Under the Sea - part 2

I think I have finally received all the "Under the Sea" submissions, and what a wonderful bunch of art it is!

Frances joins MMSA for the first time with this beautiful watercolor.  She says she used a viewfinder to isolate a small part of a photo and then turned that small image into a painting.
(Thanks for joining us, Frances!)

Barbara D. sent the next three.  I love the little mer-people.  Makes me want to ride a fish!

Ria is also joining one of our swaps for the first time and has sent this fabulous sparkly ATC.
(welcome Ria!)

Ellen's collage captivates with its layers and depth.

I would like to get lost in there.

Polly's mermaid is other worldly, and the picture has the loveliest texture.

Judith (a woman after my own heart) is creating and sending art from her vacation.

I'm not sure if it's clear in the photo that the green and blue waves are woven strips of paper.

I love the fibrous tentacles of Shirley's jellyfish, and the hidden secret writing at the horizon.

Beautiful work, everyone!
If you've sent me something for this swap and I haven't posted it yet, please let me know right away.  I'll be sending these back out in a few days.

(also, if I have forgotten to link your work to your website/blog/flickr please let me know so I can update this!)

Head swap - part 2

A few more heads for the head swap have arrived.

Currie made these two fabulous giraffes from milk cartons!

You can find more of Currie's work here and here.

 Check out the awesome hair on Corrine's head!

Looking forward to seeing what else comes in for this swap!

Jean's collage sheet postcard challenge - due March 25th

Jean was the next person to graciously send me a collage sheet that she created:

The Challenge:

Print the sheet and use the images to create a postcard.

You can alter the images, resize them, cut them, duplicate them, etc.

You don't have to use all of them.

You can add paint or crayon or marker or writing or embellishments, but don't add any images other than the ones on this sheet.

I think you should be able to click the image and save it to your computer and then print it.

Mac users like me can control click and choose "save image as..."

PC users have to right click I believe.

If you're having trouble printing or saving let me know and I can email you the sheet as an attachment.

  SWAP DETAILS:

•  Create your postcard - any dimensions, just make sure you include the proper postage for the size.
• Include your name and contact information on the back (address and/or email and/or blog) so that you partner can thank you or find out more about you.
• it's nice if you write a little message for  your partner (something about you, a quote, how you made your card, etc.)
• Write MMSA somewhere on the back of the card as well.  (I don't know about you, but I get a lot of mail, and it's sometimes hard to figure out if it's part of an organized swap or just personal mail.)
• leave the address section blank
• Stick in in an envelope with:
• a stamp (don't adhere to the postcard in case I need to send yours to someone out of the country)
•  a mailing label with your name and address on it (I will stick it on the card I mail back to you.  This keeps me from having to decipher handwriting on the envelope you send me, and saves me time when swapping everything and mailing it back out) 
•  mail it to me no later than March 25th

             Karen Isaacson
             PO Box 532
             Shrewsbury, MA 01545
             United States

• Feel free to make more than one ( you can send them to me in the same envelope).  You'll get back the number of postcards you create.  Make sure to include a mailing label and stamp for each post card.
• If you live outside the US, don't include stamps, but send me $1 for postage via paypal.  email: iamrushmore@gmail.com
• I will post your work to the blog when I receive it.  If you would like your image linked to your blog, or flickr account, or facebook page, or etsy shop (or whatever) just send me a note telling me how you want it linked.  (this is a great way to meet other artists and make lots of new friends) 

I have a collage sheet from Lee waiting in the wings for an April swap.

Anybody else want to create a sheet for us?

Email it to me as an attachment! 

iamrushmore@gmail.com

Green postcards - Due March 18

Our next monochromatic postcard swap will focus on the color green.

(artwork by yours truly)

Thanks to Amy (who is up to her neck in snow and pining for Spring) for picking the theme.

Create a postcard using predominantly green colors.

You can paint, draw, cut, glue, and/or embellish.  It’s okay to include a bit of black or white, or a small accent of another color, but overall, keep to the green family.

These postcards will be mailed without an envelope to your partner, so keep that in mind if you are gluing and embellishing.

SWAP DETAILS:

•  Create your postcard - any dimensions, just make sure you include the proper postage for the size.
• Include your name and contact information on the back (address and/or email and/or blog) so that you partner can thank you or find out more about you.
• Write a little note for your partner – a greeting, a quote, some info about you or where you live, or info about how you created your postcard.
• Write "MMSA green" somewhere on the back of the card as well.  (I don't know about you, but I get a lot of mail, and it's sometimes hard to figure out if it's part of an organized swap or just personal mail.)
• leave the address section blank
• Stick it in an envelope with:
• a stamp (don't adhere to the postcard in case I need to send yours to someone out of the country).  Keep in mind the maximum size card you can send with the post card rate stamp is 4x6.25 inches.  If your card is bigger than this, or oddly shaped, or excessively rigid or lumpy, it will need more postage.
•  a mailing label with your name and address on it (I will stick it on the card I mail back to you.  This keeps me from having to decipher handwriting on the envelope you send me, and saves me time when swapping everything and mailing it back out) 
•  mail it to me no later than March 18th (postmark date)

             Karen Isaacson
             PO Box 532
             Shrewsbury, MA 01545
             United States

• Feel free to make more than one ( you can send them to me in the same envelope).  You'll get back the number of postcards you create.  Make sure to include a mailing label and stamp for each post card.
• If you live outside the US, don't include stamps, but send me $1 for postage via paypal.  email: iamrushmore@gmail.com
• I will post your work to the blog when I receive it.  If you would like your image linked to your blog, or flickr account, or facebook page, or etsy shop (or whatever) just send me a note telling me how you want it linked.  (this is a great way to meet other artists and make lots of new friends)

yellow postcards part 3

 Eek - I'm falling asleep on the job here!  I uploaded these pictures last weekend, and forgot that I never actually wrote the blog post.  I also forgot I haven't actually swapped them and mailed them yet.
Do you ever complete tasks in your head and think you've also done it in reality?  I get sooo much accomplished in my head.
My task for the day - show you this final batch of postcards and get them all on their way to you.  For real.

First up - Two from Jean.
I'm a sucker for a rotary phone, and I love the way there's a phone message form as the background.

The texture on this giraffe card from Karen M. is fabulous.

The talented and prolific Katie submits four for this challenge:

Tina's lily practically jumps off the card:

Two beautiful and fabulously different cards from Tallie:

 

What should our next color swap be?

First commenter gets to pick it!

Through My Window - due March 11th

Many thanks to Judith for this great idea for a swap!

Create a 5”x7” piece of art depicting what you see through your window.  Include the frame of the window, as if you are looking through it.

 (Judith's postcard created for our blue swap.  Check out her blog, Sticky Fingers On Paper)

You don’t need to be literal with your view.  It could be the view you actually have, or the view you wish you had, or a window into your soul, or a window to a fantasy world.  Just be sure to include some type of window frame.

Matisse did a lot of paintings with windows.

 

Any media is welcome – drawing, painting, collage, mixed media, etc.

The substrate is also your choice as long as it’s sturdy – cardboard, wood, heavy water color paper, cereal box, canvas board – whatever works for you.

POSTAGE:

• Within the US:  Please go get your package weighed.  If it costs you $2.00 to mail it to me, it will cost me $2.00 to mail your art to someone else.  So before you seal up that envelope, stick the proper number of stamps or amount of cash into the envelope.  Or, if you prefer (or forget to stick it in the envelope), paypal me the amount it cost you to send the package.  (paypal address is iamrushmore@gmail.com)

• If you live outside of the US, email me so we can figure out a suitable postage amount.  It’s a little trickier with parcels, because I won’t know the weight of what I’m sending you until all the swapping has been done, so I don’t know how much it will cost me to mail this unknown item to you.  But we can definitely work something out, so don’t let it hold you back from swapping.

Be sure to sign your work!  And include a note or business card for your partner so that they know more about who the artwork came from and are able to contact you and thank you.

Also let me know if you want me to link your work to your blog, website, flickr, etc.

SUMMARY

• create a 5x7 work of art based on the theme “through my window"
• pack it in an envelope
• write the name of the swap on the outside of the envelope
• include a mailing label with your address.  I will stick this to the package I’m sending you.  If you don’t have any labels, just send a label-shaped piece of paper with your name and address on it and I will tape it to your envelope.  By including a label it saves me the time of writing everyone’s info by hand, and keeps me from making mistakes when I decipher your handwriting and copy your address.
• Include a note/contact info for your partner
• If you live in the US include postage or cash (or use paypal to send me the money)
• If you live outside of the US, email me at iamrushmore@gmail.com to discuss rates
• Get it in the mail - postmarked by Monday March 11^th
• Send to :  Karen Isaacson, PO Box 532, Shrewsbury, MA 01545 (United States)

Yellow postcards - part 2

The joyful yellow parade continues!

Carroll sent these three stitched beauties:

This next one is from first time swapper, Colleen.

So glad you could join us!

I "met" Colleen because I sent her a card for the international postcard swap and she emailed me back.

and speaking of meeting people through swaps...

I met Amy because she sent me a postcard as part of that same swap last year.  I loved her card, and saw she was relatively local, and we started emailing and reading each other's blogs and eventually took a class in person together.  

See how mail brings us together?

Here are Amy's four postcards: 

And speaking of talented art bloggers I've had the privilege of meeting in person, here are two glittery hearts of joy from Corrine:

Now, enjoy some great collage and haiku from Ellen on the next four cards:

Judith "worked the grid" for her two postcards.

Leslie's backgrounds are torn from the yellow pages (naturally) and have some great stitched details.

Happy to see Marsie back with us.  Here are her two cards.

I love how totally different, but equally awesome, Shirley's cards are.

Mail makes friends.
Keep those cards coming!

Under the Sea - part 1

Currie has sent these two marvelous pieces for the Under the Sea swap.

They are 4x6 canvas boards covered with glorious layers of paint, paper and fabric.

The seals (or are they sea lions?) stand out from the canvas.

Beautiful, aren't they?

Now go - stop singing the song from The Little Mermaid and make some undersea art.  You've got until February 18th.  Details are here.

Head Swap - part 1

The first head has arrived, and if this doesn't inspire you, I don't know what will.

Here's Carroll's wonderful head:

Isn't that cool?

You've still got two weeks to create your own.

Details are here.