Laurence Gillot, from Nancy, France, sent me this really cool collage accordion book
A few months ago, an artist I had not yet corresponded with, Laurence Gillot, sent out an open call for artists to send some postal love to his grandmother, Granny Eliane, who only lives a few blocks away in Nancy, France. Fish-related images would be a reminder of her youth as a fisherwoman. I sent mail to each of them. I think what I received in return eclipses what I sent.
Laurence Gillot, the whole book
Laurence Gillot, accordion book detail
Laurence Gillot, accordion book detail
Laurence Gillot’s envelope
Laurence Gillot’s envelope
The amount of time that went into constructing this book both inspires me and shames me. Now I feel compelled to make something amazing and send it away. But will I measure up?
Granny Eliane’s return postage is also very exciting. It’s simple and charming and exactly what you may expect from someone’s sweet granny. Love it!
Laurence Gillot’s Granny Eliane, from Nancy, France
Granny Eliane from Nancy, France :: Candy! Yay!
And now, other postal peeks at the globe:
Jan Theuninck’s postcard from Belgium
Jan Theuninck, Belgium
a photo of Lucerne from Carina Granlund of Petsmo, Finland
Carina Granlund’s windowpane collage card
Carina Granlund’s Marimekko patterned envelope (Who doesn’t love Marimekko?)
Carina Granlund’s Marimekko envelope
postcard from Maureen Forys of Oakland, California
Okay, now I have to interject a story. Maureen’s postcard came to my box a few cents postage due. I didn’t have the time to wait in line to pick it up for a few days. (All I knew was that it was from her, but I didn’t know exactly what it would be since she’s a recent and new postal friend to me.) In the meantime, I went to a local philatelic fair. That’s my yearly splurge on postage stamps. A few of my girlfriends and I get together and hunt for sheets of unused vintage postage to mix into our regular postage…
At the fair, I found a few sheets of 1948 American Poultry Industry 3 cent stamps, which I bought because they were *awesome.* The next day, I went to pick up Maureen’s postcard. It has a chicken on it! I didn’t know! She and I are totally on the same wavelength, so in my next parcel I’m sending her a few of my fancy new-to-me old stamps.
ahimsa postcard from Rachel Freeman of Lawrence, Kansas
ATC from Private World of Phoenix, Arizona
ATC from Private World of Phoenix, Arizona
ATC from Private World of Phoenix, Arizona
ATC from Private World of Phoenix, Arizona
Private World’s handmade envelope
Private World’s handmade envelope
Private World’s handmade envelope
Private World’s handmade envelope
Private World’s handmade envelope
Private World’s handmade envelope
Private World’s handmade collage postcard
Private World’s postcard back, with info for a self-portrait mail art CFE
Private World’s studio
Seeing the state of Private World’s studio comforts me because I see I’m not the only person with an empty space-to-books and art supplies ratio problem. If you saw my space, you’d be horrified. I pretty much live in a cat cave.
Private World’s neighborhood, Arizona
Fleur Helsingor of Oakland, California :: the Piedmont Avenue photo
Fleur Helsingor’s accordion book, Everyday Beauty: Summer in Oakland, California
CZ Lovecraft of Westport, Massachusetts sent an envelope packed with bits and one ATC
CZ Lovecraft’s envelope
That’s it, friends. That’s all I have for now. We just visited many places and peered into the minds of many people. You didn’t even have to put up with tiny airline seats, a severe lack of elbow room, or being asked to stow your tray into its proper upright position at *the* most inconvenient time.
Tagged: Arizona, art, ATC, Belgium, book arts, California, collage, correspondence, Finland, France, Kansas, mail art, Massachusetts, postal art
