Friday, April 13, 2018

Liberate Your Art 2018 Blog Hop and Post Card Swap

Rain Drops on a Scottish Pond
This is the card I sent out for my official LYA 2018 Postcard exchange.
You can read more about the making of this image.

For the past 5 years (or so), I've participated in Kat Sloma's Liberate Your Art Post Card Swap.  The project encourages Creatives to PRINT and reproduce our artwork (bringing it into the world in physical form) and to share it with other Creatives.  Every year, I am amazed at where my post cards wind up -- as if they are my own children with lives of their own.  They see things and go places I've never been, yet they are a part of me making their own way in the world ...  

At the same time, I am pleased to connect with people I've met in other years as part of this exchange.  I recognized some of the names of the artists.  ;-)

The card at the top of this post is the one I sent out this year: One of my favorite images from the past year.  It was so neat to see it professionally printed on nice paper with a shiny finish.  I had a WOW moment there when the cards came back.    I used Moo.com to get them printed.  They always do a fantastic job, and their interface seems to be improving in terms of usability each year.  Get the SMALL postcards for the exchange.  The large ones look gorgeous, but they are too large to be part of the exchange due to extra postage costs.

This year, I decided to send out 5 copies of the same card, as I thought that would make them easier to track out in the world. 
So far, I know that my cards landed in :
1) Flagstaff, Arizona
2) Victoria, Canada
3) Salem, Oregon
4) ?
5) ?

Cards Received in the official swap :
Kat asks that we photograph each postcard in it's new environment, to give an idea of where it landed.  
Birds in Ink - Paradise Parrot from Diane McWhirter 
"To be an artist is to believe in life." -- Henry M.



This textural beauty came from Anne Stuer - in Norway, ME.
"May this year bring you peace of mind, a joyful spirit 
and an abundance of time to create beautiful art!"


Glass Bird of Paradise from Lynne Foerster in Pennsylvania.
"Add a splash of color to your Life."

From Gail Foster in Calgary, Alberta.
"In the woods, we return to reason and faith." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson


From Dorothy Louise in Corvallis, OR.
The Cat Dancer Lady strikes again!  
I thought this one looked very familiar.  
Turns out, I received one very similar to this last year.  
This time, she added the 1/2-face stamp. 


The official card from Kat Sloma, the wonderful organizer of this event. 
"Creativity takes courage" -- Henri Matisse
Framed in a blue heart to show my gratitude for Kat continuing to organize this swap every year.

Every year, I've had the good fortune to do some additional post card exchanges in "side swaps."  Some of these people I met the first year of the exchange (like Snap Lane in Houston).  Others I met through the FaceBook Group, or the blog hop--(like Janice Darby).  Some have stayed on the side swap list every year since.  Some are new this year ...   It's easy to set up a side swap through the FaceBook Group, especially if you like that artist's work.  Many artists print extra postcards just for side swaps.   Want to be added to the list?  Just leave a comment ... 

Additional Cards sent in Side Swaps this year :

These extra side swap cards went to :

Janice Darby in CA
Tammy Wilson in GA
Sheila Delgado in AZ
Sherry Harmes in AK
Lisa Comperry in TX
Terry Owenby in OR
Patsy J. Lawrence in KY
Snap Lane in TX
Val van der Poel in British Columbia, Canada
Anne Stuer in ME
Louise Mamet in France
Chandra Lynn in AL
Kathy McIntire in SC


Additional cards received in the Side Swap this year :

This beautiful "Winging It" Angel came from Janice Darby in California.
She continues to practice art with mixed media.
I am always impressed with what she creates!

 Snap Lane in Houston, TX, is doing mixed media, and sent this lovely cat.
This kitty definitely has presence!

This little bird flew all the way from Oregon.  Rebecca Cozart received one of my cards in the official swap, and she was kind enough to share one of her own with me after we connected.

 "Look to nature for inspiration" -- Green-inspired collage / mixed media card from Sherry Harmes in Alaska. 

From Christine Brooks in Arizona. A perfect languid lagoon response to my Scottish pond at the top of this post.

From Terry Owenby.  She works with vintage handkerchiefs and linen tablecloths.  The actual piece is a work in progress, but makes a lovely postcard.

This last one is from Lisa Comperry in Houston, TX. 
"Friends + Coffee = Happiness"
Plus a little buffalo check plaid!

 From Val van der Poel in British Columbia, Canada. 
"A Veranda for Summer" watercolor.
This looks a lot like a house we lived in in Madison, even from the angle of the hill from the sidewalk.

 From Sheila del Gado in Arizona.

From Tammy Wilson in Jonesboro, GA.
You can visit Tammy's FaceBook page for more photography gems like this one.  

Turnip Greens from Chandra Lynn in Huntsville, AL.
She said there's a garden on the college campus where she works.
This particular week, they had an abundance of turnip greens. ;-)
I had seen this one posted in the FB Group, and I liked it so much I asked Chandra if she had any left for a side swap.  She did!  Reaching out is a wonderful way to widen your community.
Thank you, Chandra!  You're part of the family now!

Mixed Media from Kathy McIntire in Little River, SC.
There's a lot going on here!  She said it started with a magazine image that was Citrasolved, then layers of oil pastels, acrylic, stencils and gelli prints.

Louise Mamet in France sent a photo from Porto, Portugal.


Want to see more?  Kat created a video showcasing the artwork in this year's exchange :

I am always so inspired by the artwork involved in this project.  Enjoy the video!

There is also a Facebook Event Group.
Or use the social media tag #lya2018.

Check out my LYA blog posts from years past.
Thanks for stopping by my corner of the web!

The Blog Hop is happening April 13-15, 2018.

See where your art landed ...  It's kind of like tossing your cards up in the air, and seeing where they landed around the world.  Join us!



Have a wonderfully creative year!


17 comments:

chasing the sun said...

I received your lovely card last evening...I adore the assortment of your work sent out and the beautiful collection you received...My card for you will be sent out today/tomorrow :-) Have a fun blog hop!!

Stephanie said...

Your raindrop card is really lovely. This LYA swap is my favorite.

Suzette Rothlisberger said...

Hello,

I love the postcard you sent out into the world. I've seen it on the Facebook page and thought how lovely and peaceful the image is. I love that you've shared your side swap images and who they went to. It's a good idea so I'll remember it for next time. Take care and I'll see you next time.

Suzette
Notes From the Road

Chandra Lynn said...

I love the card you sent out AND the ones you used in side swaps--and beautiful cards received. Be well!

Mellowood Gallery said...

A wonderful selection of cards - both given and received. You did a great job of displaying your received cards - I always find that a challenge - lol. I am checking out all the blog hop pots and really enjoying this part of the swap. so many wonderful creative people out there!

Sea Dean - Paint a Masterpiece said...

Your blog looks beautiful and so organized. I’m afraid this year I was even busier than usual and I’m still adding to mine even though I posted it Thursday night. Another trip to the ppost box tomorrow and hopefully my two MIA cards will be there to post. See you next year.

Unknown said...

A lovely collection of cards :) I love the raindrops. Hope to see you again next year

lifeneedsart said...

Your card is just beautiful! And I'm really enjoying browsing around your blog. Thanks!

Kelly Warren said...

Beautiful image your shared!

Sheila said...

Such a lovely collection, and I really love your card. Happy creating and see you next LYA :) Keep sharing your art with the world ;)

Unknown said...

Lovely cards!!! I always enjoy seeing your art -- and also reading your blog.

Ma' said...

The cards you received and those you sent are awesome ! I hope to see you next year !

Cathy H. said...

What a beautiful assortment of art! The cards you sent are lovely! I'll have to think about side swapping next year. It sounds like fun!

The Idaho Beauty said...

I'm glad you picked that one which if I remember right was the one I was leaning towards of the ones you were considering. Such a nice collection that you received too,, although after watching the slideshow, there was hardly a one I wouldn't have enjoyed getting. A very talented group! Thanks for sharing them.

Michele Matucheski said...

Hi Michele,

I received your beautiful "apples in a bowl" postcard today! Thank you very much for swapping with me. What medium is that done in?

You had some cold weather last week! We finally had a nice day yesterday in Maine - it reached into the low 70's...

Have a great week!

Anne Stuer :-)

DianeSchuller.com said...

Michele, I love the photo you shared in this year's swap. It's lovely. And what a wonderful collection of postcards received too. I haven't participated in years. Mostly because I was so disappointed that only one person even acknowledged my card. Though I did do private card swaps with a couple people -- you were one. The personal swaps were the best part for me that year.

I'm so pleased you had such a wonderful time with the swap this year.

DianeSchuller.com said...

It's me again -- I meant to also say that I really like how you've photographed each card you received in a complementary place. That was a nice idea Kat had suggested. You did a super job.