Cutouts

Sturdy layers of hidden meaning...

Is it a map, a diagram, architecture, instructional brochure, historical setting, geographical place

?

And on the front:

Lemons! Which are growing in abundance in my back yard as well. I just read about an art project where you get a map and close your eyes and point your finger on a spot. Then you go to that spot and document it with drawings, photos, whatever. Your art is the result. This is like geographical spot-mapping art, but it came in the mail. And there's lemons, which I love. I will always embrace geography and lemons as subject matter.

I sent you one right away because it came together without a lot of thought or planning. Speedy.

Money in the Mail

I don't know that I've gotten cash in the mail for quite some time. Possibly since the 1970s. There have been the pseudo-checks now and again that try to get me to buckle under for some sort of scam, but no cash in many years. So, this was a happy surprise! Annnnd...it's back in my court and I must admit that I am a bit stumped as to what to do next. Now that I have more time (ahem) it seems as if I have less than ever. Today I went out for lunch with some friends from work and we had such a good time, four hours slipped by and we still weren't done hanging out. And then my day had gotten away from me and all my best laid plans to work on stuff were postponed for another day. Funny how that happens...it's like those freeways where you think you'll have more room if you build more lanes but then more traffic mysteriously shows up and clogs the freshly flattened asphalt and snarls the roads anew...this makes little sense...it would be nice if money behaved the same way that traffic does. Or maybe it does...hmmm, taking that analogy to its logical conclusion, you make more money (lanes) and suddenly there are more things (cars) that present themselves to be bought with your newly minted dough (driven on new pavement)...so, ok, I guess money does behave similarly to traffic. OK, for sure I am rambling now. But continuing on with my ridiculous comparisons, maybe money and time have an inverse relationship? Which could be a good situation for me...maybe now that I will have less money yet more time, I won't be able to spend as much? Or maybe I will have to stretch and or enlarge my coins* to make them go further, in which case, this penny is the perfect solution. And while I have you here reading my whacked ramblings, did John ever tell you the pennies story from his trip to India? I was going to put the word "pennies" where the asterisk is but thought better of it when suddenly I remembered our friend's fabled story. If you don't know the tale, you might ask him to recount it for you. You will never think of pennies the same way.

Patterns in the Mail

Handcrafted mail offerings are down, way down. Reversing this mail pattern, here is a pattern in the mail. It's a pattern and it makes a pattern and it is a pattern in the mail.

From 1982 it came

Coincidentally when I got this, I was, yes you guessed it, looking at patterns online and in Photoshop. I was looking at Greek-vase patterns, to be precise. Simple borders. Simplicity patterns.

Bird with Crown

I am so sorry it's taken me this long to post. This week has been so surreal. And your painting is also surreal. There is so much beauty here. And you are so very consistent that I must tell you that you should think about doing more painting. Look again at your painting of the Woman in White. There is another one here that I cannot remember the title of, but if you will look at those two and then at this one, you will see what I mean. There is a hauntedness, an otherworldly quality to these paintings.

Half Mail / Half Ant - MANT

I salute you.

I mean, this is a masterpiece. And it got through, no problem.

Proof.

As suggested, I played with scale. It's interactive.

This guy can't believe it and looks a little nervous.

But I cherish MANT.

Call back!

How did you manage this? I had no idea there was going to be a part two, let alone that I was dealing with a to-be-continued situation. I apologize profusely for the long delay in posting this assortment of cuteness extraordinaire. Here goes:

I love that side-eye from Dirk. Nellie looks skeptical. But what are those mysterious lines on the back of the Kitty Cat Cards? Let's see what happens when we put both packs of cards, Series 1 and 2, together:

A fish! That is some long-range planning! How did you plan this? Was it intentional? It had to be. To keep me on my toes, no doubt. And, while I'm on the topic of planning (and digits), I've got my next one all planned out but not assembled just yet. Maybe next week. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it makes it through the mails. Yes, you too, Nellie.

Pieta - 1980s

Look, I found my old photo of Ed being very arty and very 80s. The irony, the pathos, the historical reference for no discernible reason--this makes me feel young again.

And yes, I used to wear that union suit as jammies because I was very fashion forward, as you know.