Saturday 23 January 2010

Deliver the letter, the sooner the better...

Well, I did it!  I have just posted a painted envelope to the Mail Me Art 2 project and I'm really excited.  I've enjoyed doing this so much, I really needed to set myself a little project and be disciplined about a piece of artwork, and I've done it!  Hurrah!  I don't even mind if I never hear about the envelope again, I even just like the idea of that little bit of art being out there, somewhere, hopefully making someone smile.

I'm a children's librarian, I love children's books and their illustrators, so I decided to come up with idea that reflected that.  I have tried to make my piece look like it could be a page from a children's book - which meant me having to make up a bit of a story.... so, the idea is that the front of my envelope is supposed to be the illustration from a fictional - fiction book (!) you flip it over (turn the page) and on the back is the page that explains the whole piece - hopefully!!!!

So here's how it all came together, a bit at a time (without boring the socks off you).  I had a few ideas for the front first, sketched in my little sketch book...

Idea number 1:





Idea number 2:



So you have basically got a small decorated envelope, on top of the larger envelope.  I wasn't keen on either of my ideas for the 'smaller' envelope, then found this 'scribble' in an old sketch book that I quite liked...




So, that became the basis for the 'smaller' envelope design, which was essentially supposed to look like a piece of post that had been dropped onto the ground on an Autumny, leaf covered path.  The the little envelope itself is slowly being covered in leaves.  Here is the collage as I started to build it up:




As you can see, I painted each bit seperately, including the Autumn leaves, then glued them down, overlapping each other.  The final front of the envelope, after hours of painting, cutting, gluing and sticking looks like this:




You can see some of the flyagaric toadstools have managed to find their way in!  The back of the envelope I hope will help you understand my thinking for the whole piece:



The size of the piece is bigger than A4, I'd say about 13" x 9" ish (in old money!).  I have thoroughly enjoyed doing this.  I'm really fired up to set myself another project now, got to keep going!  If I hear anything - i.e. whether or not the envelope actually gets to it's destination, I'll post something here.  Watch this space! x

16 comments:

  1. Well Lesley, you've had my feedback on this finished piece already, and it's been fascinating to see the work in progress shots...I'll keep popping into this blog now..have added it to my Favourites!
    xxx

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  2. Fabulous!! Enormous amount of creativity in this piece and I would be thrilled if I were the person in your group receiving it. I assume that it gets mailed in another envelope?

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  3. You did a really nice job on this. It's beautiful and I really hope it makes it to its destination.

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  4. Thank you all for your lovely comments! Very kind :-)

    Shirley - The envelope goes through the post exactly as is! The idea being that any postal marks or indeed damage becomes part of the final artwork! I'm just hoping the glue holds up and all the pieces stay in place (and no leaves etc stuck to the postman's jacket). It is an online art project. It might (MIGHT) be selected to go into a book about the project at the end of it but - will just have to wait and see about that. I've enjoyed taking part and that's what counts!

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  5. Lesley, this is truly great! How brave of you to send it through the post 'as is' - I shall keep checking your blog to hear that it has arrived safely.

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  6. This is just wonderful! The whole composition, the story, the colors, everything! I especially like the idea of sending it through the mail, it adds a certain amount of serendipity to the whole thing - you never know what it will look like in the end...

    Simply lovely, well done!

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  7. Lesley this is wonderful!
    (I found your letter on EDM which I've just rejoined)
    It will be interesting to see the progress of the envelope, hope it gets through the postal system!
    By the way, loving the snow pictures, I'm in Sydney where it was 42C yesterday!

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  8. This is absolutely amazing, and I look forward to hearing it has reached its destination. Your beautiful collage work really takes the entire work to "Exceptional"

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  9. This is a lovely creative piece of work. I love your drawings, keep up with the coloured pencils, they are time consuming but addictive.
    You could try doing an underpainting with watercolour pencils, I find that speeds the process up no end.

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  10. Love your banner, envelope and enthusiasm!

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  11. Such a creative and fun project. I love the header banner in your blog.

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  12. I noticed the banner too! Wonderful, as is your mail art! I really need to decide on something for that; the deadline approaches!

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  13. Hi,

    Thanks for visiting and making your comment on my korean blog.^^ it was very kind~

    I like children's book. I have a wish to work for that.
    Your project of mail art is very nice and fantastic! amd the image of mushroom of the banner is so impressive with great colors!

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  14. I love this design Lesley. I'd already seen it on FB but it's good to see all the drawings leading up to it. I have a few prized children's books with much loved illustrations. I think you would get on well with my friend Catherine who loves children's books too.

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  15. Amazing, just like the previous post, I too love illustrations from children's books and have a few in my collection.

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