Baubles and Fir Trees

How would you feel to see this bright, colourful card lying on the doormat on a dreich December afternoon when you'd just struggled in laden with gifts for the grandchildren after a tiring day's shopping. My reaction was to kick off the boots, make a coffee and sit down to enjoy looking at Pat's wonderful Christmas design.

Then turning it over I was doubly blessed to see a beautiful winter tree study, so simply but effectively drawn.

The card became part of the Christmas decorations, nestling in amongst the holly on the mantlepiece for the rest of the holiday. Thankyou for this Pat.

A Winter Postcard from Germany for winter in Sydney

I received my June card from Albrecht a little early....but I put it away till it was June. Now Albrecht’s beautiful actually relates better to what we are experiencing here in Sydney..although we have blue skies and sun, (no snow!) and a fresh 15C (that is cold for us!!). I can feel the longing for spring in the black and white pen sketch with the colours below....just one touch of of spring green on the right hand end! Because we only have a few deciduous trees (introduced species – all native gum trees are evergreen) we always have plenty of green around.

I really love both the front and the back of the card- more lovely sketches and some great stamps too! - thanks Albrecht for a truly beautiful card

Private View of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters

Mall Galleries, The Mall, London, by Katherine Tyrrell

Kathine Tyrrell often reviews major exhibitions in the UK on her highly-ranked art blog Making a Mark, and she sometimes does amazing sketches of the other folks invited to the private viewings and previews.  Although she sketched this nicely nuanced vignette early in May she had it propped up near her computer and “forgot to post it on time because it had become part of (her) office!”  I’m absolutely thrilled that when she finally got it mailed, it arrived in Victoria in just a few days, and now it’s part of MY office!  

Katherine has written many wonderfully helpful posts about sketching on Travels with a Sketchbook and Making a Mark (one of my favourites is 10 tips for how to sketch people) – but to actually sketch so beautifully and with such apparent ease takes hundreds of hours of practice, upon which I’ve barely started… so you can see why I’m so very pleased to have received this 'original’ from Katherine herself.

Zion, a Place for Rest and Refuge, plein air from Desiree

Zion a Place for Rest and Reguge, drama in watercolour by Desiree

 This lovely plein air of dramatic cliffs, reflected in the rushing melt water in  Zion National Park, trees catching the light and a terrific sense of place, dropped through my letterbox this morning.   It really catches the drama and scale of the scene, the cliffs towering above.   Her title shows her feelings for this place that come through in the work.   I know what she means with the title - I have the same feeling at the coast.  It's lovely to see all these places that are special to us, so very different with each country.

Desiree describes sitting in  a cold wind, heroically working on this - It was well worth it wasn't it?   :>)

There are great details on the back of the flowers and even park stamps that she has used as a frame for one.  It came through the post safely with not even a smudge or wrinkle.

Her use of watercolour is confident and assured.

A french cafe and croissant

You can imagine how big my grin was when I received this wonderful envelope in the post..it had 'to Liz' written all over it and inside a beautiful card from Ronelle!

She describes her visits for cafe and croissant at her favourite brasserie 'les voyageurs'

"We catch up and share with slow tempo in the days activities that await us, we talk about the weather, always very important of course; we wonder what Sarkozy will be up to next and we stand together in showing our dismay about the rising gas prices! We might then drop in at the fresh market for our veggies and we'll say our goodbyes loudly and cheerfully, invigorated by caffeine and good relationships."

I love that last line! Thanks Ronelle - I love my card and package SOOO much!!!

The first breath of Spring from Robyn

The first morning that felt like Spring, Robyn Sinclair

Robyn has sent me a delicious card, catching that early spring light, the coolness and freshness of it.

She said  

' This was the first morning that felt like Spring. I was enjoying the sun on the bright moss on the tree trunks so I sat down in the olive grove and sketched it for you'

Thank you Robyn - I love it!

Olive groves have a special atmosphere and you've caught it, the season, the light, beautifully.

I like the way that the branches break out of the frame of lines and I'm delighted that it survived its journey unscathed as a 'proper' postcard.

The mix of drawing and colour washes also gels beautifully.

A sketch, a short note and a face on the side of a flower pot. A postcard from Pat

This is my first mailart postcard that I get from California. Great! It shows a tree-shaded road that leads into a forest. And on the back of the Card Pat sketched an antique head on a flower pot. The beautiful stamp from Grand Teton National Park fits perfect!

Many thanks Pat for this spontaneous drawing that you have probably drawn with an ink pen.

Postcards from Ronell

Thank you Ronell!

First I got shocked when I took your envelope out of the mailbox. The people at the post office have had so many other places to stick the labels on but they had to do it right in the center of the image.

But luckily the labels could be easily removed. (before scanning I've put them on my address)

And how surprising there was another card inside in company with some delicious and useful things. One part is already gone... the other one has to wait for proper weather...

I suppose your lovely cards represent some scenes of your home town. You must have a brilliant view over the Loire river. I love the way you sketch and use watercolor. Isn't it great to live next to a river? I enjoy sit on the banks of the Neckar or Rhine River which is a bit further away - always looking for a willow tree. Thank you so much!

Postcard from Victoria, Canada

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church - Charlene Brown 2011

I got my first postcard from Charlene in Victoria, Canada. Its a lovely sketch done in water soluble inks - a medium I've never tried before - which I think has given it a freshness and captures the colours of the buildings really well. I'm away to Google maps to find Victoria and have a look at that part of the world. Also Charlene says the church had an incidental role in the 'Pig War' - the last armed conflict between Canada and the U.S.A. - such an unusual name for a war - in which there seemed to be a stand off with the only casualty being the poor, unfortunate pig!!!

Thankyou Charlene for adding the Happy Chinese New Year stamp - a lovely touch.