JULY BERUBE-BUG FIRST SIGHTING

I went for a short visit to Connecticut a few days ago to say hello to Mom, Dad and more birds and bugs than you can possibly imagine. I'm always amazed at the variety of birds and insects on view around the family's yard, and with a looming deadline to create the July Berube-Bug, it was with great pleasure I sat on the back porch in Bristol Connecticut and was inspired to create The Greater Bristol Googleyed Screecher.


THE GREATER BRISTOL GOOGLEYED SCREECHER



The next step will be to transfer the image on to a piece of linoleum, cut it and start printing. Hopefully, I can get this accomplished by the weekend. Any mail received after today, the 30th, will receive Berube-Bug #2 as a return post.

I still have 7 or so Berube-Bugs #1 to finish and get in the mail to those of you who've sent me something and I've posted it in this months blog entries. Keep your bug nets at the ready!!!

ROACH - CHUCK GATTUSO / Highlands Ranch COLORADO U.S.A.

I've probably received the most submissions to my "PORTRAIT" call from Chuck Gattuso, so it was a pleasant and looked forward to event when I received this post in the mail over the weekend. It's a graphite pencil drawing of what I believe to be, no, I'm not going to guess and give a way too many personal secrets by telling you what I think it is. Chuck, if you're reading this, perhaps you could enlighten us as to how it fits into the "bug" theme. LOL
You can check out Chuck's mailart call HERE and his other blog HERE

BUGS???(1) - PAULO JORGE GONCALVES / Rio De Janeiro BRASIL

An abstract creature perhaps. This one with artwork on both sides comes from Rio De Janeiro.

MY LITTLE ANGEL(S) - LAURENCE BUCOURT / Gradignan FRANCE

This wonderful mixed-medium piece titled, "My Little Angels", comes from Laurence Bucort in France. A double-headed, scaley, lizard skin, winged creature that's apparently angelic as well. Love It!!! You can check out and submit to Laurence's new Mailart call, "Before/After" by clicking on the post title or HERE.

SNO-CREATURE - DEWI / Toronto, Ontario CANADA

Another crazy piece from DEWI in Canada. This time the creature takes the form of a SnoPerson with extra limbs, extra eyes and pincers. Click on his name to get to his blogspot.com page. This guy does some amazing work and has new pieces going out all of the time.

3RD BATCH HATCHED

So the 3rd batch of Berube-Bug #1 has hatched and will be lovingly set free into the United Postal Service on their way to: Mr. Sparrow of The Metropolis Of Destruction, Jose Manuel Figueiredo, Angela Behrendt, Carlos Botana and one for the archives.

Only 6 more days until the end date for receiving submissions for Bug #1.






So the 3rd batch of Berube-Bug #1 has hatched and will be lovingly set free into the United Postal Service on their way to: Mr. Sparrow of The Metropolis Of Destruction, Jose Manuel Figueiredo, Angela Behrendt, Carlos Botana and one for the archives.

A FAMILY OF LADYBUGS AND O.J. SIMPSON - R.F. COTE / Quebec CANADA

A curious collage of O.J. Simpson, gloves and a leather boot on one side and a fun grouping of insects and flowers on the other come from R.F. Cote in Canada. One side, bugs, the other side bugged out? Thanks R.F., love your collages.

TRADITIONAL BELGIAN INSECT??? - SERVANE MOREL / Bruxelles BELGIQUE

According to the back of the postcard sent to me by Servane Morel, traditional Belgium bugs have big smiles on their faces. If that's true, I'm buying my tickets tonight for a visit to the land of happy bugs. Thanks Servane I appreciate your second contribution to this call.

INSECT CURRENCY - WACKY STUFF / CANADA

So apparently Insects, Bugs and Creatures have their own currency, wonder what famous insect this is. (Please note the value of the bill, ha!!!) You can check out more of Wacky Stuff's... well stuff, on his various sites, HERE and HERE.

3-D MIXED MEDIA PIECE - LAURA PACTER / Naples FLORIDA U.S.A.

A fun, bright, mixed media piece arrived from Laura Pacter. This one has just as much to look at on the front as well as the back.

A JUG OF WINE, A LOAF OF BREAD & THOU - ROXANNE CLARK / Louisville KENTUCKY U.S.A.

I received this very cool mixed media piece, (including a few recycled materials), from Roxanne Clark. Both the front and the back of the card are equally beautiful. Check out the stamps, those are some old stamps. I hate to admit it but I remember seeing a few of those when they originally came out.

OFFICIAL DOCUMENT SP.800260-12 / METROPOLIS OF DESTRUCTION

"Within this mecca of commercial & industrial production nothing much has survived from the region's original habitats. There is no avian or aquatic species, no non-domesticated animals or botanicals and no geographically specific culture. Two things thrive in Destructon; human capital and insect infestation. With the constant influx of cheap labour to keep the factories chugging out their product comes with them infestations of crawlers. Insects dwell in the ring of human detritus and there is more than enough of that here, in fact it's hard to separate one from the other. A sort of 'chicken and the egg' phenomena is at work."
-Mr. Sparrow

THE "WARSSAWA" BUG - ANGELA BEHRENDT / Hannover GERMANY

Another amazing stitched bug piece from Angela inspired from a recent trip to Warsaw and an invite to the opening of her show. I'm pretty sure the image of the "Warssawa" creature is supposed to be turned 90 degrees clockwise but figured it would be easier to read the stitch work this way.

GIANT BLUE BEETLE - JOSE MANUEL FIGUEIREDO / Sintra PORTUGAL

A giant blue beetle collage from Jose Manuel Figueiredo of Sintra Portugal. You can check out his submissions to my PORTRAIT mailart blog.

BERUBE-BUG #1 / ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT

So you have 2 more weeks to get your creature in the mail and to me if you want to get your own print of Berube-Bug #1. He will be exterminated on the last day of the month, never to creep, crawl or fly again. Any cards received after the first of the month will receive Berube-Bug #2. Haven't figured him/her out yet!!!

So get your images in!!!!

ALMOST ESCAPED

Just happened to find this one burrowing under a pile on my desk, was already addressed, stamped and ready to go.

METROPOLIS OF DESTRUCTION - MAILART CALL

MAILART AND CORRESPONDENCE ART CALL:

The idea is to create a fictional city of the distant future known as the Metropolis of Destructon through original mail art and correspondence art. Techniques can be illustration, collage, graphic design, artistamp, sequential art, xerox-art, printmaking, poetry or pros. The subject matter is open but should add some element to expanding this fictional city. All submissions are through the mail and should be scanable for presentation on www.post2destructon.blogspot.com

Mr. Sparrow
4 - 353 Worthington St. W.
North Bay, Ontario CAN
P1B 3B7

All submissions will receive a return correspondence from:
Mr. Sparrow, Postmaster General M.o.D.

Deadline for submissions: June 1st, 2009

SECOND BATCH OF BUG #1 HATCHED AND FLYING TO YOU!!!

I'll be sending out this second batch of Bug #1 in the morning. This time around I decided not to label the post cards on here as to who got what. Instead I'll just say that, Servane Morel Of Belgium, Perry Hoffman of California, Dewi of Ontario Canada, Angela Behrendt of Germany and Laura Practer of Florida should be expecting a mailbox infestation soon.

FISH CREATURE - CARLOS BOTANA / A Caruna SPAIN

This creature comes all the way from A Coruna Spain. He swims, crawls and flies on a piece of recycled cardboard..... aaaahhhh evolution caught midstream. CARLOS BOTANA has submitted pieces to my Portrait blog and I've sent a few pieces to his "THE SEA" mailart call. Check out his work, send him a piece for his mailart call, you'll end up with a fun piece in return.

SYNTHETIC NETBUG - ANGELA BEHRENDT / Hannover GERMANY

Another amazing piece by ANGELA BEHRENDT from Hannover Germany. Angela said that this creature was inspired by a found piece of synthetic net. I love how tactile her pieces are with all of the hand stitching and am impressed that they actually make it through the post in one piece. They tend to get a little "dirtied' in transit, but it all adds to the experience.

'HAPPINESS IS A BERUBE BUG" - THE RUBBER DUCHESS / Fort Collins, COLORADO U.S.A.

I received this really cool mixed media postcard from THE RUBBER DUCHESS, unfortunately because of the sheen on the image it didn't scan very well. Apparently these bugs are carnivores as well, there's a fun little story on the back of the post describing how satisfied the bugs are "after enjoying an afternoon munching on tubular red spider legs, gushy green caterpillar guts at their favorite 'all-u-can-eat" food bar.

COLLECTION OF CREATURES - SEVANE MOREL / Bruxelles BELGIQUE

Sometimes one creature just isn't enough. I received this multi-creature post card from SERVANE MOREL of Belgium. Servane was another regular and multi submitter to my "PORTRAIT" call. Her work has always been some of the most vibrant and beautiful original pieces of artwork I have received.

SCORPION ON TILE WORK - PERRY HOFFMAN / Wonder Valley CALIFORNIA

I received this amazing image from PERRY HOFFMAN who not only is an amazing photographer but is quite an accomplished tile and mural artist. The right side and the bottom strip are flaps that lift up to reveal the full image of the scorpion on the tile work. Click on his name to be taken to his site. Also check out the stamp PERRY designed to celebrate the courts ruling on Gay marriages in the state of California. Part of the purchase price of the stamps is donated to Equality California.

I SLOW DOWN FOR SLUGETTES - DEWI / Toronto Ontario CANADA

Another amazing original pen/ink, watercolor, (I think), illustration from the multi-talented DEWI of CANADA. The "bumper sticker" on the back of the slug says, "I Slow 4 Slugettes". Over the past year I've received a number of beautiful drawings from DEWI to my "PORTRAIT" call.

LAURA PACTER / Naples FLORIDA U.S.A.