Stamp collage Toucan .. but which one?

Keel-billed Toucan - the National bird of Belize

You may have seen my previous post and will have read that there are 43 species of Toucan, but I have chosen the Keel-billed Toucan to collage using stamps from countries including Great Britain, France, India, and Germany as well as postcards for the tree branch. 

Toucans - on stamps, but sadly not so easy to see in the wild

Toucans can be seen in parts of Guatemala, Mexico  and Belize, where we were this time last year, but sadly the only ones we found  were a rather elderly looking stuffed Keel Billed Toucan  in the Cultural centre in San Ignacio, Belize, (NICH)  and others featured in murals, and one made out of tyres!   The Keel Billed Toucan is  Belize's  national bird, and I was surprised at its size.  There are 42 different species  of Toucan, but some are now endangered due to widespread deforestation, which has destroyed their habitat. The Toco toucan, the largest of all the toucans, is so far not endangered as it is more adaptable.

Keel Billed toucan at NICH - Cultural centre, San Ignacio

Keen to make a Toucan stamp collage I've gathered  photos and some stamps
 together to  provide me with inspiration!   Collage to follow soon!

Mural - San Ignacio, Belize 

Mural -Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Toucan made from tyres 

Just four of more than 40 different varieties of Toucans are featured on this sheet of Guyanan stamps : The Yellow Throated, Toco (the largest of the Toucans), Keel-Billed and White Throated toucans. 

My Stamp collage prints are in this beautiful holiday cottage in Wiltshire

The owner of this beautiful  4 bedroomed holiday cottage in  Garsdon near Malmesbury, Wiltshire chose several of my stamp collage pictures to decorate the dining room and bedrooms and  it's always great to see how pictures look on someone else's walls!

A large canvas print of The Carp stamp collage looks great against the sage green wall of the dining room, and two framed giclee  prints of garden scenes  all made from stamps decorate the twin bedroom, with the grey frames chosen here toning well with the overall colour scheme, and very much in a cottage style.

Carp - stamp collage 

Secret Garden  Giclee print stamp collage

The property is a spacious 4 bedroom cottage on two floors, with a large garden in a quiet lane surrounded by fields and open countryside, with lovely views. It  is ideal for families of up to 8, with dogs  also welcome.  To see  more photos of the entire property, see www.sykescottages.co.uk  property reference 12186.

And for more information and pictures of my stamp collages including those shown here, www.rachelmarkwick.co.uk .
Pictures are available in various formats including canvas prints and giclee prints, framed and unframed.  Some original work is also available to purchase.

Postcrossing.com - a great way to make international friends

If, like me you enjoy communicating with people, travelling - virtually via postcards in this case - and maybe collecting stamps and postcards, postcrossing.com is a great thing to join!  You can send as many or as few cards as suits you. I have had to cut down recently due to the increased postage costs, but  you are guaranteed to receive as many as you send.  You may establish friendships through mutual interests or indeed diverse lifestyles across the world, and who knows if one day you may meet your new friends. Children and adults alike are involved, and some school groups also participate.
  The above is a selection of cards I have received over the years, from places including Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Hungary, Japan, Latvia  and Germany.  I've learned about traditions, crafts, artists and beautiful places I'll probably never visit, but can through Postcrossing.com .  Many people are keen to swap stamps, small collectable items or just stories! 

Vintage Portuguese embroidery patterns inspire new collage work ...

In  Lisbon recently, we visited  the flea market  in the Alfama district, a colourful and bustling location, and I found these attractive 1960s embroidery and tapestry patterns, which open up to large poster size and could possibly be framed as such.   

I covered some notebooks with one of them, and am now taking inspiration from an image of a pretty flower basket from the cover of another to make a series of collages using stamps from many countries.  The stamps I'm using for the borders are from Ukraine and all depict leaves and fruits. To create the basket work for two of my collages,  I've used George VI definitives which have a great pattern,  almost like wickerwork . 

Flowers and foliage are cut from stamps with floral images, or made in the shapes of leaves and flowers.  It's a work in progress,  but at least I've made a start after a period of artist's

Heartfelt thanks for stamps!

A surprise parcel arrived containing many thousands of stamps sent by a friend who was having a clear-out! The majority were red 1st and blue 2nd class stamps,  1st class gold stamps, and  hundreds of Christmas issues from recent years.  All of these will come in useful in stamp collage pictures including some I am currently working on.  But there are also several little treasures  amongst the hoard, and here are just a few rather special stamps which may be part of something in future.
I have mentioned the Resplendent Quetzal in a blog of 27th July 2019,    and so I was thrilled to uncover an old Guatemalan stamp issued  in aid of the Red Cross, featuring a nurse flanked by two of these wonderful long tailed birds. There is no value on this stamp and I haven't yet been able to find out exactly when it was issued or if indeed it has any current value, but will keep if in  my/my father's collection of very old Guatemalan stamps!

I always love to find a heart!  And there were a few among this enormous pile of stamps, so that made me very happy!  I have a growing collection of pretty heart stamps from several countries, and any duplicates can of course go into a Love themed collage at some point!

The Shard - 3 years to build - 18 months for me to make a collage!

Sometimes things don't come together as quickly as I'd like, and I knew making this stamp collage picture of The Shard was going to be quite a challenge.

Stamp collage of the Shard

 I didn't think it would take more than a year to complete though! I was making good progress initially, having accurately traced and enlarged one of my photos, and enjoyed the absorbing placement of the stamps as they climbed steadily up the steep sides of the tower, but then enthusiasm waned, and other interests took over, so this ambitious project was abandoned in favour of ships, cats and numerous other projects, and other trips which provided further inspiration!!

In March 2018  we enjoyed our  "View from the Shard" experience, on a clear day, with  great panoramic views  London and beyond from the 72nd   floor. I took many photos from this vantage point and one of my favourites was  the shadow of the Shard cast on the land below, with its  top just reaching the Thames!

My interpretation of  the Shard is a stamp collage using British definitives to make the numerous panes of glass in this iconic modern London building, designed  by Italian architect Renzo Piano  and completed in 2012.
London landmarks, ancient and modern appear on many British commemorative stamps and we could see the Tower of London, St Paul's cathedral, the Gerkin, the GPO Tower ,once the tallest London buildinh, but now dwarfed by later additions to the skyline, and many of the bridges over the River Thames.

Detail showing some of the landmarks on stamps

I've allowed myself a bit of artist's licence in their placement  around the Shard, including a few which can not easily be seen from here.  

An alternative to Stamp collage

I  only  work from my studio at home on stamp collages,  as storage and use of materials isn't great outdoors (they blow away!), and transporting supplies is difficult.  I  always  enjoy doing some form of  artwork though, and find sitting for a while and really looking closely at the subject is far more memorable than merely taking a photo! While away I try to do odd sketches or collages using leaflets etc which I can't resist picking up at every opportunity, so only need to take glue stick, notebook  and some pens or pencils and small scissors. This time, I also bought a
Children's paint box for 3 Euros!

In the hilly  Alfama area of Lisbon, I could have spent the whole time sitting on the third floor  balcony trying to draw, paint and collage this panoramic view, if it wasn't for the endless sightseeing opportunities. 

 Due to a  lack of Portuguese stamps, chances are I won't be making any collages of the various places of interest we visited in Lisbon, as  I like to use the nation's stamps when creating landmarks:  Italian stamps for the Colosseum, French for the Eiffel Tower and for my latest picture of Ayers Rock, Australian stamps.  See Landmark pages for all these collages, available as originals in some cases, and prints in various sizes.

Primary research methods - visit a pub!

I must admit to being extremely disappointed when I arrived at the Mauretania pub in Bristol recently on a mission to get in the mood for embarking on my new project of making a stamp collage version of the Mauretania, originally launched in 1907.  I had located this source of great interest after discovering the story of this beautiful ocean liner, after visiting Amble, Northumberland , "the Friendliest port in England".  See blog post dated for the story so far 6th September.


I had read that the Mauretania building in Bristol's Park Street contains fixtures and fittings salvaged when the liner was broken up in 1936, and had hoped we could go to the pub, have a drink and possibly lunch, and admire the beauty of the mirror veneer panelling, and chandeliers , but instead I was confronted with locked doors, pulled down shutters, and a general feeling of neglect, and no clue as to the demise of the business.Only the illuminated sign "MAURETANIA" which is still lit up at night  remains as an indication of the story of what lies within.
 We spent the rest of the morning visiting a couple of exhibitions before heading back down the hill for lunch but determination lead me to ring one of the bells for other businesses which now inhabit the upstairs .. my call was answered and I asked if  I could possibly speak to someone.  Door catch released, and I proceeded up a dark stairway, emerging to find two helpful ladies, who said they dealt with the Mauretania building, now empty and in need of a new occupant to bring it back to life.

I was introduced to a gentleman who was very knowledgeable about the ship and who proudly showed me the clock from the vessel, and pointed out some of the mirrors and other fittings in his office space, as well as an old framed photo of the Mauretania.

 I was then invited to go downstairs to the former nightclub, Java, which also contains some of the once beautiful polished wood panelling and decoration from the ship as well as a ceiling dome minus its glass, and currently sporting a garish glitter ball! 

It's a large space, and times are hard. The nightclub closed after a few years. It would be lovely to see it back in use, and hopefully retaining the historic features. I felt very privileged to have seen just a glimpse of what the Mauretania would have been like in her heyday. The book Mauretaina, Triumph and Resurrection by Peter Newall gives even more information about other buildings and museums which hold more relics from the liner, including Pinewood Studios!

Mauretania Day in Amble, the Friendliest port in England

Celebrated in Amble, Northumberland every year around 3rd July is Mauritania Day. It gets its name from the famous Cunard liner the RMS Mauritania.   The ship passed Amble on that day in 1935  heading to Rosyth to be broken up,and  received the message from the Amble "Amble to Mauretania, Greetings from Amble last port in England, to still the finest ship on the seas."  The reply came back. Mauretania to Urban Council, Amble, to the last and kindliest port in England, greetings and thanks, Mauretania".  Kindliest has over the years become "friendliest", and having visited recently I totally agree!

Built in Newcastle's Swan Hunter shipyard in 1907 for Cunard, she carried wealthy passengers on ocean cruises, and gained the Blue Ribband for being the fastest vessel to cross the Atlantic, maintaining this record for 22 years until it was superceded by the Bremmen. She had 9 decks, carrying passengers in  1st, 2nd and 3rd class.  The first class areas were very sumptious and lined with shiny mahogony and decked out with chandeliers.
On Mauritania Day, which this year took place on the 7th July,  we were able to witness the pride of the town in being named, "the kindliest (now friendliest) port in England" with a programme of entertainment throughout the day including Brass bands, choirs, Belly dancers, the weekly  market, and a very welcoming  street Cafe Church service with tea and cake.

Inspired by the ship's story, on return home I began my research, with a view to making a collage of this beautiful old vessel. Unsure at the moment quite how or where  to portray her, as photos of old postcards and ancient photographs show her with varying paint colours including a very jazzy paint effect during the war.







Always  after a ship to collage, the Mauritania certainly fits the bill, and to my delight I find  I have two stamps  depicting her.  Back in pre-decimal 1969, and in my own collection is   a set of Ships designed by renowned stamp designer, David Gentleman., including the 1/- Mauritania.

  In 2004 a series of  stamps depicting ocean liners was issued  including a 47p  RMS Mauritania stamp from a painting by Thomas Henry

Researching  online, I dicover  that not far from home. is a pub in Bristol  called The Mauritania which is fitted out with some of the original wood panelling and other decorative items  from the ship, so that was my next destination ...   More to follow ...

Ayres Rock - Uluru - Stamp collage using Australian stamps

Ayres Rock - stamp collage by Rachel Markwick



Earlier this month I posted about making this collage, inspired by finding an aboriginal artwork in a charity shop. It's now finished, and  I'm getting  some high quality giclee prints made actual size of the original, which is A3.                                                                                                                             

I've used mainly Australian stamps to create this collage of Ayres Rock, also know as Uluru, the world's largest Monolith.  The very last stamp to be included was one depicting kangaroos. There are in fact several different kangaroo stamps in the collage, along with wombats, lizards and Australian flora.  Aboriginal artworks on stamps also feature on the rock itself.

Enjoying a good rummage ..

 Stamps for new projects are sometimes  easy to find, having already been sorted  into countries, subjects, colours or just "may be useful for a certain idea not yet started ".  But more often than not, I find myself rummaging around in boxes and bags for likely materials for new projects, or in the latest case to find ordinary definitives in pastel shades to complete a large picture of the Shard abandoned last year  due other projects of  more immediate interest to me, and I might add, the fiddly nature of the task I'd set myself!

  There's something quite therapeutic about sorting through heaps of stamps, and I often find little treasures which make me smile, such as this delightful Isle of Man stamp showing Postman Pat and his Black and White cat.  And I have  a black and white cat of my own, who  also appreciates a good box of stamps.

   

I went walkabout (in Charity shops) and got inspiration from Aboriginal art ...

I recently picked up an original Aboriginal painting on canvas for a few pounds in a Charity shop.
The artist is Minnie Ngwarray Morton one of the artists of Ampilatwatja in the Northern Territory of Australia.  Interesting to read that artists from this area  mainly depict medicinal plants and herbs arranged in attractive patterns. This piece  has a  terracotta coloured background, and  limited palette of blues, yellows and greens.  I've never been to Australia, but have "explored" by means of stamps, and loved creating an  Australian flag collage some years ago using stamps showing the wonderful and  varied landscapes of this vast country.  When I think of a famous Australian landmark, Ayers rock, or Uluru,  springs immediately to  mind. It's the largest monolith in the world, and appears on a stamp issued in 1993, shown below with a few others I'm hoping to incorporate in a stamp collage version of Ayers Rock I'm now working on.
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 I'm  gathering together mainly Australian stamps in appropriate colour tones, as well as also searching and researching  Australian plants on stamps  to include in the picture's foreground, along with a few trees and maybe some wildlife. I also found a series of stamps showing Aboriginal rock paintings art, issued in 1984, some of which may also find there way onto the rock. 

I must keep at it and not be tempted to go walkabout again for a while!                                           

The Grayhound - new arrival in Gloucester Waterways Museum exhibition on Floor 2 - and new cards

The Grayhound - Stamp collage by Rachel Markwick

 I have added a framed limited edition  stamp collage print of the Grayhound  to the other pictures of ships currently in my exhibition in the Waterways Museum,  Llanthony Warehouse in Gloucester docks. Also available in the museum is a selection of my cards mainly featuring ships and flags.
Cards are priced at £2.50 each or £10 for  5 . These are also on Floor 2 but need to be purchased  in the shop on the Ground floor .  The exhibition continues on until October, but will update on  closing date, as it may be extended.

Here are some of the latest additions to my range of cards:

The Atyla, The Grayhound, The White Heather and La Malouine  in Gloucester Docks

The Resplendent Quetzal - an illusive bird but spotted on Guatemalan stamps and banknotes

Some of the stamps in  my late father's collection are the beautiful Guatemalan Quetzal bird stamps issued between 1881 - 7 .  These came to mind when planning a trip to Central America where we  visited Guatemala and hoped to catch sight of some of these beautiful birds, which are a symbol of the country, also appearing on the flag, and giving their name to the Guatemalan currency.


 The currency is also called the  Quetzal, and the bird appears  in flight on each note, as below.

Sadly we didn't see any real live Quetzals, but brought home some hand made beaded versions for the Christmas tree!

 Birds, including the Quetzal also appear on hand made textiles, produced throughout the country - more about  this to follow!
Historically, the  ancient Mayans used the feathers of the resplendent quetzal as decoration and these can be seen in some of the stone carvings in Mayan sites such as Tikal in Guatemala and Palenque in Mexico. It's always good to have a local guide who can point out these things,  as these ancient sculpted details, like the birds, are often very difficult to spot! On the right of this stone stella, if you look very carefully, you can see the tail feathers of the Qutezal which adorned the headress of Pakal, a Mayan emperor.