1) postcard of painting of a postbox from Wales with a commemorative Queen Elizabeth 2 Memorial franking & 3 language Air Mail seal
2) postcard from a dear correspondent in Gifu who’s postmaster always does a fantastic cancellation stamp (subject matter: motels around the world)
3) big envelope with collage art from Portugal with a fantastic oversize 4£ portfolio style stamp
4) a postcard i mailed to India that sadly, was returned because “mail to this region is not currently possible“ – keeping it on standby in the meanwhile
While in Sri Lanka for extended Ayurveda treatment, and later rambling a bit, I met an earnest young artist named Rasika specializing in postcards, diligently hand-painted and reflecting visual motifs of his culturally unique homeland.
a variety of Rasika’s handmade postcards
I, unsurprisingly, purchased many many postcards from him and struck up a friendship. He would come to my villa to work on paintings and I would sometimes visit him at his stand at the market in historic Fort Galle.
Rasika and his pals and me, (top left) at villa, (top right) in tuk tuk, (bottom) at market
I mailed many of his postcards around the world so hope his spirit lives on refrigerators and in shoeboxes and scrapbooks as well as in hearts.
Rasika’s card (along one from Stick no Bills) on a fridge in Utah
I purchased him a special ink stamp as a token of friendship and he also help me acquire a return address stamp.
A sunny patch of grass, all necessary tools, everything is possible
Came across this photo, I suppose there’s a chance it’s elsewhere in this archive but its significant memory for me… ergo:
When we were pregnant, went to the lovely “and clinic” for our usual check-in but, in those early heady days of the “notable public health conundrum virus” this was the first time I was not allowed in to participate due to uncertainty and concern.
Certainly crestfallen so, as I do when feeling blue, I grabbed my postal kit and wrote a postcard or a letter, possibly to you.
These sorts of photos with pens, papers, address book, inky and postal stamps, aerograms, ephemera, postcards etc, all sort of spread around on a table, desk, blanket (or just the flap of a leather satchel purchased in Nepal), I called “postal still life” and yes, I have dozens of examples, 100s possibly.
From Sabine in London, to Griffin in Alexandria (along with stamps designed by Sabine from her “island home”)
Two original postcard backs from Griffin and Sabine series, part 2 “Sabine’s Notebook” are now in my archive along with the stamps used in the epistolary literature masterwork by Nick Bantock.
To Sabine from Griffin, Par Avion from Kyoto (along with Mr. Bantock’s Moo card)
Really great artifacts as the esteemed author/artist selected specific locations and topics for me. Of course, there are a few other related items throughout this archive if you’re curious.
Eph in West Greenwich doing *this* exactly correct / topsy turvy
By now you know I enjoy making cards, sending cards, receiving cards… and then documenting both the sending and receiving as possible. As you might expect, this sort of routine easy to fall behind on and well… that’s fine cause not really the important part anyway.
That said, sometimes when things slip through the cracks and/or don’t really have a theme or “container”, they seem a bit lost or sad lost in some digital shoebox. But, this is just me overthinking, right?
postcard and custom cassette mix tape (with art flag by Noriko Miyake)
Moving on, here are some cards that i made/mailed which were delivered and the recipient photographed and sent evidence. While in other cases, some envelopes received with splendid stamps on board or, cards otherwise received which possibly were not inventoried.
from the Leo card series 2021, not sure who, was it you? thanks
At the risk of redundancy, some of these may appear and other dossiers. Regardless, enjoy – there are always more more more.
another from the Leo cards series 2021, again, recipient unknown, you can see why this task is tricky right?
At first blush, it seems to be extraneous to embed Twitter messages into this creative life archive (i’d best not make a habit of it) but my goodness!, this lovely documentation of correspondence with a real life friend in far away Vancouver stuck with me since our exchange of dossiers over the last couple of years.
I’m doing that “I GOT A LETTER FROM JAPAN” dance! Thanks @uncleweed for today’s happymaker! Love the stamps and the Shiba Inu friend on the back! We were IRL pals before #penpalooza, but this guy is a legend with his letters & I’m super excited to see what’s inside! 楽しみ!🇯🇵📬🎊 pic.twitter.com/Agbl0WuYHj
I just didn’t want the artifacts to be lost into the endless vortex of ephemeral short form messaging so, at the risk of being redundant and forever incomplete, here is evidence – both written and photographic – of an exchange between a.k.a. @Hez and me (and my family).
Highlights include: her fine Japanese writing, and all kinds of papery treats (a mobile which was used on our festive tree), there are other “parts” to his but for now, here we go (note: I did my best to reciprocate by including some cute dog stamps to amuse her).
A dispatch arrived from the master of postcards (as well as epistolary literature, postal culture, stamp design and mixed media goodness) Nick Bantock, noted for the exceptional “Griffin and Sabine“ series as well as many other wonderful books of ephemera, pop-up art, and goodness knows how else to describe his unique creations.
the contents are splendid and the package, just as much so! the post office must love him
Going to open this carefully and frame the contents as well as the package.
{yes, that is my postal address and you can mail me things and I’ll send you something back usually}.
PS bonus, (lousy photo of) Griffun & Sabine books with Japanese “legend translation” pull-out
Redundant note: Griffin & Sabine is the start of an extraordinary correspondence which stretches out 7 books eventually. They’re all very mixed-media with pull out letters, fully-designed custom postcards, different fountain pens/typewriters for each of the characters, designed and printed stamps, both inky and postal. Published by Chronicle Books.
1) Stamps from British Overseas Indian Territory Diego Garcia, thanks Cmdr
items, arrived by post
2) Postcard re: podcast “writers read their early sh!t” from an affable gentleman boxer in Gifu / Tip: he’s featured in a “beat sushi“ video
3) Kurt Vonnegut’s “A Man Without a Country” – pleasing to the feel hardback
4) small collectible card from Tōkaidō highway which came packed with satchels of seaweed and seeds to make a sort if savory rice porridge. Working on the series
+ etc
Pleasant chat with dear sensei Larry Harper in Utah this morning. Grateful for his kind words and to hear steps forward with his health and housing.
These Postcards come with a scribble note of unexpected affection from my official fountain pen, meanwhile, items by post of late (and late they are) include:
Everest First Day Cover Aerogramme
Inscribed book by ephemera art master
Poetry collection from a laureate
Concorde First Day Cover from a flight which may not be useful
Investigate below:
Sagarmatha/Chomolungma (aka Everest) in Aerogramme
First day Everest Aerogramme, Aug 1, 1975, Nepal / waiting for destination.
notes from a master
There is only one postmaster authorized to use this stamp / do you know who? hints: #griffinandsabine #katin Yup, Nick Bantock and his new limited edition book “WasNick”.
new poems from a champion
There is always a Present Moment to spend with Gary Snyder, poet laureate of all that is good coming my way herein Japan where he roamed from just across the Taiheyo in the Sierras.
this flight is landing before it takes off… note to self: further research
Aqaba to Amman via Concorde, first day cover envelope with all sorts of flair!
