dear diary, part 2…

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11/12/19
A couple of months ago a friend gave me a bag of acrylic shavings which are a waste product of machining mouthpieces for the amazing whistles she makes. You can see them on her website and Facebook
One artist’s trash is another artist’s treasure.

I wasn’t sure what I could use it for, but I thought of someone who might be able to use it in her artwork . Morag Archer is a Mixed Media artist who lives on the Isle of Skye and I have long admired her work. You can see it on her Facebook page and her blog and Instagram
I sent her a photo and she said it looked interesting , so I sent her some.

I’m looking forward to seeing how she uses it in her art work, I’ll keep you posted .

13/12/19
A very grey day thankfully brightened by the postie delivering these handmade Christmas decorations from a swap I did in a Facebook group.
I received these..

and I sent these..

Back in May when I got involved in the handmade collage postcard swap on Instagram I noticed that some people were using the hashtag “Happy Mail”, so being nosey, I poked around to see what that might be, and it circuitously led me to a Facebook group that organises swaps of materials that can be used in Mixed-Media Art. So, not the finished article, which would be described as “Mail Art” but things that can be used to create art.
I joined the group and sent out my first “Happy Mail”. I looked at photos of previous swaps so I got some idea of what was expected, but it was still a bit nervewracking putting my first collection together. Here’s what I sent (use the arrows to move between the photos)..

And here’s what I received in return..

I used some of the pieces I received in these..

I then recieved this..

I used bits I had received from both swaps in these pieces..

and I sent this in return..

Today another package arrived, this time from Greece and brought with it some sunshine to a dark Highland day with intermittent horizontal sleet.

Having received this new “Happy Mail” I now have to reciprocate and send one back to the person who sent it to me. This will be the 3rd one I’ve sent, so I’m more at ease with it now. I have really liked the handpainted and decorated papers that I have received in my packages so I’m making some of my own to send, and also to use in my own work. I do my painting out in the shed because it’s a messy affair and doesn’ t mix well with textiles in my workshop. It’s really cold out there, but at 9 o clock on a Friday evening I’m on my way out , through the pitch dark garden , to have a play. See you later.
Well that was a very enjoyable hour and half splodging, stencilling and sponging. Looking forward to tomorrow when it’s all dry and I can add more layers.
14/12/19
Up and at ’em early this morning, great when something makes you keen to get out of bed on a dark and baltic winter morning. I got the heater on in the shed and did some more stencilling, printing and doodling. Mixed results, some of it went a tad muddy, but there are some nice bits.

16/12/19
Another Monday, another Made On Monday I am making a 5×5 inch mixed media piece every week for 52 weeks, this is week 45. I used some bits of painted paper that I had received in the “Happy Mail” from Greece.

I also used some of the papers I painted myself and some handstitching using some of my favourite hand dyed variegated thread from Steph’s Craft Bits

Whilst I have you here, what do you think about using actual vintage photos of real people in artwork?

I got a boxful of these from someone in a Facebook group . Her mother-in-law was a portrait photographer in the 60’s and had kept thousands of photographs. When she died and her house was being cleared the photos were destined for the bin. The lady asked if anyone could use them, and on a whim I said yes. I like them, and love looking through them, the hair and clothes are really interesting, but I feel a wee bit ambivalent using them in my work. I used some on this postcard.

I’ve asked in a couple of Facebook groups involved in collage and mixed media, and most people seem ok with it, but I’d like to know what you think, yes you. Please feel free to leave a comment below.
That’s all for now, thanks for reading 🙂