Postcard love

Postcard love
On Aug. 8, I wrote at length in this column in encouragement of sending postcards, especially homemade ones that make use of recycled materials. I challenged readers to make creative recycled-material postcards and send them to me. I received quite a few in response—some of them very touching, like the one I wrote about in last week’s GreenHouse, made from wood and sent to me by Oroville resident Diane Beers.

This week I offer three other wonderful examples of the cards I received. First off is one sent to me by local “splatter-dash” painter Frankie Brown who, as it turns out, was featured in a CN&R story by Arts Editor Jason Cassidy called “A messy picture” (CN&R, Nov. 11, 2006). Brown’s colorful postcard is basically a miniature painting that includes bits of gold foil amid the bright splatters of paint adorning it—sort of Jackson Pollock meets Gustav Klimt (minus an image of a beautiful woman).

“Hope you like this card,” Brown wrote. “I’ve been doing splatter-dash art since 1979. If Jackson Pollock was still alive, he’d probably be saying similar.”

Next, I present an inspirational one from a woman who signed her name as simply Alexandra, featuring a dancing woman, a cute dog and a skunk writing a letter, as well as the words “Dancing into Nirvana” and “Write outside the margins.”

“Thought I’d send along my postcard ‘creation’ per your invitation,” Alexandra wrote. “The card stock is from a box of cat-food pouches, the paper backing is the unused side of some junk mail we received.”

And finally, here is Richard Beers’ postcard made from what looks to be a decades-old photograph of a man (Beers?) seemingly holding up Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa.

“Before the advent of digital photography,” he wrote, “I used to develop photos while traveling and send them to friends and family … as postcards.

“I once sent a one-foot-by-two-foot paper bath mat, with a cartoon and hotel ID emblazoned across it, across several states as a giant postcard. I wrote my message on the back, and was surprised and gratified that a ‘postcard’ that in no way met federal size restrictions was tolerated and delivered!

“Sadly, postcard/letter writing is an underappreciated art.”

I agree with Beers, and am glad that there are folks in this world who do appreciate the art of the postcard. Thank you.

Take note
Beyond Violence Alliance’s Diane Suzuki-Brobeck is presenting a free workshop called “Exploring the Roots of Violence” on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 1:30-5:30 p.m., in Selvester’s Café on the Chico State campus. Call 518-9122 for more info.