Category Archives: Postcards

L.Y.A. #5 And A Mingus Moment

 

 

Mingus 4-7-17. 6 x 6 watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2017 Sheila Delgado

Mingus 4-7-17. 6 x 6 watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2017 Sheila Delgado

The last LYA postcard arrived today. The last of the official swap that is. Our hostess Kat Sloma has sent her cards out, and that should arrive in the next few days. She will début her video collection, and next weekend is the blog hop.

LYA 2017 #5, Chrisann Risser, Cherries.

LYA 2017 #5, Chrisann Risser, Cherries.

This lovely photo is just one of many that Chrisann Risser has in her portfolio.  Color, black and white, sepia. Clouds, tulips, sunsets. I really enjoyed visiting Chrisann’s part of the world through her photographs. (I am guessing Canada, not sure though.) Cherries are my favorite. Each year for my birthday, we have cherry pie instead of cake. These cherries, with their snow caps on, bring a smile to my face.

Chrisann added on the back:

Great art picks up where nature ends.
Marc Chagall

Thank you Chrisann for sharing your photography with me! I am so happy to have received your postcard! Thanks for including the link so I could see more of your fabulous work!

It was a good day all around. I also received a surprise package from Christine Brooks. Christine is taking part in LYA,  and we have exchanged postcards outside of LYA as well.

Surprise package from Christine Brooks.

Surprise package from Christine Brooks.

Christine gifted me with a fun card I can sign and forward to a friend. There is a yellow flower and butterfly card, hand-made, with a sweet and encouraging message. She wrapped several blank postcards in a ribbon, and included a beautiful original watercolor. On top of all that, she found a sunflower zipper bag. She said it reminded her of my art, and she hopes I can find a use for it.

Of course I can find a use for it! It is small, but large enough for a small sketch pad, pencils and even a travel watercolor palette! Just what I needed! Thank you Christine for thinking of me!! Your surprise brightened my day!

 

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy,
they are the charming gardeners
who make our souls blossom.

Marcel Proust

 

 

 

 

 

A Postcard And A Plant

 

 

Small Blue Pot. 6 x 6 watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2017 Sheila Delgado

Small Blue Pot. 6 x 6 watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2017 Sheila Delgado

This was just a bit of fun before bed. I placed Linda’s postcard in this plant for show and tell on the LYA Facbook page. Gave me the idea to paint the pot. I used a sea sponge and some yellow to create the plant shapes. Next I used my waterbrush and added some blues to the wet paint, letting them mingle on the paper.

LYA Postcard #4 has arrived. This came to me from Linda Yeatman in Reston Virginia. Linda is a mixed media artist. I just love the intricate details. This butterfly looks as if it is made out of jewels. I really love Linda’s use of white space as well. I’m not sure, but I think this card is an original.

 

LYA 2017 #4, Linda Yeatman, Butterfly.

LYA 2017 #4, Linda Yeatman, Butterfly.

Linda included this on the back:

Art enables us to find ourselves
and lose ourselves at the same time.

So true.
Linda, your card was such a nice surprise!
I am so glad you liberated your art!
Thank you!

 

 

While we have the gift of life,
it seems to me the only tragedy
is to allow part of us to die
– whether it is our spirit,
our creativity
or our glorious uniqueness.
Gilda Radner

 

 

 

 

 

 

More LYA Goodness

 

 

Mingus in March.

Mingus in March.

 

This view of Mingus was taken a few days ago. I looked up, and was blown away at the sight of that humongous cloud crowning the mountains. Glorious!

One side swap card, and one regular LYA postcard arrived. I love them both! Kat Sloma suggested we get creative with our postcard placement, when showing them in the Facebook group. My placement isn’t grand, but it is very fitting for both postcards.

The first arrival is a sweet and sparkly sea scene. This side swap is handmade by Trang Kang in Texas. I know you can’t see the pearlescent glitter, but it looks as if the water is glistening.  magical! When Trang and I agreed to side swap, she asked me what sorts of things I like. I had no idea that I was going to get a hand-made card.  I have another shell to add to my collection Trang! Thank you!

 

LYA #3, Black and White Meditations #1, David Wolanski. Seashells and Pearls, Trang Kang 2017

LYA #3, Black and White Meditations #1, David Wolanski. Seashells and Pearls, Trang Kang 2017

 

Trang included this beautiful message, written in sparkling turquoise on the back of the card:

May your spirit always be bathed in oceans of sunshine and may your soul contain treasures of peace, love and joy glimmering brighter than all the seashells and pearls.

Now how can you not smile while reading that! Thank you Trang for this beautiful reminder of why I love San Diego, the sea, the sand, and sea shells! And I love the recycled gift wrap envelope. A present! It looked like spring at first glance to me!

Part of the fun of this postcard swap is finding connections between senders and recipients. My connection with Trang is that I was born in Abilene Texas. I love Texas, even though I have only been there a few times. I lived there until I was 6 months old, but I can’t really tell you too much about it. LOL.

The photo card is from David Wolanksi. This is  #3, and the third card I have received from David during this swap! (You can see the first two here.) It is a signed and numbered, Black and White Meditations #1 Limited Edition Postcard series, 7 of 25. Now I have a Wolanski Trio!

David explains:

” I love this photo! I did down in the Mississippi Delta. In a restaurant that was at least 50 years old! Flaws and all!”

Thank you David for sharing your fabulous photography with me! Again! I can just make out the old dining chairs, trimmed with metal brads. I love old things! Places, buildings, homes, trees, books, history.

Midget Dictionaries, Burgess & Bowes, LTD., London. Printed in Belgium.

Midget Dictionaries, Burgess & Bowes, LTD., London. Printed in Belgium.

This was my inspiration for my postcard placement. Something old. I tried to think of the oldest thing I own. What came to mind was my vanity table. About 50 years old, when I bought it in 1984. And a set of travel translation dictionaries I found in an antique shop in Santa Barbara.

I am a sucker for old books. And these are in prime condition.

I think of someone like rose Dawson (Titanic) carrying them with her as she traveled the world in style.  There is no publish date in the books. But I did find some online that are similar from 1933.  A set in a box close to this is for sale on Ebay for £70!! ( I paid less than $20.)

These little books are roughly the size of an ATC. The pages have decorative edges, resembling cow hide. Each volume has 25,000 to 30,000 words and “dialogues for all occasions.” They also include photographic terms!

Thank you David, for sending me on this short journey to learn more about my books. I confess, I had not looked them up before. Now I have visions of Antique Roadshow running through my head! They might be worth hundreds! But no matter. They are not for sale. I might need them on my next world cruise!

 

Photography

Believe it or not, the second time I opened the book, it was to the page above. “Photography”

 

As you can see, changes are afoot here on my site. I have put in about 40 hours in the last few days. Long overdue. Seemed like for every item I crossed off the list, I wrote down two more. I added galleries, cleaned up the sidebar. Created widgets. “Freshened” just about everything.

Still a few details to take care of. But Whew! I think I might take a break for today!