Mail Art Book #2

In June 2022 I completed Mail Art Book #1.  Nearly four years later, the second in the series is finished.
Along with their mail art, many artists include ephemera, stickers, artist stamps and other pieces in their envelopes — and sometimes the envelopes are works of art too. In 2020 I began to repurpose this material in artist books.  I always start with a large, used coffee table book — armed with glue and scissors these 170 pages are the latest results.  I am already looking for another old book to start filling up.

Sailing Away in the Mail

I typically do not use the stamped postcards from the USPS, but when I saw the Schooner Series, I had an idea.  I did not want to paint boats, but this old book was begging to be cut up and collaged. And then I learned about Scrambled Art Co. and their fantastic hole punches to make faux postage.
The results are in the mail…

Postmarked!

The machines at the USPS postmarked the wrong side of the mail art from Thom Courcelle. I like when this happens and mail art is inadvertently authenticated.

Eggs in the Mail

On the way to Hungary for a mail art call.....🥚📬

Year of the Horse

To celebrate the Year of the Horse my new series of mail art uses hand-carved, rubber stamps and was inspired by some of the world’s oldest known horse art. These are on their way to mailboxes around the world.

Guerra e Migranti

 

Mail art on the way to Italy for a call with the theme war and migration.

Sparks Fly on the 405

Los Angeles is a subject I rarely paint, but sometimes the spectacle of TV news does inspire me.