I sent out some doodled ATCs just a week ago. The one I sent to Dave Stafford was a chicken...a funky chicken, specifically. Today my mail was graced with this fine envelope:
Dave, bless him, always sends mail-art missals to Rob and I together, and that is the best chance we have of getting Rob back on the bandwagon sending his wonderful creations to strangers everywhere. At any rate, the chick on the 'lope is dancing. The monkey on the envelope assures me that David is still totally off his meds. Inside....
I have no idea what Dave does in the "real world," but I tend to think he is an illustrator of some sort. Well, not some sort, a wonderful sort. I know from contexts besides mail art that he trolls the archives for inspiration from classical advertising and fashion illustration from the zenith era of traditional ad illustration, the 1930s-60s. This card comes with a wonderfully drawn-painted-collaged femme who might have stepped right off the envelope of a 1950s Vogue dress pattern. So few strokes and dabs can make so full an image!
Open the card...
and Mr Stafford the thoughtful cartoonist is waiting. I love Dave's penchant for story-telling. The back of the card...
reveals his cartoon alter-ego in a little self-deprecating cameo. Just fabulous! The mail was early today, so Rob and I enjoyed Dave's card with a couple post-lunch espressos and lots of smiles. Thanks, David!
Very interesting! And very seductive! If I ever get past this moving business . . . and back to 'arting". . .
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