Mailart 365 has moved

We recently took a field trip to the local apple orchard... I saved our apple picking bag because I thought it would make a pretty envelope...  Top: Front * Bottom: Back.  Shell and quarter not included. :)

I think it's the educator in me that thought to end my 365 with a plenary.  This week has been the week of reflecting and making ready for what's next, so no surprise that faced with the blank canvas of my mailart 365/365 I wanted to share what 365 has given me. All I can say is that when I began I had no idea and what I got out was immense! Thank you Andy and all the rest of you at 365 and IUOMA for inspiring my year!

A single Tria sale with modified landscape using additional white paint pen and Sharpie

This was a sale of 2 Tria markers. Decided to keep things simple and use a standard writing pen rather than an arty one. Great fun to draw

I surprised myself with how quickly I done this. I had 3 envelopes to do this morning and I was feeling like a bit of a dozy owl myself.

Stumbling bleary-eyed into the art room, I picked up a ball-point pen and laid down the lines for this in the time it took Elena to put on a jumper.

Nearly at 300 pieces and I must say that the regular practice has made me a much more confident artist.

I only just found out that Pocahontas died in Gravesend in Kent of Tuberculosis and that there's a statue to her in a church there. The film by Disney came out in 1995, when I was 15 and wearing braces in my teeth. The orthodontist I was sent to was miles away from my house in...that's right...Gravesend.

If only I'd known then what I know now

Although the eBay listing for the Sharpies seems to be selling well, I'm still not convinced that it's the drawing on envelopes that makes the difference. In fact I'm pretty sure that most people don't even realise that they're going to get a fully hand-illustrated envelope at all. Of the 120 envelopes that I've now sent, this is only the second request I've had, which was for a Sonic or Naruto themed envelope. Always happy to oblige!

Chiseltip Sharpie in 2 minutes! Brown envelopes are becoming a favourite. I had initially planned to do this on a white envelope and make them polar bears, but I was in a rush (yes it was an 8:35am special) and didn't realise that I was using a brown envelope until I'd finished. i let out a little "D'oh!" then realised that bears actually come in brown as well as white so that's ok then...

I noticed the ad in the Guardian today and thought I'd do something with it for my penultimate 365! who will win Mim's stamp? A few of you have contacted me.  I hope I can remember who you are...good luck!  and here's hoping I can find a final 365 idea tomorrow!

recycling of a postcard by Diane Keys sent to Enzo Correnti

postcard to Enzo Correnti

Beginning the new routine, not working so much and returning to my studio time. I guess that's how I see my days after mailart 365. So I'm reading - although I am sure it is re-reading, but I can't remember a thing of what I am reading, so you never know... and one of the artist I'm reading is Wolf Khan.  HIS COLOUR.  My sister gave me his pastel book when I was teaching full time, 8 or so years ago, and I began my day reading that.  This summer I visited Ashely Bryan on little Cranberry Island, we  spend summers on Great Cranberry Island.

When I drew this I was actually thinking of a guy I used to go to school with called Ali and had aimed to draw him in a gi. I messed up a little and ended up colouring his gi red instead of white and after I wrote the title down as Ali I realised that this probably looks a little more like Mohammed Ali crossed with Ken from Street Fighter 2. So lets just call him Ali and I'll let you decide who it is I'm trying to draw

Three more to go now.  I thought I'd practice.  It's almost time to begin.

A quick one in Sharpie, this one was my second Tria sale and got some excellent feedback from the buyer.

"if carlsberg made ebayers they'd definitely make this one!!!!!, terrific service"

:-)

I've been doing loads of pics on black backgrounds lately and wanted to put a black background on this. I thought I would leave it though, as I thought I may be getting a little formulaic. Now that this is in the post, I feel like I should have blacked up the background, but I put the address in there instead.

Made now. On train headed home. 6hr trip.