Art and Rants

Still doing projects with Matte Gel and acrylic paints.

Mail Call

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This is on a canvas board, 9 x 11. It's mixed media and collage, with postage stamps from New Zealand on the left. A rubber stamped image of an envelope is under the gel. I didn't like the letters with just the white image, so I darkened them and I think it's better that way. Media includes acrylic paint, matte gel, oil pastels and Micron pens. It will probably be used later in another project, maybe some assemblage of some kind, or as a journal cover.

Far Away

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This postcard was made using leftover paint, an old photo (person unknown) and various mixed media. It was sent out to another mail artist in IUOMA.

Boy the past few days have been stressful! We stopped down the road at the horse stable and purchased some organic compost about 10 days ago. The guy was supposed to deliver it the next day. Next day he didn't show. John went down a day or two later, couldn't find him, no one was there. Then he was able to catch him, the guy promised it would be here the next day; next day, nope. We went through this once more, he had excuses and apologies. Still no delivery. If we hadn't already purchased the plants, which need to get in the ground, we would have started looking for other resources. Today, on the way to buy a microwave (details later), we stopped by there again. His truck was out of gas. I said a few pointed words and he promised to be here to day. And he was!! Even brought a second load as an apology.

The microwave ...... we have been in this house for 5 years. It was newly built when we purchased it. We have had to replace an A/C unit (from the original small house which had been torn down) and the dishwasher, now the microwave; the doorbell fell apart, the plumbing leaks in places, the drains have worn out in the bathtubs, under the back and front door the weather stripping is falling out and the sill is cracking. The light fixtures in the kitchen have dropped to the floor, scaring us and the dogs. Tiles have come up in the downstairs bathroom floor and on the kitchen counters. The wood floor wasn't sealed properly, so where the dining room chairs sit, it's worn down to bare wood. There are no sound buffers, and the stairs going to the 2nd floor groan badly as you walk up them. The outside light for the driveway can only be turned on if you go into the garage, so it's pitch black at night. The windows leak air. The 3rd outside door, which we hardly use, is very poorly sealed and we had to add tape to seal out the cold air this winter. The toilets are cheap and hard to flush, and there is only 1 A/C vent in the 3rd floor room, making it pretty hot up there in the summer. OK, I'll stop there. :)

But, on the plus side, it seems well insulated. And we do live in the country so it's usually quiet and pretty. And the porches are wide.

But I just had to get that off my chest. It seems the life span of many things used to build this house is about 5 years. That's frustrating when it's a new house. ARRGH!!!!

On a positive note - we did get our tax worksheets finished and they will be sent off to the accountant tomorrow! Yay!!

And, it's SPRING!

Come see my latest postcards I've received on Postcards Buffet!