52 Weeks of Mail

My friend Molly Lee, pop-up card genius and paper artist, clued me into the Etsy sponsored 52 weeks of Mail project by sending me a glittery bike girl card.  I've been wanting to commit to something like this, so it gave me a nudge to rediscover the art of written correspondence on actual paper.

My first piece is a card for my father-in-law Al Drake of Flatout Press.  He loves the anything to do with the fiftties and hot rods and has written several books on the subject. In fact, he still uses a manual typewriter. I thought this was a fitting start since he still corresponds with friends and businesses alike via mail and his trusty Olivetti.

I was inspired to dust off my old $5 flea market typewriter. I wrote my first term paper on it in High School: A Coming of Age analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird, A Separate Peace, Catcher in the Rye, and Member of  the Wedding.  I'm happy to say that here in Portland you can still buy ribbons and have your typewriter serviced and repaired at Ace Typewriter!

So consider this a nudge to see if you can still write by hand, lick an envelope, and stick on a stamp.

Hot Damn, girl!

Geek Girl Con (October 8, 9) has got me all wound up over my Cura Te Ipsum pop-up cards. Cura is a web comic written by Neal Bailey about a guy who has multiple versions of himself in an undetermined number of realities. I'm rolling out a series focusing on Charlene, the super tough female incarnation of Charlie Everett. She's a get it done kinda gal. She might shoot you, but then again she might take a bullet for you. In the first card I made she's throwing a punch at Charlie prime.  The second features the gun-toting, no bullshit Charlene, along with a short bio. 

Shout out to Neal Bailey: How about adding another female character? She would be about 5 foot tall, wear glasses, be nerdy but smart, and highly attractive. (She's no Velma in this story!) You could call her something like....CharLinda! Just throwing out some ideas here!

 
If you get a chance, stop by Neal's table (Artist's Alley, Booth 211) at Geek Girl Con to check out my cards, and the comic book. Otherwise, we'll have the new Charlene cards on sale the Cura Store after the con.


Postscript:  Deadlines are fun, but cleanup is not!

Cura Te Pop-up Cards...Animated!

Trying to capture the spirit of a pop-up card in a still photo, is tricky. One has to catch the shadows just right to show off the depth. The flash seems to wash out and flatten the picture. (Have you figured out yet that I am not a professional photographer?) Even a good picture doesn't give you the sense of motion, so I thought I'd try my hand at some animated gif files to show off my cards. First, there's the Portal card on the right as you see it at the Cura Te Ipsum Store. Neal Bailey did a nice job with the shadows on this photograph and others at the store. Try out the animated Portal to see it in motion.





My newest card, not yet on the market ("I know exactly how you feel" ) features an early panel from the comic in which the main character meets an incarnation of himself for the first time. My picture looks flat, but the animated version shows you the card in action.

I will continue my quest to bring art from the comic Cura Te Ipsum, by Neal Bailey into the 3 dimensional realm. Hats off to the artist, Dexter Wee, for providing me with so much inspiring material! I can't wait to cut up his drawings; pyramids, mushroom clouds, Great Wall of China, and other surprises...

Pop-up Card Workshop

Join me for my Pop-up Card Workshop!

Sat, June 18th, 10am – 12pm

Isobel's Clubhouse: 1542 NW 14th, Portland, OR

Description: Artist and art instructor Linda Candello will be at Isobel's Clubhouse Saturday, June 18th to teach her Pop up Card techniques. Learn basic paper engineering techniques to make cards that jump out of the page! This class is best for 9 year olds through adults; kids 9 and up can attend with or without caregiver. Class fee includes all supplies and is $13. Class is limited to 12 participants. To register please send an email to laura@zcommunitycenter.org or phone 503-224-4636.

Cura Te Ipsum Comic Art in Pop-up

I've recently taken interest in following web comics. Not ever having been a fan, this a totally new experience. I got hooked on Neal Bailey's Cura Te Ipsum, the story of Charlie Everett and his multiple counterparts in an undetermined number of realities. I'm taken by the defined lines in comic art and see the possibilities of translating the work into 3 dimensions. This picture is a combination of two posters you'll find on the website. The portal in Cura Te Ipsum, or rather the gateway to the other Charlies and other universes, provides an opportunity to express the pictures in multiple layers. Of course the drama of a gun pointed at the reader hints at the "coming at you" feeling anyway. I'm looking at comic art in a whole new light.

Update: Neal Bailey has made a video of my pop-ups so that you can see them in action!

Note: This is unauthorized fan art.