Mantids in the Machine mandala is digitally printed using pigment inks on silky, bright white, acid-free paper. Folded card is 5.25" by 5.25" and comes with a beautifully made, bright white envelope. The paper is super smooth, not slick, and takes gel, ballpoint, and other inks well. The photograph I used to create the mandala is printed on the back of the card with the photo location and a little story about the artwork. Card is blank or choose to have a birthday greeting printed inside. A nice greeting for the Aquarian in your life.

Interior Message Choices: Blank | Happy Birthday!

Shipping. The card and envelope are packaged together in a plastic sleeve and mailed in a stiffened mailer. Orders of one or two cards are shipped via First Class Mail with no tracking. Larger orders ship together via the most economical means, which usually includes tracking.

Framing. This card is created using high-quality archival materials, such as might be used in a museum. The print is sharp, bright, and frameable. To protect the vibrancy of the artwork, I frame using UV glass or acrylic, and I recommend it. If you use plain glass or acrylic, make sure you hang this sweet, little piece and all your beautiful art away from direct sunlight.

About the art. The digital collage on this card, titled Mantids in the Machine, was created from this photo of a tiny green praying mantis lurking in a hydrangea, taken in the gardens at Modern Homestead in Reedsville, West Virginia. As indicated by his intense glare, this mantis seemed a little annoyed that I was hanging around disrupting his hover fly hunt.

As they hurtle through space, a crew of otherworldly mantids adjust their intergalactic machine with measured diligence, gathering and focusing the cosmic energy needed to animate a new supreme leader. As their craft approaches the Milky Way, one pauses to consider where they might be headed. Earth, perhaps, with a strange interloper bent on mischief? Or is it a wise mentor they bring, with guidance to help us navigate our troubled times? Either-or be alert for strange purple lights in the midnight sky and odd stirrings among the mantids in your own garden—they may just be organizing for something nefarious or nice!

~artwork created by Linda S. Gribko