July 2020

One morning during the spring of 2020, as we began turning inward, feeling the loneliness of isolation and the beauty of reflection, I offered correspondence to anyone courageous enough to send me an address. My offer was accepted by thirteen humans scattered across the United States. What began with the possibility of little postcards and notes, inspired a project that has occupied my mind and hands during times of uncertainty. What came through and what I offer to you now are tiny vignettes, moments we might experience when feeling free to wander and socialize. Each piece is a deliberate collage created by scouring books, magazines, articles, and collections of personal drawings, intaglios etchings, and lithographs to find settings that offer space and itty bitty soundbites one might hear when happening upon a random conversation. May your mind wander, may you read into the words and the settings, may they offer you a place to begin your own stories, to find a bit of laughter, solace, wisdom, and depth for introspection.

I love this body of work and I hope you will too.

Please share your thoughts, please stay in touch!

Sincerely,

Crystal Hartman

Each collage arrived at its home wrapped in a hand-cut velum sleeve (velum pulled from stacks of salvaged paper collected through the years), tucked within a cream colored envelope inherited from my grandmother, and offered with a note of gratitude.

Each piece in this collection was created in the studio, signed, and gently wrapped in a recycled and hand-cut velum sleeve, slipped into a cream colored envelope and shipped across the country to the mailbox of its new home.