Postcard Salon: Muskegon Museum of Art - Feb. 23 - March 9

Postcard #1: Leaf on Maroon Water

I love working on this small-scale 4"x6" postcard size and each year challenge myself to a new group of 5 cards.

Postcard #2:  Four Leaves

This year's postcards are my mono printed leaves on either cotton or acetate muslin with embroidery.

Postcard #3:  One Leaf Floating

Most of the work is done on a plexiglass plate with textile paint, and a brayer pulled through the paint for the organic lines.

Postcard #4:  Three Floating Leaves

Beech and elm leaves are my favorite because of their very 3-D veins.  These are placed on the plexiglass and paint and the brayer run over them, picking up paint (or you can put the leaf down first before you pull the paint down the plate with the brayer).

Postcard #5:  Leaves Under Water

The leaves can then be picked up from the plate and laid on fabric (cover with more fabric) and brayered (two prints created on top and bottom).  Then either lay a piece of fabric on the plate, or pick up the plate and put it on fabric (I find the latter way much easier and accurate).  So much fun and experimentation!

Then comes the fun of stitching it and subtlety here is the key.  Most of the stitching is only using one strand of embroidery floss and embroidered just enough to inform the viewer and have them step closer and closer to get a very intimate experience of the surface.

Thursday, March 9, 5:30pm is the reception (great food!) and at 7pm is the sale of the postcards.  I love this event before anyone (anyone!) can enter up to 5 postcards, even children, without a cost to them, and see their work displayed at the museum.  Each postcard is sold for $30, with $15 going to the artist and $15 to the museum.  It's a fabulous way to begin anyone's journey in the world of Art.