Stamp Art Collage
I have been a stamp collector for 55 years and an arts & crafts enthusiast for longer than that. In my retirement, I finally found a way to combine those two passions. After retiring from being a college IT Professor for over 40 years, I feel this is the best way to recycle and re-purpose my stamp while creating visually pleasing artwork. I also have a love for the ocean and anything nautical so that theme is interwoven into many of the pieces I produce.
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I use mostly recycled material from thrift shops and Habitat Restore and all the actual artwork is handmade. I have framed some of the work which gives them more of a finished look. I sell them in Florida with or without frame but prefer to sell and ship them without frame to save on shipping cost. I usually leave it up to the buyer.
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I usually use two series of stamps for the background; Machin stamps of Great Britain and U.S. presidential series of 1930s. Machin stamps have been in continuous production since 1967 and they come in over 100 different colors and denominations. The U.S. presidential series was in production from 1938 to 1954 and come in over 30 different colors and denominations. On occasions, I use stamps from other nations as I deem appropriate for the theme and/or topic. The images below give you some indication of what I use.
Wood Art
For many years, I have been interested in creating artwork using sea shells and driftwood that I occasionally pick up on the beach. One thing that the awful pandemic did is to keep me home and give me time to tinker with some of that. After many tries, I finally figured out how to make wall art that can be visually appealing to most people. Again, I am using beach and ocean motif because frankly I just like that stuff. Also, it is more fitting for the type of material I come across.
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I use mostly recycled material like old play sets, wood fencing, pallets, paneling and of course drift wood. The only items that are new are LED lights, paint, and nails and screws. The images below give you some indication of what I use.
All the artwork is handmade and unique. No mass production here. Just like my stamp art, I sell them in some Florida beach shops (Funky Mermaid) but have not set it up to sell them online. I really don't like to deal with shipping, returns, and constant inquiries. I do that already with eBay and Etsy. I know it sounds grumpy, but I don't do this for an income source.
II usually make two sizes of these items. Most are approximately 5x11 inches in dimension. I also made a few that are twice as large (8x20). It all depends on what I have at the moment.
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