last minute, so I suddenly have a free weekend, and that is a luxury I do not take for granted.
Mail love is continuing beyond my expec-tations. When I got back from my little holiday last week, I had 16 - yes, that's S-I-X-T-E-E-N fabulous pieces of mail in my little postbox, and they have continued to arrive on a daily basis.
I have fallen into a happy exchange.
About a month ago I stumbled upon the book Good Mail Day while perusing the book store. The second I saw it, I KNEW I had to have it.
I remember the day I saw my first piece of mail art. I was in high school & at my friend Chris’ house. It was around the time of his birthday and I remember seeing an envelope that one of his mother’s friends sent to him. It was the most colorful, glorious envelope I had ever seen in my life. It was covered in hand-drawn candles and vibrant stickers with Chris’ name & address tucked into a scroll-y little frame. It was the epitome of happiness in paper. I just turned the envelope over & over, trying to burn to memory all the little details this woman had included to make Chris’ day a little more special. I was in awe. The fact that an a-d-u-l-t spent that kind of time and effort to make a simple envelope such a treat in itself was a new thing to me. The fact that the post office let her get away with it was an even bigger surprise - how was I to know at age 15 that such fun things were allowed in such a serious world.
It was that one envelope 20 years ago that has inspired me be imaginative with my mail ever since. I have long been decorating and making envelopes from various brochure, calendar and magazine pages but never got into sharing with kindred art-mail-souls. I shared them with my friends and relatives, but not a “community” of mail-lovers.
Sooo...back to Good Mail Day. One of the authors has a fun blog on which like-minded peeps have begun sharing their addresses to be mail-art-friends. I have sent out pieces to many people on the list and have been overwhelmed by the responses I am getting. I cannot describe the excitement I experienced the day I received my first piece of mail art. I seriously had a grin on my face for at least an hour and I felt like a little kid with the greatest treasure. I got the mail as I was running out the door to run a few errands and then jump on the subway to meet a friend for lunch. I kept the little plastic envelope in my hand as I did my various errands, I would turn it over & over, looking at it as I walked from place to place...but I did not open it. I wouldn’t let myself open it until I could sit down and give it the proper attention that it deserved. So, the moment I got on the subway, there was an open seat and I just sat down and went into a little world of my own as I slowly peeled away the tape closing the envelope and excitedly read the little note from Carolee.
I have been so amazed at the letters I’ve gotten too. I hadn’t thought about sitting down & writing proper letters, but am excited to have received some fun correspondence with women who have creative spirits.
