Partitura from Cinzia Farina

From Alison Stockmarr on fair day!

Today was fair day and the bunting on Alison's card predicted what I would see as I walked to my table at the white elephant. It was festive and timeless on the Cranberry road!

I could recognise an original Alison Stockmarr piece of mail art in a flash. If you don't already know about Alison's witty and beautiful facebooks, click on the link - they are astounding!
http://www.alisonstockmarr.com

A maritime butterfly from Kyle Moss

This utterly satisfying collage arrived from my second youngest niece, Kyle Moss.

Summer tribute maritime mail art - Jake Moss

One of the things we do on this little island (in the summer) is jump.  While the dock, the 'actors' and the buildings have changed I jump, you jump, we all jump when the weather gets warm and the ferry fills with tourists.  It's a little like mail art at the dock. Young people, barely out of armbands and greying versions take the plunge together...

Just think that 50+ woman screaming 'FREE THE BEACHES' might just be me.  Jake's maritime mail art is a nod to this.  Long live the dock.  Long live the mail boat.  Let's jump forever!

Maritime mail art sails to Cranberry Island

Marry Time Mail Art from Figgy Guyver

August on the Water - Holly Hartley

Holly says she wishes whe was on the island for the 'group experience' Nice to have Betty for the exhibition!

My Garden & Under the Sea - Trashpo collage - Jan Moss

My MOTHER is a collage artist too. She also paints with plants.  These two pieces arrived today - a day after the 'official' deadline for this leg of exhibitions - but when have I ever followed rules?  

These beautiful gems have a Mexican feel, IMHO and Jan has managed to incorporate her garden, her wonderful beads, berries, the sea and salamanders. Note: no minks, mice or bats, though. The backs of these are (top) a lindt chocolate box and (bottom)  a colgate toothpaste box, so she's got a little trashpo going on and a bit of irony, maybe, with candy and dental paste? 

Definately better late than never. Can't wait for the two shows to be over so I can frame a few of my favourite things!

Mislaid post from the Buggy girls

I'm not really sure what happened here, whether the Buggy girls took their mail art home with them to post and that's why it took so long to receive these or if they went on a journey around the Cranberry isles before finding their way hometo PO Box 84...

Blue Island Maritime - Katy Kehoe

My sister is a collage artist! Love this nostalgic take on Cranberry seaside.  It makes me pine for log rolling in the pool, or filling clam buckets, or building piers with rocks at preble.Old time fever!

Molly Kehoe - Not At Sea Landscape

Over Fished - Rebecca Guyver

This piece was inspired by a rather beautiful piece that I have waxed lyrical about  from TOFU. I made two and one day I will finish his.  You can see Tofu's here (which is obviously much more beautiful!) http://monosemikodachrome.blogspot.com/2014/04/some-san-francisco-color-for-uk-tofu.html

Maritime Landscapes - Renita Sheesley Banks

The Buggy girls send luscious 'workshop' mail art

Sarah Buggy

Sarah Buggy

Charlotte Buggy

We had lots of fun at the mail art workshop.  Sarah and Charlotte were visiting from Fairfield NY and were drafted in to make mail art.  Although there was a little talking, as you would expect when 15 people gather around a long table, there was lots of quiet, contemplation as people found what they wanted to say about the sea, as evident in these pieces!

The Lobster Issue - Jim Kehoe

All I know is it's wet and the lobstermen aren't fishing for the next few days.  There clearly is a 'lobster issue.'

Maritime cave art from Eni Illis

Judy Staroscik sends s jiffy bag of fishy mail art!

Happy Berry Maritime Mail Art!

Berry Maritime Mail Art!

beautiful little envelope for ATC

"Sea shells, sea shells by the sea shore" 5 -19-14

"I'm sailing away" 5-19-14

Judy and Joey says, 'Good luck with your exhibit! have fun!'  Thank you. Look forward to showing your work!

A ferry and blue from Katerina Nikoltsu

Buona Guardia from Rosanna Veronesi

All this from Herman Kamphuis!

 And apparently there is more for me in Maine! Herman captures the spirit of the seaside with vintage photos and marbelised paper that always takes me to Venice. I love the way Herman plays with point of view, tiliting images, cropping them, creating spaces that we look into, almost like eavesdropping.

On the other side of this Herman writes to me.  I never know whether to share notes that people write to me in a sealed envelope. I always appreciate the connection of words and making these words public feels as if I might diminish them by sharing them . Whatever, I absolutely adore everything that Herman has sent me and am full of thanks!