The entire post is dedicated to the "eye art" of Gina Visione.
If you've ready Gina's profile, you'll know that she works in the field of low vision and blindness rehabilitation. I had originally planned this swap months ago, but when I learned Gina would be traveling out of the country for an extended period, I postponed the swap so that she could participate. I knew she would particularly like this swap, but I didn't realize just how wholeheartedly she would embrace it.
Gina created TWENTY cards for this swap, so that she could receive an original "eye" piece from each swapper. Talk about commitment!
Here are her pieces:
Gina combines her love of mail art and her love of her profession in her "Resident Mail Art Project" in which she sends handmade postcards, (from artists all over the world) to patients and residents of a long term care rehabilitation hospital. She has an ongoing open mail call for anyone who would like to create some mail art for the residents. Here are the details, I hope you consider making some art for a worthy cause:
5 comments:
What a wonderful effort on Gina's part! That's real dedication to her profession and to MMSA. I look forward to receiving one of her cards and appreciate knowing the special meaning behind it. Gina, I will send you some cards soon for your special RMA project. Christie
My maternal grandmother, a farmer's wife, went blind (glaucoma) at about age 45. She was then blind for about 30 years.
As near as I can remember, she never actually "saw" me, but no doubt patted me on the head a time or two as I ran past (I was the caboose grandchild in an otherwise very long grandchildren train). She did send me an occasional letter written on what was a cardstock-type paper. I remember the lines "embossed" on the surface (so, the lines were raised on the paper, wide-wale corduroy-style, instead of being flush, as it is for seeing folks). Even with the raised guides, her penmanship was poor, and she lamented not learning how to type before she lost her sight.
She did have a noisy grandfather clock so she'd know the time, and a music box in the bedroom, and she'd listen to the radio, and TV, and books on tape that she got from the state library for the blind. My grandmother's house, was, obviously, a very auditory place.
She was able to keep up with a good many of her farm chores. She continued to cook, although my grandfather had to find the ingredients in the cupboard and place them in a certain order for her on the countertop. She'd make a six-loaf batch of homemade bread every week entirely by feel.
She'd also follow the fence hand-over-hand out to the walnut tree to harvest nuts every year, and if she ever got lost on the farm, such as when picking berries for her to put up for the winter, she'd stand still, listening for a passing automobile. Hearing where the road was, she'd then make her way that direction, where she'd find the fence, and follow that home.
And about this swap, I did consider doing a "black-eyed Susan," but ran out of time.
These as always from Gina are amazing, she is quite the mail maven of wonderfulness. xox
WOW Gina...just wow...
Oh, I got one of Gina's cards. I really admire her for her call to art. I haven't involved myself with this, but now is the time. I have cards to make!
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