Postcard from Pat

I can't really call this a postcard from Pat as in reality it is 10x8" and is so exquisite it needs to be framed and hung on a wall! The scan doesn't really do all the colours in this card justice but it shimmers with warm Californian sunshine and the darks lead you into the distance and draw you along this beautiful path.

Pat's great sense of humour comes across with these gorgeous little painted stamps on the back!

As if all that wasn't enough, there is also a fabulous pen and watercolour sketch on the envelope! Thank you so much, Pat!

Warmth from South Africa on a snowy day

Cathy Gatland - trees she regularly passes

This lovely study of warm sunlight with its contrasting deep shadow arrived from South Africa, bringing some lush sunshine into my day. :>)

And more sunshine on the reverse with delicately observed fallen blossoms and pretty stamps of wildlife.

There's a lovely, unfussy use of watercolour to catch the growth, the flowers and the light with the drama of contrasts handled beautifully.

And such  lovely neat calligraphy - unlike my illegible scrawl!

The splash of warmth was extra welcome as our garden is currently under a few inches of snow.  The house tiger is on the bedroom windowsill watching, fascinated.

My last cards go off on Monday - so sad that it's all coming to an end.  The time has simply flown by.   I now have a collection of delicious cards from all over the globe :>)

Growth and Transcience in Nature

A truly stunning card from Albrecht. I would be delighted to receive just one of Albrecht's pencil sketches but now I have two and both are equally beautiful! On the front is coloured pencil drawing with the words 'Growth and transcience in nature. On the way to Holy Mountain (Heiligenberg)'.

On the back, another very delicate sketch from Heidelberg. I'm at a loss to describe how lovely this card is but I think you'll agree it speaks for itself! Thank you so much Albrecht!

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 Favourite View

"My favourite view in the whole house, a corner view over my spa tub.  This view encourages lots of daily soakings!"   These are Desiree's words, and wow, with a tree like this to gaze at, I'd happily be ensconced in the spa tub all day.  What a glorious colour! This is a pistache tree and it's leaves were this lovely flaming pink / gold a few weeks ago.  It's not a tree I'm familiar with.  I guess it likes the mild climate of California rather than the vagaries of English weather! 

Desiree says her husband had threatened to rip the tree out, because it doesn't always colour up like this.  The tree must have overheard the threat and fearing for it's life, burst forth this autumn like never before.  The tree is now saved!  Thank goodness, otherwise I'd never have had the pleasure of receiving such a gem!

Pagoda in Katharine's local park

I have not even looked for Katherine’s signature on her postcard. The beautiful drawing of a park in her neighborhood with a pagoda could only have been drawn by her. It is her unique artistc style.

I used a magnifying glass to see what Katherine has used first. The red felt pen. Right? The red lines give the drawing a warm expression as in the postcards that we all cherish.

Even the colors of the stamps are matching those in her drawing!

Thank you Katherine so much for the beautiful card.

Stunning Autumn Glory at Sheffield Park

This card needs no words.  Enjoy!   I certainly am.  It's genuinely tremendous!!

Thank you so much Katherine.  I have been studying it carefully working out the technique.  The delicate interlace of pen and coloured pencil works brilliantly.

Lucky me!

If you'd like to know more about the wonders of Sheffield Park see Katherine's recent posts on her sketchbook blog:

• Autumn Colour at Sheffield Park
• An Indian Summer (and ice lakes) at Sheffield Park

Trees in Scotland - a golf ball catch

Bridget Hunter sent me a nice card with a tree grove in typical Scottish colors. She critically reflects her latest ambitions in playing golf which at present mainly seems to be an excuse to have coffee and a giggle at the club house after a couple of golf balls have been buried between the tree trunks. She calls that exercise.

I think that it is this tabooless exchange of international customs that contributes a lot to the excitement in this postcard exchange. I am impressed by the quality of the gouache which arrived here in perfect condition. Thanks Bridget and good luck with golfing :).

Jacaranda blossom viewing at Johannesburg

Thank you Cathy for this nice card with Jacaranda trees in full bloom at the beginning of November. The Jacaranda tree was imported from South America about 100 years ago to South Africa. The pink spot in the background are Bougainvillea bloming at the same time.

The flowers of the Jacaranda tree fall constantly like rain, Cathy says on the card, and gardeners have a hard time to clean their pavements. The whole spectacle seems to last only for a short period of time until everything is green again. I feel very lucky that it was my turn to get a November postcard documenting the bloom of Jacaranda trees at Johannesburg.

By the way: Johannesburg is said to be the city with the largest man made forest with six million trees in public parcs and on private property. It is worth while to google a bit about Johannesburg and Jacaranda trees!

Liquid graphite from Pat

 

Yesterday this beautiful monochrome experiment with graphite watercolour arrived from Pat,  There are lots of subtleties of tone that sadly my scanner is refusing to pick up without overdarkening the darks,

Pat you've caught the light in woodland beautifully with this - it's so much like walking through our local woods with those lovely patches of mystery where you can hardly tell what's going on, and the intensely backlit leaves, silhouetted against darker foliage behind.

I have some water soluble graphite pencils but can see that this is another thing to add to my wish list!

and on the reverse

Sadly these little studies don't scan well but they are really lovely with subtlety and lost edges. 

A beautiful tree and a bit of the Californian Hills

I am so excited to received this stunning card from Pat - for days the card has been sitting popped up on my computer(a reminded to scan and post!) and I have been admiring the seemingly effortless way she draws trees! It has been such a treat to be looking at it for the last week now

And then when I picked it up to scan I suddenly remembered that this was only half of it...look what is on the back- beautiful blues, purple, cream and yellows!
thank you Pat! I love it!

Something Very British In Germany! .....(summer weather)

I received this wonderful depiction of brooding, dark clouds from Martin in Germany which he painted at the end of July.  On the reverse he wrote
        "It seems we have a very British summer this year.

         Lots of clouds, rain and cold, which now travel to you by card."

Looking out of my window right now it's absolutely bucketing down and Martin I blame you! The rain clouds have definitely followed your card here!  Obviously your painting is just too realistic! I love it though, especially the bright of the lush grass against the shadow of the cloud.  

Martin I do hope you have had some sunny days since you painted this.  On the other hand sunny scenes produce far less dramatic, interesting paintings.  So in a way, I am glad it rained on you,...... I got to benefit with this super card! 

A willow tree at the river Neckar

Late, but not too late hopefully, I post this wonderful postcard with line drawings by Albrecht Rissler. On the front there is a stunning drawing of a willow tree at the river Neckar, on the backside you can see views of Heidelberg. I guess Albrecht did the drawings with his Tombow pen.
Once I had the pleasure to see how Albrecht's hand would move over the paper like a human high speed plotter knitting a landscape in a most varied line grid.

Thank you very much Albrecht for this generous gift!