March 27, 2007
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STEP RIGHT UP…
One of the things I do that makes me feel good is MAIL ART…
I’m sure you all know the feeling of anticipation you get waiting for something to come in the mail. I love that feeling. I feel like a kid at Christmas when the mail comes whenever I’m expecting something from an exchange.
I wish I could post some of my works here but I haven’t taken any pictures of the things that I have done.
I know, so unlike me.
I love floating objects in resin filled tuna cans and sardine cans. I have coated a piece of toast twenty times with polyurethane so that I could send it through the mail. That was especially fun because when the mail man said he didn’t think it would make it through the mail I thumped it on the counter several times and said ‘Sure it will.’ So he mailed it. He still gave me the disgusted look. I also like to make kaleidoscopes out of unusual things, soup cans and pringles tubes… their great fun to mail.
So…
I have no pictures of my work, but I do have pictures of some of the things I’ve received to show, so here they are.
Series of hands…
#1 Cookies
#2 Fist
#3
This was hands…
I was sending him brains.
I like them what can I say.
I also like eyeballs… don’t know why.
Most of the things I have received have been objects. I do like to send collages and prints. The only requirement for mail art is that you mail it as is. The stamp and the post mark become a part of the art.
I once sent a piece to Hell, Michigan where a store was kind enough to post it from there with the post mark.
It was a clear plastic globe containing a floating domino with a painted skeleton on it and the saying :
Optimism is a mania for saying things are well when one is in Hell.
One of my favorite sayings.
The post mark just made it that much cooler.
There are things you have to be careful of: The post office will not mail anything that is smaller then 3″x3″… although recently I mailed something to a fellow Xangan that was smaller… you just have to smile really nicely at the postmaster and bat your lashes… No glass items or items with liquid in them.
Pretty simple rules.
Lego’s… ick. they did make for easy mailing though. 
The SOUND O SCOPEThis is one of my favorites, the soundoscope. It came with directions on how to use the objects in it to hear different sounds. Very creative. It was sent to me after I had sent a soup can kaleidoscope.
Almost anything can be mailed, I have mailed a shoe, plastic lobster and plastic gumball machine bubbles.
Now to the point.
I have a piece in progress sitting on my work bench. It’s a very cool one and when its done I’ll take pictures before I post it. I don’t have a home to send it to yet though.
If your interested in exchanging mail art with me, message me your address and I will send out a piece to you with my address on it, you HAVE TO send a piece back though.
For those of you who think it sounds fun but don’t think your ‘artistic’ Come on. You’ve seen some of these, you can mail whatever you want although, I do prefer things that have some effort to them. Even a drawing on an envelope.
SO the first person to send me their address with a promise to send something back will get the piece that is on my bench.
If I get more then one address I will make a list and start sending them out as quickly as I can.
Hope you guys are interested. This should be great fun. ANG
Comments (35)
That is so cool! I’ve never done it before, but I’m game. I just sent you my addy via message.
I have no idea what I’ll do, but I’ll be thinking about it…
i’d love to try it out!!!
I am really so NOT artistic… BUT I will give it a try.
Tricia
I like it. I did a “mail art” once. It was a decorated envelope.
Let me get this straight….you mail it unwrapped …unboxed…un anything? Doesn’t this confuse the men at the post office? I’m not sure my mail people will understand that they can do this. LOL!
I love to confuse them though….put me on the list.
if i tell you ‘you’re weird’, will you take offense?
i’ve never heard of such a thing!!! and, seriously, you can ship this stuff without boxes or envelopes? such trust you have in our united states post office.
Of course it has to have an ADDRESS on it!!!! lol
It doea get there. Part of the fun is seeing if it will make it in one piece…
Of course I’m weird… everyone knows that by now don’t they? lol
I am going to think about this. Not think about if I am going to do it but how. How I want to go about doing it. Because that is just what I need. A lovely diversion from the mundane. I’ll message you my address and promise to send you something back. I’ll need time though to think so don’t put me near the top of your list.
Oh and please no brains or eyeballs. I don’t think I would react well to those. Not really me, occasionally in a blue moon my husband will get the mail. His eyeballs might pop out if we got eyeballs in the mail!
What a great idea!!! Sadly, I doubt the stuffy British Post Office would allow items to be mailed with no packaging. Unless you’ve invested in bubble wrap, brown paper and secured edges with tons and tons of sticky tape, it’s a no no. Guess why they we say so often ’keep a stiff upper lip’…nobody here likes things coming apart at the seams…including their mail lol
neato!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This sounds like a fun and crazy way to keep in touch with friends!
Oh how very cool…I’m game…here comes my address:
I have to hand it to you – that was a good post. lol
RYC: lol
Very interesting. I’ve never heard of mail art before.
coolness, I have a plaster cast of my wait I better not say lol Your first line at first glance I thought you said what makes you feel good is wal-mart!!!! LOL
I’d swap mail art with you but I am deficient in the creative department! cool stuff however!
You are an inventor , Ang : you are creating the Art Mail Exchange !
Michel
I wish success to your endeavour .
Love
I love the “Stop making sense” one. Too cute.
ROFL! I’m surprised they let some of that stuff go through.
Trish
Wow – there’s no accounting for all the crazy images available on the net. Sometimes, when bored, I just browse crazy Google images. But yeah, I should totally makes some into postcards – I could make some crazy ass valentines and christmas cards!
You are just a creative little thing, aren’t you?? Have to say I’ve never heard of mail art before!
RYC: Haven’t picked the first project yet, but trying to figure that out now. My friend and I are headed to a mosaic store/studio (http://www.mosaiconastick.com) to check things out there and I’m really looking forward to that!!!
Those are so cool!! You are very creative!! I would love to exchange but I haven’t a clue to what I would do!!
Some pretty cool things here, I would like to do it!! Can I? Csn I?!
ryc: I guess you’d have to follow the whole story to find the amusement in it.
Thanks for your comments. The song on my profile is by a young British girl called Corrine Bailey Rae. She’s had a couple of songs make the charts here. Pretty mellow stuff
WOW!@
Quite a concept. It took me a while to “get” what you were explaining…. They really let you mail that stuff????
Well, this is just about the coolest idea I’ve run into in like forever.
I am so jazzed! Have no idea what to send, as soon as I think up something, I’ll message you. You know, you can also cash anything as a check if its properly filled out, even a watermelon! *Hugs*
Very cool stuff but I will pass. I am in the process of getting rid of stuff.
Sorry I haven’t been on for a little while.. I will have to come back to read through your posts in their entireity when I have more time!
I definately want in on this! Last time we were in hawaii we sent coconuts home in the mail. WHAT fun!
here comes my addy as well!
hugs!
Becky in nh
Wow Ang! You are so creative!!! I can barely make my own breakfast, let alone art! LOL
I will mail you postcards from the other side of the world, my dear; but I don’t do art. I do lots of things; but art just isn’t one of them. I know you predicted that answer; and I hate to be predictable… but here I am.
That reminds me that I still have something to mail to you… maybe tomorrow. LOL
Is it too late to play mail art? I want to, if I can. I’ll message my address if you’re up to adding another person to your list.