Postcard Club Illustrations (Year 4)
The “Postcard Club” is back for year four! Since beginning in 2023, I’ve been creating and mailing these monthly designs.
2025 was the year of the snake, and 2026 is the year of the horse! That was the theme of January’s postcard club, with horse themed stickers and a whimsical carousel featured in the watercolor postcard design.
The horses on the merry-go-round also fit the "merry-go-round of life" metaphor - it seemed fitting for the new year, with it's cyclical nature of continuous ups and downs. Our new baby might have also subconsciously influenced the color palette for this month’s card, since it uses a lot of childlike primary colors!
The horse theme continued with the two stickers, a 2026 warrior horse and two racehorses.
January 2026
This month the postcard is of the "Love Letter Delivery Service," which makes sure everyone gets their valentines rain or shine! I painted a goose delivering the love letters by air, land, and water. I wanted to choose the goose as the love letter deliverer because they're monogamous birds, often forming lifelong pair bonds to raise their young.
For the stickers, I brought back the "favo-rat" pun with some new designs: 19 valentines themed stickers!
February 2026
March 2026
The postcard for this month featured a bunch of little rats enjoying a cozy “crafternoon”. They’re journaling, painting, embroidering, writing letters, and generally enjoying a day of favorite crafts.
One sticker was an octopus with more hobbies than hands! The vinyl sticker version had glitter accents on the octopus spots, so it shimmered in the light. The other sticker was a rat who was “lord of the onion rings.” The back of this month's letter had a small 5x7" version of my “protect your neighbors” painting.
The band of bugs (plus one red eft newt) are marching through a rhododendron thicket, welcoming spring with their musical parade. Some are based on real local bugs (like the cherry millipede, rosy maple moth, and rolly pollies) but most are little made up critters. The rosy maple moth at the front is holding a galax leaf.
Meanwhile, this month’s stickers are based more on the rainy days that April brings. The southern Appalachian Mountain region is a temperate rainforest, so even though rain can be a bummer, I love that it makes our forests here so lush and mossy.
April 2026
"Party" is the theme for this month's postcard and sticker art! I've always loved the month of May, partially because it's my birthday month (and the birthday month for two of my sisters!) and partially because the weather is so nice, with the promise of summer fun just around the corner. I also get to celebrate my first Mother’s Day this month!
May 2026
Hooray for summer! I love hearing the summer soundtrack of bugs singing at night - that’s what this month’s postcard is based on. The summer solstice happens this month, and the cricket and cicada have organized a solstice symphony at the lake to celebrate. The fireflies are helping, acting as their stage spotlights.
The evening bug theme continues with the stickers, since the vinyl sticker sheet features “glow bugs” native to the Appalachian mountains.
June 2026
With school being out and the days being long, summer is such a great time for road trips - that's what this month's theme is!
This month’s postcard is inspired by Richard Scarry’s fun cars (he’s one of my favorite illustrators!) with a little Roald Dahl “James and the Giant Peach” vibes. The bugs are driving their fruit and veggie cars on the tree highway.
The summer road trip theme continues with the stickers! One is a "snack suitcase" and one is a glittery motorcycle with a cat "passenger princess."
July 2026
