Altered Book Day

I took a trip to Marin County yesterday with friends Margie, Pamela www.cappuccinoandartjournal.blogspot.com and Dorothywww.dotsrainbow.com
to see the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art Altered Book and Book Arts annual
show. It also had a San Quentin Prison Arts Project show as well.

This is Dorothy Yuki's piece that received Honorable Mention. Last year Dorothy also received an
Honorable Mention on her altered book in this annual show. Congratulations again!

This is my untitled piece that I entered in the show. It is made entirely of discarded library books. It
is my second collage piece using books that I have rescued from the landfill.

This piece is made by our friend Punky from our SF Correspondence Group in San Francisco.

Hedi Kyles book. A collaborative piece with her graduate students using stencils.

These two pieces are from the San Quentin Prison Art Project that was on display. 

After seeing the show in Novato we headed to Mill Valley for another book 

show at Seager/Gray Gallery. Here a few pieces from that great show.

We ended the fun afternoon by stopping at Sol Food to pick up some Puerto Rican food. Loved those
garlic plantains. We headed back into the city avoiding the traffic.. Tonight is the closing and live auction at the MOCA. Sadly I will miss it but it should be a fun time. I was inspired by all that afternoon of altered books!

Postal Museum

I was visiting my daughter this week in Southern Ca. and finally got to
 pay a visit to the Redlands Postal Museum.

The Museum is tucked away in the historic Main Post Office at 201 Brookside Avenue in
Redlands, CA. This lovely building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Several
years ago it was in danger of being sold.

This is the grand interior of the old post office with the vaulted ceiling and
wood beamed ceiling. I am so relieved they saved the post office.

Look at the beautiful arches with the ornamental ironwork where the P.O. boxes are housed.

This case in the post office lobby has a display of letters and post cards
 mailed long ago.

This is the first photo taken in the Redlands Postal Museum. They saved
the old window from a post office and put it on display. The next series of
photographs are some of the items displayed in the museum.

There was a wall of old mail bags on display.

And of course you have to have letter carriers hats on display too.

Mr. Zip sticker on a mail bag!

This sweet little museum was a nice side trip for us to enjoy. The
Redlands Postal Museum is open during the same hours as the post
office so it is closed during the weekends.  All you postal
lovers out there go visit this tiny museum if you find yourself in
Redlands, CA. in Southern Ca.