Postcrossing #18 - Alan Fletcher's Characterization

© 2004 phaidon press

This is my 18th random postcard received via Postcrossing. It travelled 14,927 kms from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA to Malaysia. Amadei chose to send me this postcard as a reflection of her feelings on a particular day - she could not decide if she was an optimist or a pessimist.

This postcard carries a Alan Fletcher ( 1931 - 2006 ) design on watercolour, pen and ink media. This image " Characterization " is taken from the master designer's book, The Art of Looking Sideways. " Visual thinking ", " visual awareness ", " creative interplay of word and image " - these are some found phrases that best describe Fletcher's works.

So, are you an Optimist, a Pessimist, a Rationalist or an Illusionist ?

Postcrossing #17 - Hollywood's Chinese Theatre

This is my 17th random postcard received via Postcrossing. It travelled 13,500 kms from San Francisco USA to Malaysia. The sender, Priscilla, is an artist who picked this postcard during a trip to Los Angeles. A Bob Hope postage stamp completes the theme of the postcard - Hollywood & Stars. Thanks, Priscilla !

Postcard shows The Chinese Theatre on 6925 Hollywood Boulevard. It opened in 1927 and was also known as Grauman's Chinese Theatre and Mann's Chinese Theatre. Today, it is famous for the concrete blocks on its forecourt that hold the signatures, footprints and handprints of distinguished Hollywood personalities, as well as its location along the Hollywood Walk of Fame.( Bob Hope was accorded a handprint & footprint ceremony on 5 Feb 1943 ).

Postcrossing #16 - Two Kissing Smileys

design © catch publishing

This is my 16th random postcard received via Postcrossing. It travelled 8,669 kms from Vantaa Finland to Malaysia. The sender is Annina who wrote that she likes to use smileys on the computer as they " bring the text to life ".

Postcard shows a couple of very affectionate ( or amorous, depending on your interpretation ! ) smileys and this black & white graphic is aptly named " Two Kissing Smileys ". Amazing what a colon, a hyphen and a bracket can convey in a world of wordless communication... :-)

Postcrossing #15 - Kandinsky's Landscape 1913

This is my 15th random postcard received via Postcrossing. It travelled 8,374 kms from Saint Petersburg, Russia to Malaysia. The sender is Sasha who wrote that the works of Wassily Kandinsky ( 1866 - 1944 ) touched her soul and imagination.

Postcard shows " Landscape 1913 ", an 70 x 97 cm oil on canvas work by Kandinsky. He was a master of the abstract expressionism movement. This postcard is from a series of museum postcards called The Hermitage : Masterpieces of Painting.

Postcrossing #14 - Mountain scene of Goddess Azalea

This is my 14th random postcard received via Postcrossing. It travelled 3,447 kms from Zhejiang Province, China to Malaysia. The sender is Qiu who wrote that his beautiful hometown of Hangzhou is famous for its picturesque fresh water lake called West Lake ( 西湖 ).

This postcard, however, shows a breathtaking mountainous scene in neighbouring Jiangxi Province. Blooms of azaleas in the foreground, mysterious clouds and mists in the background, nature's art on the stone peaks that resemble images of goddesses... this heavenly scene is known as " Goddess Azalea " in poetic chinese.

Postcrossing #13 - Helsinki, Finland

This is my 13th random postcard received via Postcrossing. It travelled 8,672 kms from Helsinki to Malaysia. The sender is Esko JH who wrote that he loves the summer in Helsingfors, which is another name for the capital city of Finland.

Main picture in the postcard shows a wide view of the Port of Helsinki. The green domed landmark is the Helsinki Cathedral, an Evangelical Lutheran church. Small picture on the left shows a Silja Line cruise ferry which transports vehicles and passengers between Finland and Sweden. Small picture on the right shows the fountain at Market Square & Market Hall that symbolizes Helsinki as " the Daughter of the Baltic ".

Postcrossing #12 - The Bald Eagle

photographer: john hyde/ wild things, © impact

This is my 12th random postcard received via Postcrossing. It travelled 12,688 kms from Langley, British Columbia to Malaysia. The sender is Erika who wrote that the Bald Eagle is one of her favourite animals.

Postcard shows the Bald Eagle, one of the largest birds of prey in North America. Its distinctive features include a white head, white tail and fierce yellow eyes.

Choh Kiat Siong's Watercolours on Postcards

Seemed a long shot that one could find postcards at the Penang Turf Club but found them I did at this month's National Horse Show. I chanced upon these beautiful postcards at the bazaar corner and they featured watercolour works by Kedah artist Choh Kiat Siong. Watercolour is my favourite medium of art and it has been pure pleasure studying the colours and details in each of the 6 postcards here ( packed as Heritage Rediscovery of Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur and Penang Scenes, 2001 edition, All Rights Reserved ).

Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur ( 1999 )

Here We Stay ( 2000 )

Meeting ( 2001 )

Campbell Market, Penang ( 2001 )

A Summer Day in Penang Street ( 2001 )

Building of Sultan Abdul Samad, Kuala Lumpur ( 2001 )

Postcrossing #11 - Oregon USA

design © CKI, Inc./ published by © Smith-Western, Inc.

This is my 11th random postcard received via Postcrossing. It travelled 12,954 kms from Oregon, USA to Malaysia. The sender is Traci who wrote that Mt. Hood is a wonderful place for picnics and campings in summer, and for skiing in winter.

Postcard shows a main picture of snow-capped Mount Hood and its reflection on Lake Trillium. Mount Hood is both a dormant volcano and a mountain of 12 glaciers. Inset pictures show a tulip farm in the Willamette Valley and the Crater Lake National Park in Southern Oregon.

Postcrossing #10 - Bergamo, Italy

This is my 10th random postcard received via Postcrossing. It travelled 9,620 km from Italy to Malaysia. The sender is Eleonora who lives in Crema but attends university in Bergamo.

Postcard shows the Piazza Vecchia in Bergamo. The Palazzo della Regione is the building on the left. A stone relief of the Lion of St. Mark can be seen above the main balcony. The Campanone tower and staircase stand to the right. Apparently the tower bells toll 100 times each night at precisely 10pm. The Contarini Fountain is almost overshadowed by the medieval inspired structures in the piazza. Can you spot the low fountain ?