The Forgotten Postcard series combines many of my favourite things: travel, photography, texture, letter writing, architecture, Photoshop and nostalgia.
The most common question I receive about the postcards is ‘What are they?’ Some people believe they are looking at paintings, others think they are scanned reproductions. In fact, the basis for all of the Forgotten Postcards is photography. Normally, these are my own photos of landmarks, but occasionally I do commissioned pieces using a supplied photo.
The very first Forgotten Postcard was a commission for a friend. She sent me her photograph of Halong Bay in Vietnam and gave me total creative control to create a work of art. Even though it was a modern image, I was struck by the timelessness of the scene, and wanted my work to accentuate that timelessness. The end result resembled an old postcard that someone has stumbled upon, tucked away in an old shoebox. I enjoyed creating it so much I decided to apply the techniques to my own photographs and the Forgotten Postcard series was born.
When I select my subjects for the Forgotten Postcards, my aim is to choose timeless, recognizable places. The sort of places people have been visiting and photographing for generations. The starting photo is a modern one, but my finished result evokes the nostalgia of the landmark’s past.
Just as in a traditional collage, I use many layers of texture to achieve my final work. However, I combine these layers digitally, in Photoshop, rather than using paper, scissors and glue. I have a huge collection of textures; photographs of wood, concrete, paper, fabric, stone – anything that catches my eye. Some of my works have up to 20 different textural elements in them. When I am satisfied with the texture I add bits of old handwriting, postage and postmarks and elements from old postcards to give it a personal touch.
I am thrilled the Forgotten Postcards, which began as a personal project, have struck a chord with travel and art-lovers. I hope you enjoy them as well.
Below is a gallery of all of the current Forgotten Postcards, beginning with the oldest and ending with the most recent. You can also read about each individual digital art-work in the Forgotten Postcard category. If you are interested in purchasing an existing piece or commissioning a new one, please check out the Price List.
I am also very proud to announce the Forgotten Postcards book. Have a browse before or follow the link for more details.
Alison Cornford-Matheson is a Canadian photographer living and working in Brussels, Belgium. She specialises in garden and travel lifestyle stock photography. In addition, she is a Photoshop professional and produces digital artwork as fine art prints. Alison is available for assignment work and commissions on request. 
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[...] you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this [...]
[...] you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this [...]
[...] you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this [...]
[...] you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this [...]
[...] you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this [...]
[...] you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this [...]
[...] you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this series. var mappress0 = new [...]
[...] you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this series. var mappress0 = new [...]
[...] you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this [...]
[...] you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this [...]
[...] you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this [...]
[...] you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this [...]
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[...] art exhibitions by local artists. Throughout the month of May, I am honoured to have some of my Forgotten Postcards on display here. Here are a few photos to whet your appetite: Forgotten Postcards on display in [...]