Category Archives: Art Exchange

Liberate Your Art Blog Hop 2018

L.Y.A. 2018 Postcards. SMD

No! No! Say it isn’t so! The 2018 Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap can’t be over! Well, it isn’t really. The official swap has concluded, but NOW the side swapping begins. Well, truth be told some of the artists sent out their sides a month ago. Yes, YOU know WHO your are 🙂

This is my 8th LYA event. If you would like to see Kat’s videos from previous years, click the Liberate Your Art link under the gallery tab at the top of this page. I am pretty sure I forgot to post my cards in the LYA Facebook group. Only did two this year. A couple of my favorites from the 30 in 30 challenge.

Here are this year’s stats, from Kat:

804 pieces of art liberated
134 artists
10 countries
31 US states

Way to go Kat!
High five LYA artists!

My first arrival came from Sue Brinner in Springfield VA. You know, it actually has a few chunks missing, but I didn’t even notice. I guess love is in the eye of the beholder. Her photo features Chihuly glass on display at the New York Botanical Gardens. I LOVE his work. Aren’t these beautiful?

LYA #1 Sue Brinner

Karen Koch’s card came next. Karen is in Hudson Ohio and you can find her at LifeNeedsArt.com. I love map art. If you do as well, check out my Pinterest board. I also have a board on postcards, naturally. Nature and nostalgia inspire Karen. She uses modern and vintage paper, book pages, paint, and thread to create her awesome art. Her work is rich in texture and meaning. Karen’s message:

Believe in your creativity!
Let it shine!

So glad you followed your own advice Karen, and joined in the swap!

LYA #2 Karen Koch

The next two postcards arrived on the same day.

“Serene Poppies” by Fran Stamper, and “Angel Of Courage” by Cathy Clement.

Fran Stamper lives in Little River South Carolina. Her poppies are alcohol inks. I love the loose, simplified forms! Gorgeous! Fran’s Message:

An artist has to be a little like Lewis & Clark,
Always exploring in new, uncharted directions.
C.W. Mundy

Cathy Clement’s greeting came from the beautiful icy shores of Lake Superior. The message around the angel, “Step into the light and trust, trust, trust.” How wonderful is that!

On the back:

An angel told me you want to Liberate Your Art!
Today… Liberate your inner awesome!

LYA #5 Chrisann Risser

My fifth card is from Chrisann Risser. You can see more of her terrific photos at the link. Her image is so peaceful and quiet. I Love Chrisann’s message:

Be the weirdo who dares to enjoy!
Liz Gilbert, Big Magic

Anomalous, Kat Sloma

Kat’s coveted card closes out the correspondence. Isn’t this awesome! Kat’s message:

Creativity takes courage.
Henri Matisse

You have proved yourself courageous!

You can see more of Kat’s amazing work at Kat Eye Studio. If you would like to take part in next years LYA, sign up for her newsletter. Do be sure to visit Kat’s post on the swap. Her awesome, art filled video is there, and news of her swap giveaways. More enticement for you to consider signing up!

As always, each card I received reinforces my believe that we are all connected. Common interests with each of these. Trees, maps, Chihuly, mixed media, alcohol inks, photography, ocean appreciation.

HUGE thanks Kat, for another awesome Swap! For the terrific video, and most of all, for all your time and efforts! Thanks to the LYA helpers! Thanks to all the L.Y.A. swappers! I love each card I have received, and I am grateful you have shared your fabulous art with me!

I will be sharing the side swaps as they come in. They are really too wonderful to keep to myself 😉 Follow the links below to see more wonderful postcard art.

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Global heART Postcard Swap

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heART Postcards. 4 x 6 mixed media on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2018 Sheila Delgado.

Louise Gale hosts a global postcard swap several times each year. The Global heART Exchange is so fun, and very easy to take part in. You are given three names, and create three cards to share. And in return, you get three postcards in your mailbox. The theme this round was “Love”.

For my cards, I used acrylic paint and pen. I worked with wood block stamps from Michaels. Apparently they no longer sell the blocks, but here is a video that will show you what I am talking about.

I did not know that you needed to use a foam mat underneath the block, and did not have anything that I could use. So I struggled with making an impression. I used a heart, paisley and feather design. The impressions were broken up, not solid. But I really like the effect, sort of aged and worn. The feather design did not turn out at all, so I traced over it with a pen. I added polka dots, hearts with dot borders, and the words love, lovely, loved.

The first fabulous card I received came from Phredkite in Texas. Hello Texas! I hope you can see the bamboo embossing. It runs the length of the card. So much more pretty in person! The sweet and simple message: “Be love!”

Beautiful!

From Susi Sanlier in Germany, one sweet surprise after another. The envelope was adorned with beautiful watercolor rose trimmed in gold pen. On the back a sticker that said, “All you need is love, and vegan chocolate”.

Inside, two gorgeous postcards, and her business card that is also a tiny piece of art. This first is watercolor, acrylic and pen I believe. Lovely springtime fresh! I didn’t remember to scan the back, but it is just as lovely. On the back:

“Let love fill your garden & you will reap utter happiness!

This next card is alcohol inks I believe. The scan does not do it justice, as the colors are metallic. And you know those never show well in photos. Susi did several of these tree affirmation cards, you can see them here. On the back:

“May LOVE be always by your side this spring.”

And for dessert, this lovable little lighthouse.

Susi also has terrific illustrated recipes on They Draw and Cook. Labskaus anyone?

My third treat is not a postcard. But that won’t surprise you when you see who it is from. She has her own way of doing things. It is a tiny treasure from the daring and dear, Dotty Seiter. The ex Michaels framer in me is truly appreciative of Dotty’s cutting and centering skills! On the back, as one might expect, words of profound wisdom.

Ruby used to say you just always had to believe
you’d find as many answers as it was questions.
Kaye Gibbons, A virtuous woman

This piece of art is five layers deep. Approximately 3 and 1/2 inches square. Creme matboard, black foam board, white paper, and decorative papers. On the back is a jagged edged, rough textured paper with the quote on it. It feels almost like leather, but knowing Dotty recycles, I suspect it might be the inside of a cereal box.

Each of these cards includes something have a fondness for. And each message, feels as if it was chosen just for me. The universe works in mysterious and wonderful ways!

Do be sure and visit the exchange site. Sign up to receive notice of future events. You have the opportunity to decide later if you want to take part or not. You can take part in as many, or as few as you are able. Hope to see you there!

Looking Back

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Trees. 5 x 7 watercolor on paper. 2011 Sheila Delgado

It’s time to start planning and painting for the Liberate Your Art international postcard exchange. If you have ever thought of joining in, you can learn more at KAT EYE STUDIO. This is one of my favorite events to take part in. Always fun to reconnect with L.Y.A. friends.

These trees were some of the first art I ever shared with others. I will always be grateful to Kat Sloma for that opportunity. I didn’t even have a website then. A year later, I had four paintings published. See what she started!

I hope you will consider signing up for the swap! Everyone is welcome. You do not have to be an artist. Open to all creatives! Photographers, poets, knitters, you name it! To all of my L.Y.A. friends, see you soon!