Collecting Images

Look at these wonderful postcards that Efed sent!  Aren’t they amazing?  I mentioned last week that one of the first things I see when I wake is a piece of art I made from postcards that she’s sent me from all corners of the globe.  So thoughtful, that sister of mine.

On the back of one of these postcards, Efed noted that I can add them to my collection.  Funny, I’ve never thought about my postcards as a collection, but I guess that’s what it is, since everyone I know seems to send them to me. 

I started to think about it a little more, and realize that the time I’ve spent creating art from these postcards has been not only a way to make something to hang on my walls, but also a form of meditation.  Even a writer needs to step away from her pages sometimes.  That led me to thinking about the images themselves.  Sure, some of the postcards I have received are touristy, but they still capture a moment in time.  And while I haven’t been to many of the places shown on the postcards sent by Efed, Ghost, Voyin, and others, every time I look at the images, I feel like I’ve spent some time there.  Might be a little silly, but I see these postcards (and my collection) as a way to share time with my loved ones. 

Over summer, I went to a farmhouse style estate sale and found the trove of all troves of vintage postcards.  Not wanting to do something with them that would be permanent (like gluing them to something, or cutting them up) they’ve just been sitting in various places around my flat.  Maybe it’s time I take a closer look at them and make something new from my collection.  I’m sure the time I spend making new art from old images will be well used.