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Mail Art Inspired by Mexico

I've been to Sayulita, Mexico several times. I've taken photos there each time, but they just sat in my storage or album on Flickr. On my last trip, took a few photos, but I also made art!


I was inspired by Tansy Hargan (@palimpsestparade) to prep a Strathmore 400 Series, softcover sketchbook with tan toned paper for "thumbnail" sketching and collage during my trip.


You see, I had taken a workshop with Tansy at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, near where I live. She shared her thumbnail sketchbooks, and showed us how she creates these sketches and collages. She uses a view finder in order to see differently. And it really is a new way to look at your surroundings. It is focused and detailed and you can more deeply experience a place. I just knew I had to create thumbnail sketches and collages while I was in Sayulita!


Before I went in February (it seems ages ago, now!), I printed out some of my Sayulita photos, small enough to use easily in a thumbnail collage. Tansy shared her technique for creating the collages: Lay down two-sided tape in the thumbnail box, and then pull up the backing to adhere your collage on the go!


I brought some other supplies, and with my sketchbook grids and tape installed, everything took up less space than the books and iPad I also brought (and never looked at!). It was very enjoyable and truly inspired!

I decided to make similar collages as my postcards for iHanna's Spring DIY Postcard Swap. I printed out my photos again, this time a little larger. I made lots of art papers inspired by the project: I had made some papers by just randomly dropping, dripping, splattering, and scraping acrylic paint, ink, and watercolor. Then, over the course of a couple months, I used up extra paint and ink, or cleaned off my stencils onto these papers. I made some other collage material by just doodling and making marks with Tombow pens, acrylic inks, and pastels onto some thin paper.

I gathered a bunch of magazine cut-outs that were in my stash, curating them into a selection that mirrored the colors, patterns, and themes in my papers and photographs. I also decided to include some of the leftover loteria (Mexican Bingo board) images I had from one of my Wanderlust 2020 classes.

It was so fun creating these cards. I made over 30 of them! I was able to send 10 to my swappers, 10 more to winners of a Wanderlust 2020 Giveaway, and a few to friends. I have some originals to keep or send later. I scanned them all, of course! I will create sets of Moo-printed cards to sell in my Etsy shop, so that anyone can get a little Sayulita in their mailbox.


Thanks for reading! If you'd like to see the process of creating these cards, check out this video that is on my YouTube channel:




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