Mailart 365 has moved

I was asked to make a Christmas card for a wonderful charity I have worked with in partnership with a few Primary and secondary schools in Suffolk.  The charity is Brains means Beans (Buhumba).  It raises money so that Buhumba Primary and secondary school in Uganda grow their own beans on-site to eat for lunch.  They have a long arduous walk home at lunch otherwise and many don't return.  Since they have been eating better their results have imporved.  Here is a first stab at my christmas card.

Playing with monotype

Playing with stamps



Garden

For years my medium was monotype made with oil-based etching ink on zinc.  I used a wooden spoon.  Working in shared space for what has been half my life now I found I have made fewer and fewer monotypes that way, what with the clean-up.  I tried other methods but could never get the quality that I liked. I used gelatine plates and other paints and did something different which was interesting but knew I'd come back to zinc and oil. Today I decided it was time to try these new water-based inks that I bought but hadn't had the heart to try.  At the last moment I decided instead of zinc I'd use glass, the inside of a frame I took apart for a project in a school, and when it was time to print I just used some cartridge.  I think I've found an exciting new combination! The perfect size for mailart too.

A day at a school with wonderful children and staff but a lot of moving resources and in the last workshop, too many children and a lot of experimentation left me frazzled.  Nice to do a bit of experimenting myself with the one gelatine plate I salvaged.  Posted to Mary to thank her for Bob's party in the woods.

Sketches of my dog, Georgia.