FAQ
This page answers common questions about participating in the Correspondence project. If you have not read the participation guide, then please start here:
Do I need to pay to participate?
No.
Participation is completely free. There is no purchase required and no obligation to continue participating.
You will not be asked to pay any fees at any stage of the project. This includes submitting an observation, being selected, or receiving a painting.
There are no hidden charges, no subscriptions required, and no requests for payment later.
Do I need to be an artist?
No.
The project invites observations from anyone. You simply describe something you noticed in response to the weekly prompt.
How many observations can I send?
You may send one observation per weekly prompt.
Each observation becomes a single entry in that week’s selection pool.
What happens if my observation is selected?
Your observation becomes the starting point for a painting made in my studio in Sanremo, Italy.
When the painting is complete it is divided into two parts:
• one part is sent to you by mail
• the other remains in the studio archive
What size is the painting?
Each painting begins as a 48 × 24 cm work on canvas using acrylic paint and drawing materials, and with collage occasionally used.
After completion the painting is divided into two equal parts, each approximately 24 × 24 cm.
Why is the painting divided?
The two halves remain connected as parts of the same original painting.
One circulates in the world through the postal system while the other remains in the studio archive.
Over time this creates a distributed archive of paintings.
The work begins to exist across many places at once, held by different people.
What can I do with the painting I receive?
You are free to do anything you like with the physical painting.
As is normal with artistic works, copyright and image rights remain with me as the artist, so the image cannot be used commercially without my permission.
How are observations selected?
During my studio week one observation is selected at random from the weekly submissions.
The selected observation becomes the starting point for a painting.
When are paintings made?
My studio week runs Saturday to Wednesday.
During this period one observation is selected each day and developed into a painting.
What are chapters?
Correspondence runs in chapters.
A chapter lasts several weeks and explores a particular theme through weekly prompts.
Observations are only accepted during the active dates of a chapter.
What happens if my observation is selected?
I will contact you by email to request your postal address, and you will have 7 calendar days to reply - after which the painting is classified as an Orphan and enters the studio archive.
Your postal address will be used only for sending the painting, and for no other reason.
Where are selected observations shared?
The selected observation for each studio day will be posted on Substack Notes, Bluesky, and Threads.
At the end of the week, all selected observations are included in an email with the following week’s prompt.
Will my name be published?
Your initials, city / region, and country may be published in project documentation but your full postal address will never be made public.
If you prefer not to have your initials included, you may request that your observation appear as “Anonymous”.
Where can paintings be sent?
Paintings can be sent to any address where you normally receive mail or where you have permission to receive mail.
How will the painting arrive?
The painting will arrive folded inside an envelope, mailed using Poste Italiane untracked postal service. Poste Italiane estimate the average delivery schedule (from the day of posting):
Italy: within 5 working days.
Europe: within 8 working days.
North America and Oceania: within 16 working days.
Rest of the world: within 22 working days.
What happens to the other half of the painting?
The second half remains in my studio archive in Italy.
Over time this archive forms part of the larger Correspondence artwork.
Can I receive more than one painting?
Yes.
It is possible to receive more than one painting over time.
Only one observation is selected each day, and once an observation is used it is removed from the selection pool.
This means a participant can receive a maximum of one painting per week.
By continuing to take part across different weeks and chapters, you may receive more than one painting over time.
Must I use the Substack App to participate?
No, you can simply reply to email prompts.
Further Information
If you would like to learn more about the ideas behind the project, you can read the About page.
Full participation conditions are described in the Terms page.