howsublime

[howsublime]

Was happy to stumble on and purchase this postcard by Naoshi, titled “My Aquarium.” While looking up the artist, I was surprised to find out how the original was made - using colored sand!

#postcrossing #postcard #sunae #snail mail #sand art #naoshi

[howsublime]

Added this 1978 stamp to my collection featuring Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa). These owls are the world's largest species of owl by length yet their size is deceptive - it is all mostly due to feathers while the body is light compared to other big owls. They are also not very easy to spot as they do not vocalize as much as other owls.

#postage stamps #stamps #bird stamps #us stamps #philately #vintage #great gray owl #Strix nebulosa #nature stamps

[howsublime]

Silly dragon on an outgoing postcard based on this vintage Chinese throw rug. Done in gouache.

#dragon #dragon art #mail art #gouache illustration #snail mail #artists on tumblr #chinese dragon #postcrossing

[howsublime]

Outgoing mail art: MGMT's Nothing to Declare, but make it neon.

#nothing to declare #mgmt #mail art #neon #calligraphy #loss of life #spencerian

[howsublime]

This week's outgoing postcard is Tiger Cat (c. 1950) by Ylla.

In 1950s, Hungarian Camilla "Ylla" Koffler "was generally considered the most proficient animal photographer in the world."

#Ylla #postcrossing #postcard #photography #black and white photography #cat photos #cat #snail mail

[howsublime]

I did this Peter Rabbit master study using fountain pen, colored pencils and watercolor in a Moleskine sketchbook.

#beatrix potter #peter rabbit #drawing #moleskine #ink sketch #art journal #fountain pen drawing #master study #master copy #illustration #sketchbook #artists on tumblr

[howsublime]

Do not be deceived by dragon hatchlings cute looks. They are born wise and have sharp claws to fight evil.

Sketched these babies on Lunar New Year postcards using ballpoint pen and metallic watercolors and then digitally removed the paper background.

#dragon #dragon art #baby dragons #my art #artists on tumblr #lunar new year #year of the dragon #hatchling #fantasy art #watercolor

[howsublime]

Got these matching dragon stamps to go with UN dragon postcards.

#dragon #lunar new year #postcrossing #philately #stamps #postage stamps #year of the dragon #united nations postal administration #dragon stamps

[howsublime]

Now that we are on the subject of dragons, here is my favorite one. I've done several drawings of the Mesopotamian Mušḫuššu dragon for penpals and recently decided to create a digital version. Here is the result so far.

#Mušḫuššu #mushussu #dragon #mesopotamia #babilon #my art #artists on tumblr #mythology #mythical creatures #line art #ishtar gate #son of Tiamat the primordial goddess of water #tiamat

[howsublime]

Another dragon postcard published by the UN, and I have a matching stamp for it.

#dragon #lunar new year #postcard #united nations #postcrossing #snail mail

[howsublime]

Happy year of the dragon! This week, I will be sending out a bunch of these Bhutan flag postcards issued by the UN.

#dragon #lunar new year #bhutan #postcard #postcrossing #snail mail #flags

[howsublime]

Joanna Karpowicz — The Fox's Wedding (Anubis Meets Yōkai) [acrylic on canvas, 2022]

#shapeshifter #Anubis attends a wedding of shapeshifting foxes #Magical #This ignites my imagination #kitsune

[howsublime]

Made a stamp based on a funny bird I saw at the Africa & Byzantium exhibit.

#birb art #bird art #mail art #faux postage #my art #artistamps #stamps #birbs #pencil drawing #artists on tumblr #met museum

[howsublime]

In 2023, when Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl, escaped the zoo in NYC, I I sketched his wikipedia photo where he looks like a prototype for Totoro, the forest spirit.

NYT has an article about him today, on the anniversary of his escape, with great photos. But there is also a video in it that is very sad - I did not know that at first, after his escape, he just sat on the sidewalk surrounded by people. He looks terrified there.

PS: Love the scientific name for these species - Bubo bubo.

#flaco #bubo bubo #owl #bird art #mail art #Eurasian eagle-owl #birds #totoro

[howsublime]

This one is from my collection of favorite postcards - Stray Dog, Misawa, 1971 by Daido Moriyama. This card was issued for a retrospective at C/0 Berlin.

#art postcards #daido moriyama #photography #dog art #old dog #postcard #dogs #black and white photography #japanese photography

[howsublime]

Received this wonderful Bonin white-eye (Apalopteron familiare) Japanese stamp from 1975 Nature Conservation series. Also called meguro, this small songbird lives on Bonin Islands.

#japanese stamps #philately #bonin white-eye #stamps #postage stamps #bird stamps #postcrossing #snail mail #Apalopteron familiare #bird art

[howsublime]

Just finished this drawing of a great egret (Ardea alba).

#great egret #bird art #birb art #my art #ardea alba