Sometime ago, Carol (aka carolreader) received a special postcard from Anneliese (aka illustransit). It depicted an anonymous person on a Portland bus, which had been hand-drawn by the sender during her commute. Carol told us she was floored by the quality of Anneliese’s illustrations, and that we ought to check them out.
Discovering Anneliese’s work has been magic. We loved the idea of these remarkable and unique postcards, and decided to ask her about them.
A couple of years ago, Anneliese donated her car, and started taking the bus to and from work. Reading in motion made her woozy, so on her new-found commute time, she decided to observe instead:
I love watching people during this time, when they are between places, simultaneously in public and in solitude, both guarded and naked. Their posture, their fidgeting, whether they engage or avoid eye contact, their exhaustion, and their anticipation. I think about where they might be headed, where they’re coming from, and what kind of day they might be having. I spend so much time observing these people, that I decided to draw them.
The format for these portraits is the postcard. After documenting a bus-rider, I drop the postcard in the mail to a stranger somewhere else in the world. For me, there’s something incredibly motivating about drawing for another person. I hope that whomever receives these postcards enjoys them. And I hope you enjoy looking at them!
What a nice way to spend your commute time! Well done, Anneliese! Too see more of her illustrated postcards, check out her website.
58 comments so far
Absolutely gorgeous drawings and I love the story behind it. Would love to receive a hand drawn card one day.
What an interesting idea of these postcards! And the drawings are sooooo nice, too!!! :D :D Hope someday I'll also be one of the lucky people who receive this! Thanks for sharing!
What a curious idea! Just love this kind of pictures! Oh, and I wonder how I would look like if drawn while going home by bus! :)
great look for the essential, I realy love your drawings
awesome illustrations!
THIS IS MORE THAN GREAT!!!!!
hope the number of people being aware and showing it to others is growing all the time!!
I WISH I WISH.... for such a special card one day...
Beautiful drawing...
Well done, Anneliese.
I love your work!
I like these cards very much! What a great idea to draw strangers on the bus and send the drawings as postcards - they are such personal gifts though they show strangers and are sent to strangers. And I can't help wondering now if someone is actually drawing ME when I'm on the bus on my way home. Hee hee! Thanks for sharing!
Is so nice to see the beautiful drawing~
I love it: )
These are so wonderful Anneliese! You're a super talented artist. I love how you have turned the mundane bus ride and observation of others into art!
These are wonderful! She should consider reproducing them and selling them - I think they'd be a hit here on Postcrossing :D
Talented artist with stunning work. Does she do just the one postcard or has she printed them and made several (for sale to the public)? Would love to receive one of these.
Wow, I love it!
Love, love, love!!!! What a talented young lady!!! I hope to receive one of your postcards one day!!!!
You are truly gifted!!! The drawings are amazing!! Thanks a lot for sharing!!!
I also travel by public transport and love the drawings, very realistic...would love to receive one of the cards myself.
Truly talented and a brilliant eye to capture these ordinary everyday scenes of commuters on sketch. Great to see these fabulous postcards. Hope to get one some day.
Oh my god, these are so gorgeous! I love the style, they look like story book illustrations. Would LOVE to receive one of these!
very talented indeed!!!!...Would love to receive one of these cards, what a great honor that would be....
Really great cards. I hope to get something like this one day! Why are so many stating in their profile that they don't like to receive handmade cards? Handmade cards like this are really special.
Amazing cards! :)
Beautiful drawings. What a creative & productive use of commuting time!
Absolutely amazing! Such a fantastic concept and idea :) And the art work is simply stunning! Wow :D
These cards are amazing! As a fellow Portlander I also get a little thrill that these are being created by a local :)
beautiful! Your artwork is stunning!
Amazing art! What wonderful gifts to send. :)
Amazing cards! I like it! I wish I could receive one of it someday! :)
Wow, these drawings are fantastic! How wonderful to receive a little piece of art in the mail. Anneliese is seriously talented!!!
These drawings are beautiful. I hope one day to receive one of these cards from the very talented Anneliese.
Your drawings are absolutely wonderful, Anneliese! I spend lots of time going by public transport, too, but I can't imagine being able to draw something so beautiful while being on a bumpy bus ride!
Very beautiful. I would treasure one of these if I ever received one.
Great talent! These could be printed officially - these people would surely be amazed to see themselves on the postcard rack :)
Verry beautiful,i hope i would ever received one ?
Anneliesse iets great!!
Greetings Hennie
very very talented and beautiful illustrations!
So extremely nice! Such an eye for the unusual usual. Just great great great!
How amazing to receive an original piece of art! I hope Anneliesse gets my address someday!
This is a very special kind of postcard. Half drawing, half performance. I can include it into a extended "living art" concept.
Bravo!!!!
What a lovely postcards, I hope one day that I will have one of them :-)
Beautiful. I cant even draw a stick figure. Would love to buy these!
Beautiful. A unique talent.
Very interesting drawings. You have good eyes to illustrate little things. I hope some day I can get a card...
you could have a new sideline .maybe sell these to the people you are drawing ....or would that be a little creepy if they knew you were watching them. either way from someone who can't even draw a circle my hat is off to you.
I often see that peeople dont wish to be sent hand made cards or instagram cards.....sad.some of the most beautiful cards i have received have been handmade,I love the idea that someone sat down and created it to send .
Anneliese you are very talented-the cards are wonderful-it would be so special to receive one from you
Nice cards. But it is a hard to know can you send handmade card to that recipient or can not.
My wife is artist and she draw ornamental cards. But we send it only to members, who clearly say in profiles that handmade cards is accepable. So we able to send only 3 handmade cards from 62 currently.
For those who want to see it please go to my faves: http://www.postcrossing.com/user/yark/gallery/favourites
wooooow, absolutely love this cards, Anneliese artist!!!
Truly a gift to receive such a card. I stated clearly in my profile that I like to receive handmade cards. The one I got was a little masterpiece too.
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/BY-604609
Love the ones Yark shows too.
A very talented artist!!
What a wonderful idea and fantastic drawings! Unbelieveble if there are still people on postcrossing who don't want handmade cards after seeing this :)
Wow, such talent. I would truly appreciate getting a card like that. Thanks for sharing.
They are beautiful, I would love to get one of them !
Wow, lovely drawings!
This is not just a card. Ths is a gift.
Wow, what a talent!! It's such a great gift if you can draw like this!
I'm not always happy with handmades cards. But these one...really nice!
I love to see people being creative with handmade cards.
These are a treasure!- I wonder if you gift any to your subjects?
Those are amazing! That is such a great way to practice art.
oh, I'm so thrilled to see these great paintings!!!!
Whow I think this is amazing! What a talented lady!! I believe I am not the only one that would be thrilled to receive such a card from her ;-)) Great work of art!
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