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The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest ~ Sir Thomas Moore ~


hOMe is where the heART is …


Monday, October 27, 2014

Whimsy & Woodland Walks ...

~You've Got Mail~

For those who love writing (and receiving)  letters as I do, You've Got Mail is  now available in my little Etsy shop. A whimsical 8.5" x 11" print.
~*~
 "Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds"

I love snail mail, always have. Emails are wonderfully convenient and fast, but there is, and always will be something so lovely about finding a card in the mailbox and sitting with it in your hand. Reading the handwritten words from a friend and loved one is good for the soul.

Creating cards, writing cards, taking a little extra time to personalize each one, adding a stamp and sending it on its journey ~ I take great pleasure in each and every step.

You've Got Mail pays homage to the art of letter writing. From Air Mail to Snail Mail.

Sparrow wears a blue jacket with red pocket, and carries a satchel with red and white polka dot strap and black buckle. Always ready for inclement weather , Sparrow wears wellington boots for those long routes and stylish walking. And just look at all those lovely letters and postcards.
Once Sparrow has flown them in from far away places, snail, who represents a slower pace of living, will take over.
Someone is in for a lovely surprise ♥
Also added to the shop today are 2 more additions to my © Women of the Woods Series.
The Aviary Keeper & Wide Eyed Wonderment.
I am always fascinated with legends and Legend of Wood Spirits is one that has always resonated with me.
~*~
~Legend of Wood Spirits~
It has been told, that wood carvers from many cultures look for an image, such as a face or animal seen embedded into the grain of the wood, and then, through their carvings, work to free it.
Throughout history, various cultures believe that these Spirits inhabit the trees of the forest.
some believe that these Wood Spirits have been living within the tree from the very beginning bringing luck and blessings to those who find shelter within them.
  This legend along with calm woodland walks with Archer served as my inspiration.  I remember the first  painting I did, long before I thought of doing a series of paintings. It seemed to appear out of nowhere ... a face out of the tree ... branches representing hair.
 My sketchbooks are not very big due to the fact that I more often than not, take out a sheet of watercolour paper and draw, rarely erasing anything! What I draw is what  I paint.  So when I was continually drawing images as though they were tree spirits I realized that I had a series of prints :-)
A friend mentioned a month or so ago, that one of my prints appeared "smudged".  I had to go back and look at the original and then it dawned on me.  Tree Spirit! ... I have painted the faces as though they have emerged from the bark of a tree ...each face will have blotches and crevices, colour variations ~ just like the bark of a tree ♥
I would like my pictures
 to look as if a human being had passed between them,
like a snail
leaves its slime.
~Francis Bacon~

14 comments:

Blondie's Journal said...

I know you must be feeling a bit melancholy with Tom retiring, he sounds like a really sweet man and so dedicated to his job. We had a woman mail carrier for a very long time and she left me a note one day saying her route had been changed and she would miss us. I was so surprised, as my dog turns into a ferocious beast when any sort of delivery person comes to the door! I gave her a little gift on her last day and I truly miss her. She and Tom make receiving the mail every day so enjoyable. And I hear you on sending and receiving letters and cards. I think many of us do, so let's be hopeful emails don't completely take over!

I am really loving your Women of the Woods series. I do see what you mean about the faces flowing right from the bark. The perfect gift for nature lovers, or to gift one's self! :)

Jane xx

Country Gal said...

Lovely art cards ! unfortunately daily mail delivery to your door in Canada in Ontario any ways will be no longer now it is community mail boxes all in one place sad but true as the e-mail is taking over . . Thanks for sharing , Have a good week !

Seawashed said...

It's funny because I become friends with the mailmen and women. Ours change often. I wish they didn't. I was very sad last Summer when I inquired of one mail lady that I had not seen in months to find out that she had passed. I cried upon the news. It was a strange feeling because I would never be able to tell her that I will miss her. I did not know she had cancer. So I understand why you will miss your mailman.

Your artwork is all so lovely and uniquely yours. I hope you are enjoying your etsy shop! xxo

Jeanne said...

More than words letters mingle souls...........Door to door mail delivery will soon be a thing of the past.

I too love mail . Blessings. I love all you share
Jeanne

La Table De Nana said...


We get our mail at the end of our street in boxes..
In fact door to door even in Mtl may become a thing of the past.
Times change..
Your art is lovely:)

kristieinbc said...

The print is lovely, and so is the story of the retiring postman. It was like that where I grew up. The mail lady knew everyone, and when she drove up our lane to deliver a parcel she would stop and chat for a few minutes.

Deb said...

jane, thank you for your lovely note - I so enjoyed reading about your mail carrier who sounds just like ours. archer is definitely my "guard dog" too and we always knew when Tom was approaching as the hall rug ended up in the living room :-)
thank you for your kind comment regarding Women of the Woods ~ I absolutely love painting them ♥

Deb said...

hi Elaine ~ yes, delivery will soon be a thing of the past. ironically, we started off with a community box, then it was removed and we received door to door delivery and now we are going full circle and back to the boxes :-(

Deb said...

hello Kerrie ~ I am so sorry to hear the news of your lovely mail carrier ... seeing them day to day forms a friendship doesn't it.
thank you for your kind comment ...yes I am loving the shop ...still learning ...but wonder what took me so long now that I have started ♥

Deb said...

dear Jeanne ~ sadly it will soon be a thing of the past. blessings to you ♥

Deb said...

hello Monique ~ yes ...changes.
thank you for always stopping by and leaving lovely notes ♥

Deb said...

thank you Kristie ~ I have loved hearing about every ones mail carrier stories ...we all feel the same. our friends mail carrier brought dog biscuits with her and their Labrador would wait anxiously every morning for the mail...if there was none to deliver, she would still stop by to hand out the biscuit as not to disappoint ♥

Julie Marie said...

Oh Deb, your You've got mail painting is my favorite of all!... adorable!... when I was a little girl, our mailman was just like your Tom... because we were so rural, our mail came to our big old mail box at the street... our mailman was kind and jolly, always took the time to chat, and my mama tried to be out there when he came, often giving him a cookie hot out of the oven or something cool to drink on a hot Summers day... we always bought him something special at Christmas... and back then, there was no UPS or FED EX or any of those, so he worked long hard days over the holidays, often coming back two or three times in a day to make sure everyone got their Christmas cards and packages... when my mama passed away 32 years ago, much too young... he had retired by then, but he came to her funeral... and we all hugged and cried... so I know what you are feeling about Tom... maybe you could send HIM a card in the mail?... xoxo... Julie Marie PS LOVE all of your gorgeous Wood Spirits too... I am a believer...

Deb said...

hi Julie marie - such lovely memories you have of your mail carrier ♥ we did give Tom a hand written note inside his Retirement Card with a little "just because" gift inside :-) I know he will really miss Archer's daily hello :-)
thank you for your kind, supportive comments ~ I treasure them.