Seren
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Andrea Jay
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Rachel Freeman
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The July issue of The Postal Press will be about personal transitions and 'starting over' and GREEN and PURPLE seems to be the colors of renewal for me. I am looking for mail that uses green and/or purple to express a sense of newness/rebirth/re-awakening.
Please submit mail art of any shape, size and medium to:
Seren -- Renewal Art Call
PO Box 3246
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
All art will be documented on my blog: www.serendipityart.squarespace.com and some of it will be included in issues of The Postal Press (specifically the next issue, which has a projected print date of July 23, 2009). There is no final due date. If some other color represents renewal/transition to you, I would love to receive that art work too, however, please include your thoughts on your color choice.
Last night I was unable to sleep. I have had so much on my plate at work that my mind continues to race long after I've left the office. At 2am I finally got out of bed because I was bored and lying there in the dark was a ridiculous waste of time. After pacing my tiny apartment for 20 minutes, I ended up pulling out the 55 art journals from the Journal Project. I flipped through every single book.
At first I felt sad. These journals used to take up a huge amount of my time and I LOVED them. But when life snuck up and bit me in the ass I had no choice but to stop sending them out, I needed to nurture myself instead of nurturing this art project.
As I flipped through pages of art that ranges from awe-inspiring to down right bad, I realized all of it was relevant and worthy of consideration. And when I say bad, I don't mean not good or not interesting...I mean, bad as in problematic. Bad adhesive choices, cheap paint that peeled or remained tacky, non-sticking stickers -- the missteps of new paper artists – and in those artistic blemishes I saw beauty, grace, and integrity. I saw hope -- artists knowing that the doing and failing is part of learning; warped paper teaches swift lessons about water based glue on thin paper.
The journals chronicle lives lived. Marriages, divorces, having and losing children, artistic journey's, vacations, new jobs, lost careers...each person tells their story -- some with words, some with images -- some happy, and a few so painful that I couldn't look at them too long.
All of the journals are tired and worn from being shipped; a few are literally falling apart and I've had to retire them. The covers are stained with wayward paint and glue and ink. Some smell weird from being packing away in odd places. One artist had a small, but major, house fire while in possession of a journal. The smoky smell adds a whole new dimension to her pages...and even to the other art in the book.
All 55 journals are compelling when taken into consideration as a single body of art. Each artists work is elevated by the work around it. The shift in perspective from one life to another creates a tide of American life. There's a ebb and flow to the journals that is jilting, yet I found it comforting in some ways. If I could reach into peoples hearts and pull out the best and worst of them, and their memories, I think I would find what it is these books -- and for that, I am grateful.
I am grateful to have these journals in my life and I look forward to sharing them with other artists. I have updated the photo gallery with pictures and have 10 journals ready to go. The game plan is the same as when I first launched them:
You may keep the book for 15 days only; my hope is that you work in the book for at least 10 of those days. You must return the journal with Delivery Confirmation.
Ship the book back to me to be photographed. I will send it to the next person in the group. I will post pictures on my blog of each book, but not the name of the artist. I want you to be able to write anything you want in the book.
Never remove pages from the journal or alter pages other than your own.
Keep your artwork as flat, dry and sticky-free as possible.
Do not alter the cover.
Do not give the book to other artists without speaking to me first...if you will make sure the book comes back, I may be receptive to you handing it off to an artist you know will follow through on the project.
If you'd like to participate, please email me your:
name
street address
city, state, zip code
phone number
email address
In the past I have gotten flamed about several elements of this art call, so I'm going to re-address a few things about this project -- just so people are perfectly clear on these points. There are only 5 things to remember, but they are big so be sure to read them all.
1. I photograph and post every page completed in the journals. I have tried putting a first name and city, state on each picture -- but with almost 100 journals floating around that has been difficult. Also, the point of the journals is to give people a place to be genuine and to bring their authentic selves to the page...and for most, that means NOT putting their name on the work. So I am no longer putting names or anything on the photos. If you work in a journal, remember the number and you can put your name on the work via the comments section of the photo on my blog. You can also sign your work so that it appears when I photograph the pages. Maybe even create a title page of sorts; whatever you do is up to you, but YOU have to do it, not me. If that's a problem, please don't request a journal.
2. I do not work in every single journal. There's not enough time in the day for that. I do not screen artists that work in the journals...so some of the work is less experienced than others. I can't not help that. Some of the journals have more pages done in them than others...and some of the journals have NO work in them. SOMEONE has to start the journals...so that means you might get a blank journal. I can't help that either. I often try to kick off each journal with at least a few pages, but depending on demand...I often will send them out totally blank. I do have a few artists that have worked in multiple journals -- they are willing to be the first to work in a journal specifically because they like the blank slate, but they usually like to have the next journal they work in be almost full. If you'd like to be one of those people....just let me know. If you MUST have a book that has lots of pages done it, please don't request a journal because I can't promise you that.
3. I have NO IDEA what I'm going to do with the journals when this is over -- if it is ever over. I want to find a way to exhibit them, but I'm unsure when and where that will happen. I don't intend on doing anything to make money off of them, but I want to be clear: I have a huge amount money in this project. The shipping/mailing is outrageous, and SEVERAL books have been kept. Not lost, I mean kept by an artist because they really like the work in the journal -- I even saw photos of one in a book on art journaling that came out last year. Someone liked their work enough to submit the journal for publication, but NOT to return it to me -- and now will not respond to my requests to have the journal back. This project is a labor of love, but it costs me on several levels. Cut me a little slack, or don't request a journal.
4. 15 days is as long as you should keep a journal -- no longer. I get some of the most horrendous mail from artists on the waiting list (I know, that sounds ludicrous, but its true). People are waiting for a book as if I'm able to conjure them out of thin air. If you keep a book for longer than 10 days, then someone is sending me hate mail for not getting them a book within the timeframe they have to work in it -- say over a vacation -- which means they will keep the book too long as well. The cycle is never-ending and so painful that I makes me sweat just writing about it. So please, if you can't get the book back in 15 days, please don't request one.
5. Every journal must be returned with Delivery Confirmation. I need to be able to track it down if it doesn't arrive. Delivery Confirmation don't guarantee delivery, but it does say that you mailed me something. When you mail the journal, email me the date you mailed it and the Confirmation Number. I will let you know when I receive the book. If the book is lost while in your possession, I will note on my blog that it was lost to you unless you can provide a Delivery Confirmation Number. Check out the gallery to see what that looks like; I don't do it to be malicious, but I do think its reasonable -- if the book is genuinely lost in the mail, I totally understand and will just list it as lost. If you don't think this approach is reasonable, don't request a journal.
These five issues are the biggies...though there are certainly more. If you have concerns or questions about this art call, just drop me an email. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. This post includes photos from several of the books. I hope these pages will inspire you to jump in with both feet. The List of Five isn't meant to discourage anyone -- I hope you will lean into this project with a full heart and an open mind.
The July issue of The Postal Press will be about personal transitions and 'starting over'. It seems to me that many people are in the process of reinventing themselves, their careers, and their relationships right now and I'm looking for mail art that illustrates that journey. Consider imagery like stairs, doors/portals, windows -- or dusk (the transition between day and night), a horizon (the visual line between water and sky, or land and sky) -- or ghosts (entities caught between life and death. Think outside the box. Please submit mail art of any shape, size and medium to:
Seren -- Transitions Art Call
PO Box 3246
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
All art will be documented on my blog: www.serendipityart.squarespace.com and some of it will be included in issues of The Postal Press (specifically the next issue, which has a projected print date of July 23, 2009).
There is no final due date.
I’ve been making handmade journals….but they aren’t what you’d find in a cute shop in some resort town. They are messy journals. I start with my favorite kind of paper – brown Kraft paper. I use acrylic paint with glaze mixed in to add color (I add matte or glossy glaze to ensure the acrylic paint dries smooth, not tacky). Sometimes I’ll xyron down some colorful papers from whatever projects I’ve been working on…or more accurately, not working on. And yes, I add wrapping paper in between the brown paper. A lot of paper artists have a problem with wrapping paper, but I love the colors and the blank side takes Sharpie ink wonderfully (which makes me happy because Sharpies are my writing utensil of choice). Plus I tend to use paper that I’ve given or received gifts in. That adds meaning and sparks memory and feeling – which is key to strong, honest journal writing.
Believe it or not, masking tape provides lines to write on and gives texture and depth. I know, masking tape is a no-no, but I’ll talk about that a little later.
I use heavy paper shopping bag brown paper for the cover – I mean the thick brown paper of old school shopping bags…or the extra large department store bags that come out at Christmas. I use this paper because it’s sturdy/stout. I punch holes down the middle of the book using my Japanese screw punch, and use wing-back fasteners to bind the whole thing together. This process is fast. I try not to think too much or measure to closely. The point is to be impromptu…to let the materials move you in whatever direction they want to go while keeping the book strong and structurally sound.
Now, I have many art addictions…and several of them are not kosher in the art or craft world – like packing tape and masking tape. They are not archival, but they give me the look and feel that I seek. I use packing tape over my cover collages…and those collages are layers of paper stuff that I collect over the life of the journal. The packing tape makes for a firm cover that is still flexible and I can slowly build the cover over time – front and back.
I like these journals because they are lighter than the hardback version I used to use. Well, I still use those glorious Borders hardback blank journal, but only when I’m at home in my studio. I travel with my handmade journals because they are light and easy to fold up and jam into my carry-on bag. I also like how easy it is to add pages. I use redline tape and add pages whenever I see fit. I will admit though, these journals feel different than any other journal I’ve ever used. They have a depth that starts with the non-blankness of the pages. Their essence is grounded in me and my work because I use the ‘clean paper’ from my studio. I put Kraft paper under all of my projects to keep my desk clean. Paint, ink, stamped images…they all end up on the scrap paper and that’s the paper I use in my messy journals. The paint and images remind of my work…of time spent in the studio – which is especially good for me because working in the studio has been hard and easy all at once lately.
I am happy when I’m creating, but it can be so hard…it is so rare that I want to work with color and paper anymore. What used to bring me so much joy sometimes makes me feel so isolated that I can’t think. I end up washing my hands and sitting in front of the TV looking for something to spend my time on. These journals are a glimpse into what I am before I begin to write, and it feels good – it feels welcoming and comfortable...different than the stark white of store bought journals. So, I roll with it.
I like how the elegance of fine wrapping paper balances the roughness of the re-purposed Kraft paper…envelopes of all shapes and sizes give me places to stuff bits and bobs I find along my way, and I make copies of writing exercises that strike my fancy. I save all sorts of interesting things – articles, advertisements, poems, pictures, letters, and postcards. I add them to my journal as backgrounds and writing prompts – they are anchors for my thoughts; holding me to ideas in a loose, impromptu kind of way. Some evenings I sit down with the intention of writing, but instead I spend my time adding my bits and bobs to the book. The images say what I can’t write…which is perfect for a woman that has lost her words of late. What I’ve been working on has been self contained – things made for myself, by myself. My mail art has trickled down to nothing; therefore my mailbox is often empty. One more reason I’ve felt lonely and out of sorts…but I have an idea. (I’m always full of ideas!!!)
This weekend I will create 10 journals. All unique, all hand made. I will send them to the first 10 artists that send me their version of a messy journal. If I get more than 10 journals, I will send you one of the journals I get in the mail OR make you a journal – whatever makes the most sense at the time (which means… does my travel schedule allow me time to make you one). All journals, not just the ones I make, will be photographed and put on this blog.
All of my journals will be approximately 8.5x11 inches because that’s the size I like to work in…and actually, they tend to end up a bit larger than that, but it’s a good rule of thumb and your finished product should be about that size as well. Each of my journals will include some journaling supplies as well, just to keep it interesting. If you would like to send me a journal that you’ve made, please send to: Serendipity, PO Box 3246, Redondo Beach, CA 90277. If you have questions, send me an email to: serendipityartist@yahoo.com and I’ll respond as soon as I can.
I’ve been away from art and this blog long enough. The only way to move on is to get moving…moving back to the things and people that make me happy…and mail art, zine making/swapping and blogging make me happy!
I am slowly getting back to the journal project. Most of the journals have come home and been sitting dormant for the past couple of weeks (and in some cases, months). However, Saturday I uploaded 257 photos of journals. I have been photographing the journals as they come in, but I was terribly behind with uploading them. Now all the photos that had been waiting in my camera are up on the blog.
I had to stop reading the journals for a bit. Soooo much happiness was overwhelming. I know, I know…I should have been looking for some strength in those pages, but when you’re in the throws of something painful, it’s hard to be rational – even for someone like me – someone that’s always thinking, thinking, thinking. Uploading the photos I had the opportunity to finally really SEE the artwork. In some case, I found messages in-between the lines that made me realize that bad things can be happening in your life, but you don’t have to feel bad about them or because of them. You can just chalk it up to life being life…of your life being your life…and move on.
Happiness…joy…hope, they are all have a component of choice to them. I can choose to be happy…and art helps me to do just that! Art (to make and to receive) reminds me that I am greater than the sum of my parts, I can make something from the odd bits and bobs of the world around me – and what I make doesn’t have to reflect/represent anything more, or less, than what I want. I am special…or at least can choose to be special. Not everyone can make something from next to nothing, but I can…and I will! I will share art (mine and others) with anyone willing to look or listen.
Soooo…I’m back!
What am I working on? I think a Postal Press! Yes, I know…I’ve been saying that for over a year, but I feel it. I feel like I have some new things to share…and I’m going to work hard to pull one together in the next 30 days. It may be a small version, it maybe a full-size version….who knows? I’ll take 30 days to create content…and I’ll let the amount of “stuff” I have dictate the size and shape of the zine. Though it will be a limited addition so if you want one, you better let me know soon!