Darcy's Postcard Challenge Wk 4 China

Here is my postcard for this week from China.
Hand drawn in charcoal and pastels.

This weeks story continues.

Gil Brockman sold every one of his paintings in Brazil!

He got talking to some very wealthy people one afternoon who wanted him to paint their whole family, two of which were in China and two were on the ship they were boarding the next day. They invited him to join them, he could paint them on the way and add the others when they reach China.

He would be stupid not to jump at the chance! So he worked on the painting on the ship, they then travelled over land to Peking to join the others.

Gil took the afternoon off to go to a local art gallery, while he was there he sketched a picture of a fisherman (the original by Qi Baishi) he thought of Lavinia wishing she was here with him to share all the wonderful art.

Before he left the gallery he wrote on the back.

Dear Lavinia,

                     I am now in Peking in China, (painting a wealthy family I met in Rio!) in an art gallery, I sketched this fisherman for you, (I thought he looked like he was thinking of someone he misses). I am so pleased it is alright for me to send you my cards! One day I hope I will end up in your busy London!

                                                Gil x

Lavinia held the postcard in her hand and stared at the writing. Gil had added a kiss at the bottom, her heart flipped!

She couldn’t understand why, she had always been completely faithful to her husband, when he was away from her during the war and after his death. So why did she feel this way now!

She put the postcard with the others in the book on her desk, if he sent any more she would have to find another place to put them.

She wouldn’t answer this one.

She felt too guilty.

If you want to join in or see more postcard stories unfold pop over to Darcy 's Blog!

Right I'm off to see everyones postcards!

Darcy's Postcard Challenge Week 3 Brazil.

This weeks postcard comes from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

This postcard was hand sketched by me in pencil, coloured pencils and a little charcoal.

The story this week.

Gilbert Brockman sold a lot of his work in Valencia, so he decided to travel to Brazil by ship.

It took a long time but he wiled away the time by sketching and painting the other travellers on board. He earned enough money to take a few days off when he arrived in Rio de Janeiro, he wanted to see the statue Christ the Redeemer, he had heard it was the sight to see here, they were not wrong, he sat looking up at the statue sipping tea from the flask cup.

His thoughts turned to Lavinia, he did not know why every time he drank tea his thoughts wandered to the woman he didn’t even know.

He took his pencils and a small piece of paper and began to sketch the statue, when he had finished he turned it over and wrote to her.

Dear Lavinia

I am sitting outside having some tea, looking up at the most amazing statue Christ the Redeemer. It made me think of you,( the tea not the statue). I hope your husband doesn’t mind my postcards to you, please tell me to stop if he does!

Gil Brockman.

He  added to the bottom about not wanting to upset her husband, secretly he hoped she would write back saying it was fine for him to keep sending them.

He was finding this fun!

Lavinia hadn’t heard from ‘her artist man’ for a while. She found herself wondering about him frequently, every morning she felt a pang of excitement when she heard the postman only to be disappointed when he hadn’t sent her anything.

This particular morning she was having tea and toast before she departed for the library when the postman arrived.

She found herself almost skipping to the door to retrieve the post. Flicking through the bills and other letters she saw the postcard. On the front was a pencil drawing of a statue, on the other side was the familiar hand writing, her heart flipped, she felt like a giggly teenager!

She reprimanded herself  “Pull yourself  together girl” she said out loud.

But the smile on her face was a picture, she read the words, she would look for a book in the library about this statue in Rio de Janeiro.

But first she would reply!

This postcard is a 1945 image from on line.

Dear Gil

Your postcard is wonderful! It looks very peaceful there, not like London (which you can see from the picture is very busy!)

It is fine for you to send me your postcards, I look forward to receiving them, I am sure  Anthony wouldn’t mind at all!

Lavinia

If you want to join in or see more postcard stories unfold pop over to Darcy 's Blog!

Right I'm off to see everyones postcards!

Thank you for all the wonderful comments you have left!

Darcy's Postcard Challenge 2012 Wk 2

Here is my postcard for this week. It is a painting of the Museo de Bellas Artes in Valencia Spain. I printed the picture of the museum and painted around it and over it with acrylics and heavy body matt medium.

The story continues,
Lavinia Loveday could not believe her eyes!
The postman had just delivered her a letter from a man who had found the letter from her darling husband that she had lost four years ago! This was the best Christmas present she had ever received!
With tears running down her cheeks she read and re read her letter then she read the postcard that came with it.
The postmark on the postcard was Vienna, she had never been there so how her letter had got there was a mystery!
And after all this time too!
She had realised she had lost the letter on returning home from the first trip that she had been on.
But that was to Innsbruck, miles away from Vienna!
She wondered how the man had found it there!
Strange.
Lavinia was so very happy to have her letter back!
She went to her desk found a postcard of London, wrote on the back
Dear Mr stranger,
Thank you so much for returning my letter, I thought it would be lost forever, 4 years is a long time! I wonder how it got to Vienna, I have never been there, I was in Innsbruck in 1945 though!
Yours Gratefully Lavinia Loveday.
She grabbed her coat and rushed out of the house to the post office, this was one postcard that needed posting as soon as possible and by her own hand.

Gilbert Brockman received Lavinia’s postcard just 10 minutes before he checked out of the boarding house!
He was on his way to Spain, he had always wanted to visit the Museo de Bellas Artes in Valencia so this was where he was heading.
With all his belonging in a bag and a fair amount of money in his pocket he set off.
The train was quiet and he sat back in his seat feeling contented, took the postcard from his pocket and read the words again. He was a bit of an old romantic and wondered what had happened to Lavinia to make her so grateful to get the tatty old letter back, he had noticed that the letter looked tear stained and very crumpled, like it had been in and out of the envelope hundreds of times!
He wondered if her husband was still with her or had he been killed in the war?
The train pulled into the station he stuffed the postcard in his pocket and got off the train. He was now in Valencia.

As soon as Gilbert settled outside the Museo de Bellas Artes he took out the postcard Lavinia had sent,

He set to work on another postcard to send back.

He painted all afternoon only pausing to take a sip of coffee or water, he was quite pleased with the result. As soon as this was dry he wrote his message on the back and went in search of a post office.

This was his message,

Dear Mrs Loveday, How strange! I have no idea how it got there, wind? I was in an art museum when I found it sticking out from under some seating. Your postcard arrived just 10 mins before I departed for Spain! I have never been to London, I would love to one day though! G Brockman.

If you want to see some more of Darcy's Postcard Challenge pop over to Darcy s blog!

Darcy's Postcard Challenge 2012

Here is my postcard for this week from Vienna, Austria
To see more pop over to Ms Darcy's.


The back of the postcard.




This is my book that all the postcards will be stored in.



The front pockets hold background information about the
two people who are writing to each other.



Lavina Loveday was blissfully married to Anthony Loveday just 3 months before the war started.
They planned to 'tour the world' together but the war had put paid to that.
They were apart for 6 years.
The end of the war was near, Anthony was in Japan so he would be there for a few months after VE day. Their tour would begin 3 months after he finally came home.The last letter Lavinia recieved came just 2 days before Anthony was due home.
Lavinia was so excited, she began to prepare for his home coming and their tour to Innsbruck in Austria which was their first 'port of call'. She went into the city to shop for the things they would need, she was very well connected and knew where she could find such things and money was no object.
Armed with parcels she made her way up the steps to their beautiful town house, as she opened the door someone called, "Mrs Loveday, a telegram for you." She woke to find her Doctor and her mother beside her, the telegram open on the floor.
Her handsome loving husband had been killed in battle.
Her world had just fallen apart.

The ticket arrived 9 weeks later, in 3 weeks, 3days and 6 hrs they should have been sitting together in Innsbruck planning what sights to see.
In 3 weeks, 3 days and 6 hours Lavinia was sitting exactly where her husband said they would be sitting but she was aloneLavinia had been home just three days when a parcel arrived. She knew exactly what was inside.
She ripped it open, Anthony's personal possessions stared up at her, she could smell the cologne he always wore. She reached out and touched the contents lovinly as she moved the top things she found Anthony's journal.
Lavinia knew he kept one but she had never seen inside it.
She put it on the table, made a pot of tea and sat and stared at it.
Suddenly she grabbed it, opened the leather cord that held it closed.
She heard a voice in her head saying "It's alright, read it."
She read the first page. Anthony had writen how much he loved her and how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with here and as she turned the pages she found lists of things he wanted from life, parties, children and all the places he wanted to take her to, some she was familiar with, some she had never heard of. Under each of the places were notes of what to visit, where to eat and which hotel to book.
A whole years worth of adventure they were going to spend doing together.
Only now she was alone.



Gilbert Brockman was an artist, he traveled around the world painting the wonderful sights each country had to offer.
His artwork took your breath away, he sold all his work as he finished it. The money then paid for his next trip. He was not a wealthy man but he was the kindest, happiest man you could wish to meet.
He would pack his brushes, paints, paper, easel and the few possessions he owned and take the train, boat or bus to his next destination.
It was while he was in Vienna at Christmas in 1949 he found the letter belonging to Lavinia Loveday, the letter moved him, he just had to return it to her, he just knew he had to.