We bought a bunch of those blank postcards from the Postal Service, and she used ballpoint pen and watercolor. We sketched everything on postcards as we went, and sent them off to our friends and family.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Illustrated Postcards
Here's a postcard from 1983 by my wife Jeanette. Right after we got married, we bought an old 1972 Ford Econoline camper van and tried to take all the smaller highways across the USA from Los Angeles to the east coast and back. We went to 17 art museums along the way.
We bought a bunch of those blank postcards from the Postal Service, and she used ballpoint pen and watercolor. We sketched everything on postcards as we went, and sent them off to our friends and family.
We bought a bunch of those blank postcards from the Postal Service, and she used ballpoint pen and watercolor. We sketched everything on postcards as we went, and sent them off to our friends and family.
Nice image, Jeanette! I've done several illustrated postcards this past year; tiny watercolors. For a two week trip I took in March, I set a goal of one painted postcard per day, with a haiku on the message side. Both require direct succinctness. I like using 300 pound cold-pressed or Fabriano soft-pressed paper. They hold up well against the rigors of USPS machinery.
ReplyDelete$15.95 a night. heehee
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, and a nice sketch.
ReplyDeleteNice story. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea.
ReplyDeleteWhen travelling I often do postcard-sized watercolors of various vacation places and send them home. Friends love to get these little paintings of a spots we visited and the foreign stamp and postal markings are fun, too.
ReplyDeleteGreat way to keep working and give something away in the bargain.
That's so cute....and a great idea.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I thought this might interest you....a new species of dinosaur discovered.....right in a london museum!
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/species-dinosaur-discovered-museum-basement-160847154.html
I have never actually done any illustrated post cards, it is a really fun idea for trips away. I have for the past 9 years done an annual Christmas painting, getting small prints made to send out to friends and family (my version of Christmas cards.) I always try to base them around classic stories I enjoyed in my youth (Christmas on Baker Street, Ivanhoe and Rowena's First Christmas, etc.) Sharing your art with friends and family is always something to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteWOW. Very nice idea.
ReplyDeleteTo travel with your wife, that also paints extremely well, and making postcards from the places that you visited.
Why buying postcards if you are such great artists?
I want to do that too.
Salutes.
A ha!, so there you spent your honey moon! and all around the country!
ReplyDeleteHi James .. wonderful idea - I hope you were able to retrieve a few of the postcards ..
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing trip to start married life .. and share so much together ..
Cheers Hilary
What a great postcard... love the technique of watercolour and ink.
ReplyDelete