Mail Art

The Altered Guild's mail art round robin featuring faces is well under way. I just finished up and mailed off Jan's envy. If you read my jewelry book, A Charming Exchange, you know I am big on artistic collaborations.

But they can also be tricky. I have to find a way to blend my personal style to that of another artist while still remaining true to my own sensibilities. And, no matter how much I might be dying to completely cover every inch of the envelope with my ideas, I have to restrain myself.

There are six artists working in this circle. And I want to add enough to inspire and challenge the next person without hogging all the work. But it is very difficult to stop when I am moving along.

 

Here's Jan's fab envelope as it arrived. She has some very reptilian textures going on with the background. There's a particular bit under the eye that I especially dig.

 

Here are my additions to the front. I hope I wasn't too piggy in how much I did. These are the colors that I love and I just wanted to play and play.

 

The back was more of a challenge for me. The muted colors aren't my usual palette. Where to take it?

Geez, now that I look at these here maybe I did do too much. It was hard for me to stop, especially after her nose turned into a tree. I needed to finish it, fix it, go with it. But it is going on to my friend, Michelle. And she will need zero instruction or encouragement from me about what to do with this tree. She will make it all so much more different than I would do. And that is the great result of a collaboration. You have to be open to whatever may happen. You have to be willing to risk getting something that you wouldn't do and you might not even like. It is all about the process of working in new ways and learning from it.

Karen Campbell's envy just arrived here so I am contemplating it. As the process goes on and each envelope gets more and more covered, it will be interesting to know what to add and when to hold back.

I'll keep you posted.

Comments

[Renate]

Kelly, this is stunning! I want to play....
and I love that tree - what an idea!!!

[Tamerie Shriver]

I love what you did. I don't think you were too piggy! What a cool idea. Where does the finished piece go to live?

[pilar]

These are very cool! How could you stop when there was so much to play with? I love the tree nose. That is beyond awesome. I can't wait to see your next envy. : D