Your Mid-Monthly Dose of Whimsy

August-September 2024

Hello my dears, I just thought I’d check in with a little dose of whimsy for your letterbox. I’ve had many ideas floating around my head this month of lovely things to gift you in the mail (physical and virtual) and decided that a regular little zine would be a treat!

I’ve always been a doodler, and have often wondered what to do with my little surrealist illustrations. A few years ago (2019), I created this little zine called DOODS which marries art and weird text. Paid subscribers can download the zine at the bottom of the page.

I only ever printed 1 volume of this zine, and with printing costs ever increasing it became cost-prohibitive to print more. Since 2019, I’ve been mulling over the issue and I think I’ve come up with a solution. A little zine made with 1 piece of paper that I send out in the mail every month featuring recent whimsical artworks and some older bits too. I’ll call it ‘A Dose of Whimsy’ and I hope that it will add more whimsy and childlike joy to your every day. I’d like to encourage a little more silliness and less seriousness (especially in Adults who are weighed down by many responsibilities). Also, how lovely is it to receive an actual letter in the mail that isn’t a bill?

Here is a little mock-up that I quickly created the other day. The final design would probably include a little more text and be more polished.

My question to you is, would you prefer to receive this as a PDF that you can print and make yourself at home (tiny cost) the mail every month (medium cost) or a larger professionally printed magazine four times a year (most cost)?

I’m thinking that I would release a printable zine to my paid subscribers on Substack ($5 per month/$50 per year) and 'Real-Mail Legends’ ($150) would receive a physical copy in their monthly gift pack.

Recent Art Recap

Anyhoo, I’ve been busy this month painting a landscape every day in an attempt to improve my skills. I’m going to continue to do this every day in Spring and try and work outside as much as possible. Here are some of the landscapes that I’ve done that I don’t want to tear up. I often have to do a funny doodle after painting to chill out after concentrating so hard!

I’m also about to start playing a new session of Dungeons and Dragons. The last time I played was just after Uni in 2015 and I’m quite excited to play the young halfling druid I’ve designed. I’ll probably make a better artwork soon so that I can better understand my character. Watch this space.

I’ve been drawing on our wall, what a childhood dream! I was inspired by the artwork in Bricks and Stones in Unley which gave me the idea that paint is not the only medium you can create art on the walls with. Here is a sneak peak as to what I’ve done so far along with the mock-up I did on my Ipad.

If you’ve been following me, you might have guessed that I’m working on a new book! It’s a collection of limericks by Edward Lear and I’m having an absolute blast. A couple of years ago, I illustrated ‘The Quangle Wangle’s Hat’ by Edward Lear and I have to say that it’s one of the books I’m most proud of. I loved designing all the strange creatures like the Pobble Who Has No Toes or the Small Olympian Bear. See the book here.

caption...

There was a Young Lady whose bonnet,
Came untied when the birds sate upon it;
But she said: 'I don't care!
All the birds in the air
Are welcome to sit on my bonnet!

- Edward Lear

Toodaloo!

Well, that’s it for now. Make sure your subscribed so that you receive the next mid-monthly dose of whimsy. Also, feel free to upgrade to $5 a month and download the little DOODS zine below.

Also, it would be lovely if you would share my post to someone who you think might need a little dose of whimsy in their mail.

With love and a dose of whimsy,

Zinia King