I closed the SWAP group earlier this year; just too many years of wrangling a list of 40 members. After a little chatting about future swaps and who would be willing to run them, one of our regular members, Cathy Geha, has agreed to moderate the group in a new venture = a postcard swap. It should be fun and less work for any one person (everyone agrees to mail out 1-2 postcards each month beginning in December until they send a postcard to everyone on the list; and they keep track of their sending and such). All each person has to do it mail their postcards and share a photo or scan of the postcards they get with the group.
I'm going to be just a regular member this time. We are going to run it for a year so everyone has a chance to send and receive a postcard from everyone in the group - a membership of about 24 is our limit.
So...I just had to buy a couple of books of the Arches postcards.
Why am I telling you this when the group is, basically, closed to new members this first year?
Because I am wondering if you've ever tried the postcards? They seemed SO SMALL when I opened the package from Cheap Joe's - only 4" x 6" - but that's our size requirement (it is, afterall, a postcard swap, not a painting swap).
I'm thinking I'll draw on each blank side lightly in pencil, then maybe add some waterproof ink and then watercolor for a dash of color. Then I'll spray seal it with acrylic spray so it doesn't bleed or smear in the mail. (Members can paint in any watermedia but they should make sure their painting doesn't disappear with mail handling so spray sealing is a good thing.
I'm looking forward to the postmarks and stamps from foreign countries!
The back is already marked for a short comment, and the address and stamp.
I'm already thinking about what to paint - perhaps info about what I'm reading and an illustration of it, or the birds I see around the feeder this time of year, etc.
What would you send on your postcard? Here are some fabulous postcards being created and shared by the Sketchercize group on their blog called A Postcard From My Walk.
I'm going to be just a regular member this time. We are going to run it for a year so everyone has a chance to send and receive a postcard from everyone in the group - a membership of about 24 is our limit.
So...I just had to buy a couple of books of the Arches postcards.
Why am I telling you this when the group is, basically, closed to new members this first year?
Because I am wondering if you've ever tried the postcards? They seemed SO SMALL when I opened the package from Cheap Joe's - only 4" x 6" - but that's our size requirement (it is, afterall, a postcard swap, not a painting swap).
I'm thinking I'll draw on each blank side lightly in pencil, then maybe add some waterproof ink and then watercolor for a dash of color. Then I'll spray seal it with acrylic spray so it doesn't bleed or smear in the mail. (Members can paint in any watermedia but they should make sure their painting doesn't disappear with mail handling so spray sealing is a good thing.
I'm looking forward to the postmarks and stamps from foreign countries!
The back is already marked for a short comment, and the address and stamp.
I'm already thinking about what to paint - perhaps info about what I'm reading and an illustration of it, or the birds I see around the feeder this time of year, etc.
What would you send on your postcard? Here are some fabulous postcards being created and shared by the Sketchercize group on their blog called A Postcard From My Walk.
8 comments:
wow!!! i cant believe there is something fun that has to do with art that i haven't seen or bought.. but this is one!!! what fun.. sounds like a nice idea and group you have going... thanks for sharing, need to go check these out.....
I've used the postcards for years and have been using them to make my own birthday cards for friends and family. I personally love them and I too spray finish them for protection in the mail. They are fabulous! What a fun thing to do (the postcard group)! I have a hard enough time getting one piece done a month, let alone two! LOL Hope you enjoy the venture!
Cindi, there is always something out there we haven't tried! ha ha
Sherry, thanks, glad you like them. I have some initial drawings started on 4 of them already and will do some painting this weekend. I like to have some done ahead of time and it seems like once you get on a roll, you should just keep going in case you hit a dry spell later. Painting this small, you can focus on single objects like apples, pears, shoes, whatever comes to mind.
Ain't it great that they already come ready to mail with that set up in teh back? It's going to be so much fun to do all those postcards and since there're no restrictions of medium I can picture you experimenting a lot, hope we get to see them as the swap goes on :D
Great idea and not too big to get done monthly. Subject for me currently would be to let people abroad see how beautiful this county of Norfolk is in England's East Anglia, with coast line, countryside, rivers and interesting little old fashioned towns. I'd probably do my pen and watercolour, which series this year has been so successful for me.
Teresa, I like that they're ready to go - just paint something, seal it and send it!
Joan, yes, painting your part of the world would be a great theme for these postcards - small and easy to do quickly.
You should love this project! I'm always oggling and ooooing over the Postcards from my Walk postings :)
Pam, I love looking at that blog and all the great postcards, too. I've found, so far, that it's hard to paint loosely when painting this small!
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