Liberate Your Art 2017

This past few weeks there has been a large group of artists anxiously watching for the mail carrier. Why? Because it’s Liberate Your Art time! What is that, you ask? It's a postcard swap that Kat Sloma hosts to "foster connections between artists in different places and mediums." Those who participate create a work of art. The art might be painting, sculpturing, needlework, pen and ink, or photography. Then a picture is taken of the art or in my many cases photography is the art. Next the photo is made into a postcard. All your postcards can be the same or you can create five different ones. Lastly the postcards are sent to Kat, who swaps them all and with a few wonderful volunteers prepare them to be mailed around the world. When we receive the postcards we're encouraged to take of picture of them in or around their new home.

This year there were:

146 participants

876 pieces of art liberated

12 countries

30 US states and territories

Let me tell you about the postcards that I received.

The first postcard that arrived was from Val van der Poel of Wynndel BC, Canada. It’s a beautiful painting of a valley entitled “#762 Birds Over Erickson." I would love to live in such a beautiful, peaceful place. If you’d like to see more of her word drop by her website.

The second postcard was from Carol Collier of Washington State. It’s a unique view of farm equipment. The light on the equipment is beautiful as well as the fascinating sky and trees behind it. The quote on the back reads, “Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.”

The third postcard was from Christine Barker in Calgary, Alberta Canada. It’s a beautiful piece of digital art. The colors and lines fascinate me. It’s almost like I can reach out and feel the textures. The quote on her postcard, “What we play is life.” Louis Armstrong. You can see more of Christine’s work on her website.

The fourth postcard was from Marcia Hill in Worcester, VT. A pastel painting of Worcester Village. Another beautiful, peaceful place to live. I especially love the white church with tall steeple. On the back, it says “Art is the voice of the Soul. Speak Up!" You can visit Marcia at her website.

The 5th postcard was from Jane Martin in Roanoke, Virginia. A delightful painting of a potting bench and flowers for spring. The quote on the back is “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Pablo Picasso. Visit Jane at  her website to see more of her art.

As a special treat we all receive a postcard from Kat. This year she sent a digital painting of colorful leaves. It was a treat for the eyes after such a dreary winter! The back of her card reads "Experiment, Play, Create, and Liberate!"

I almost forgot to include the postcard I sent. I have this fascination for flowers and vines that are tenacious; that have the strength to overcome poor conditions and grow. They encourage me to keep on when times get a little tough. I also love old buildings, so when I saw this vine on the side of a rock building I had to take a picture. I added a quote on the back, but I failed to write it down and I simply can’t remember which one I used. Oh well, I’ll do better next year.

Each year Kat puts together a video of those who wish to include their art. I would like to encourage you to hop over to her blog and watch it. It's an incredible display of many different works of art. Just click right here.

This has been a fun postcard swap and I’m delighted with every card I received. I’ve done this swap since Kat began seven years ago. Each year I am truly amazed at the incredible art that is shared.  If you’re interested in participating next year It’s simple to do. Just go to Kat’s website, sign up for her newsletter, and she’ll let you know when it’s time next year for another swap. I encourage you to try this. You have a whole year to think about it, create art, and have the postcards made. Kat even gives help with making postcards or suggestions for having them printed. It’s fun and you will love getting mail! I promise!