Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art [Paperback]

Jennie Hinchcliff (Author), Carolee Gilligan Wheeler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

“What is a good mail day?” A good mail day is a day when, instead of just bills, catalogs, and advertisements, your postal carrier delivers artful, beautiful, personal mail from friends and acquaintances all over the world. Mail art is a collaborative art form with a long and fascinating history populated by famous artists as well as everyday practitioners. The term “mail art” refers to pieces of art sent through the mail rather than displayed or sold in traditional venues. Mail artists often use inexpensive and recycled materials including postcards, collage, rubber stamps, and photocopied images. Mail art is a truly international activity and a fun way to connect with people in every corner of the globe. Readers will learn to create decorated and illustrated envelopes, faux postage and artistamps, find penpals, make a mail art kit, and much more!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jennie Hinchcliff  has been an active part of international mail art circles and communities for over a decade, has curated San Francisco mail art shows, and produces the quarterly mail art zine Red Letter Day. She teaches book arts and bookbinding at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

 

Carolee Gilligan Wheeler teaches popular classes on bookbinding at the San Francisco Center for the Book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Quarry Books (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592535372
• ISBN-13: 978-1592535378
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #259,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Informative Book on Mail Art October 3, 2009

By A. Borloz

Format:Paperback

For a long time, I am aware that one general rule for getting good mail is to send your own. I used to write a lot of letters, and when the email technology came along, my letter-writing activity nearly died.

One day as I was browsing through a shelf of books, the title, "Good Mail Day", caught my eyes, and I immediately pull it out. I quickly skimmed through the pages, and I knew that I had to buy it right away. This book is not a 'coffee-table' book full of professionally done art work nor is it a how-to-create-fantastic-art-in-no-time-at-all book.

Instead, it contains a nice balance of tutorials, examples from mail art practitioners, historical backgrounds, mini-treatises on the correspondence art, advices & suggestions for finding penpals, and etiquette (i.e. how to be polite with postal workers). It also provides ideas and methods on how to think 'outside the box' and go beyond the confines of what constitutes a 'normal' (but boring) mail.

Since I am a real pack rat, I have boxes and boxes of saved junk mails which could serve as fodder for creating new mail art and envelopes using the ideas and template from this book. The authors presented various documentation methods (logging is one of them) for keeping track of what was received and sent to help keep the whole mail art project manageable if it gets too big or overwhelming. There is a lot of visual candy in the photographs - the examples from the senders were beautifully arranged and displayed on the wall & shelves, and they did give me ideas for creating my own future "mail art gallery" on the wallspace above my desk.

One chapter gave details on how to create a traveling kit ("portable toolbox") so that one can write/create on the spur of the moment anywhere and everywhere. The list of resources, books and websites provided by the authors is not necessarily exhautive but it did give me enough incentive to resurrect my nearly deceased letter-writing activity.

At the back of the book are one full page of mail-related stickers, and four postcards with suggestions for writing or creating images on the back. With the help of this guide book, I am looking forward to renewing or creating new epistolary friendships. But, I must admit that I prefer to send only to the creative people (including the 'non-professional' ones) who are most likely to appreciate my artwork, and I'm sure they would like this book, too.

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mouthwatering Postal Porn August 19, 2009

By Anna M. Lincoln

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

When I discovered Carolee & Jennie on the net a few years ago, I was astounded that there were people like me that LOVED mail. People that get a thrill out of receiving a special stamp, an airmail sticker, an unusual envelope along with real handwritten letter. When I read that they were making this book, I didn't realize exactly how cool it would be. Looking at the mail, postcards, letters, envelopes, special mailing stickers in this book is like porn for those that love mail. I was able to point at various stickers and rubber stamping and say 'Oh I have that one' or 'I want that one'. It inspired me to sit down that day and make some envelopes for mailing to my friends and penpals (yes I am 37 and still collecting penpals) with all my hoarded rubberstamps and stickers. These women are like me in that when they come back from Japan it is with a suitcase full of Japanese mailing labels, tape, envelopes, and pens instead of kimonos and plastic sushi from Kapabashi Dori. I already know that I will be giving this as a gift to a couple friends. This book is really good and by that I mean REALLY GOOD. Now if only my friends would be inspired enough to send me mail like this so I could have a Good Mail Day too...

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have book on mail art! September 14, 2009

By Jeannine Stein

Format:Paperback

I got this book last week and cannot put it down. It is literally crammed with information, ideas and inspiration for creating your own mail art. The art of letter writing is back and more fun than ever, thanks to the authors who share their passion for the written word, for documenting life in a non-electronic way, and for wrapping everything up in an interesting envelope.

Everything about mail art is covered, from surface design to working with templates to making faux postage. There's even "The Ten Commandments of Mail Art"! The step-by-step projects are clear and understandable and it's all doable. When was the last time you sent somebody a letter? Probably too long ago. Get this book, haul out some supplies and get started!