ATCs

hand carved stamp: Retreat to Paradise Logo 1.25 x 2" 

ATCs using logo stamp: mixed media: hand-made washi tape, gel pens, deli paper prints, acrylic stamping
 2.5 x 3.5" each on wc paper

I haven't done any ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) in over a year.  But I found my bag of traded ones and some blank ones.  

Cynthia also suggested doing a "Jane Davies" sort of idea of making one large abstract and cutting into ATCs and then embellishing. These are two of the ones that looked "okay".  But I am hoping that in the  next few days I'll find a moment or two to try a few more of these.  

I decided that I wanted to have a "tie in" to the retreat and so I hand-carved a little palm tree.  Haven't done that for awhile either.  While I was getting my carving materials back together I found my Chinese "chop" which is a traditional name stamp usually used with red ink.  My daughter had one made for me when she was in Asia many years ago.  It will be maybe fun to incorporated that into the ATC too?  I'll experiment a bit. More to follow.

Gridding

ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) are 2.5 x 3.5" big. As most of you know, it's kind of a fun phenomenon that has come into it's own.

At my senior residential park in central Florida, the art group has found them to be good practice and not take too much of a commitment of time.

We bring them to our monthly meetings to trade. The chair of it, suggests a theme each month.

This month we are making copies in miniature of great masterpieces. As everyone explores the idea, I suggested they try "gridding" which is normally used to "enlarge" things.

Here is my sample. The colors are not very true because I chose to use InkTense watercolor pencils and white acrylic ink and one only has so many choices of colors.

Am hoping to get out into en plein air again this week if I can find a free morning or afternoon. Temps are in the mid 80s here now and so mornings are best.

Valentine ATCs

This year I am trying something a little different and I thought I'd share my idea. Instead of more traditional Valentines for my grandchildren I am sending them an ATC Valentine. You know, Artist Trading Cards!

I am also sending them a letter telling them about ATCs and also sending them a website where they can learn about how to make them and a short video about it. There are lots of website about them, of course, but wiki-how has a nice short and sweet one. Click here.

Short and sweet...you know grandkids! The kids range from 4 to 20. Then the fun part: I am including a blank card and asking them to make one to return to me! My cards are all abstract ones so as not to make them feel they have to paint a picture on them. But the video shows all kinds. I'll let you know how this goes!

Note: I also bought a cool video called Strathmore Artist Trading Cards (by World of Art). I am thoroughly enjoying it!!! It's great to show to a group to get them started with this fun project as it uses all medias in making them!

Rainy Day ATCs

I've promised to do an "Intro to ATCs" when I get back to Hawthorne Park in Florida (November 19). Even though that sounds ages away...I know better. Time gets so full.

So while I have a rainy day in the north woods I am browsing among my notes about ATCs and books about them and trying some different ways of doing them.

You will see some Christmas ones in there because I think by Nov 19, people will actually be planning for the holidays and will be thinking of doing some with that theme. Luckily have have found some Christmas books and magazines at garage sales to inspire me and to give me some collage materials.

One thing I have not done and wish I knew how to do is to make "transfers" where you can "lift" images off of magazines and then position and re-glue them to collages and acrylics. If anyone know a good online source for information about that, let me know. I believe that you coat the image with something. There was a workshop that Dianna Barringer did a few years ago in Mt. Dora, FL and I wanted so much to go. Somewhere I read that you can use Crayola products to do this too. Hmmm? I am even sure I am using the correct word when I say "transfer". But I'll bet some of you know what I mean.

As I look these over and think which of these would I want to "trade" for? I think the hand painted watercolors, pens, acrylics are more desirable than collage. But then, perhaps a more combined method would be best...some hand painted, some collage. For instance I like the little wheel barrow watercolor better than a cut out Santa from a magazine..although he is colorful and fun placed on a piece of old map!

Now...how to display traded ones? I am thinking of an altered journal for that maybe? I do know that when people trade them, they put information on the back. Somehow that info would need to be transferred off and into the journal before you would consider glueing an ATC down into a book. But it would be nice to be able to turn the pages and see the images. I know some people use those plastic baseball card folders because then you can see the backs. But that seems so boring. I could group and frame them...but frankly I have so much art framed I do not have room for anything else on the wall! I think you want to get up close and personal with these little things too.

ATCs: a way to play

These are, of course, little teensy art cards (the size of playing cards). Artist Trading Cards...if you haven't heard of them...try googling them and you'll find dozens of sites. Artists like to trade them..and believe me, what you see here is pitiful compared to what people are REALLY doing with these. Some are REAL works of art.

I am just beginning to do a little playing. I wasn't going to do this today but when I was cleaning in the studio the bag of ATC cards I had cut out earlier this spring fell out and they seemed to have a life of their own! What you see here are combinations of watercolor, collage, water based marker pens, fluid acrylic, stampers, watercolor pencils, permanent marker. I'll get back and try some more another day. The sun is shining today and I want to be outside!!!

The other two little pencil sketches were done in the waiting room of the clinic this morning while waiting for my husband to have some lab work done.

ATCs: S-l-o-w-l-y Getting Brushes Wet Again

The world of ATCs (or Artist Trading Cards has fascinated me for some time. When I was at Cheap Joe's I found this little packets of pre-cut cards in many different papers for about $2.00. They sat in my art drawer over the summer. This fall, as I unpacked from the summer slowly and put aside my journals temporarily for some studio work....I found myself running my hands gently over this little package again. I read a little about the cards history...In 1997, M. Vanci Stirnemann, a Swiss artist, created 1200 cards by hand as part of an exhibit. On the last day, he invited others to create their own cards and trade with him during the closing reception. The movement took off, and today, there are ATC swaps in almost every major city around the world. There are also many online swaps. and smiled to myself at how these things sometimes start!

The size of 2.5" x 3.5" seems to be the only requirement. And I think that the whole thing brings back nostalgia of when I used to have trading cards as a child. Did you? I remember many a happy hour sitting on the front "stoop" of our house in Des Plaines, IL trading "horses" for " gardens" or "flowers" or much-prized "dog" cards. These were dutifully kept in old cigar boxes and sorted by the photo on the front. "I'll give you 3 flowers for that golden retriever" or something like that. Sometimes we brought them to school and traded or just admired them at recess or lunch hour. This may have been a regional tradition as some people give me an odd look. This would have been in about 1949.

So now I am reading a little about the how-to's which of course are totally open ended. I went to the Strathmore site...and found some how to's there. And I went to a WikiHow site for some info as well. The latter even had a short video of someone making one with collage materials. Anything goes. These little doodling ones to start with were done with the idea that they might be fun for a "starter" project for our Fine Arts open house this Friday. I used watercolor pencils (Derwent), watercolors, permanent ink pens. We could start our own trade here in my park in FL or we could find other artists to trade with. If anyone has a good spot to go for trading let me know.

Studios

I was reading Barbara Lewis' blog today. Barb is from Florida too. And as I scrolled down she was talking about garage sale artist material finds.  I've found quite a few too..old frames for sure...I do all my own framing.  Also found a great little portable easel for $5.  

As she was writing she was talking a little about her studio and I got to thinking it would be fun for some of us to share "where" it is we work.  Now this is my Florida studio (a converted guest room) but it does have great north light overlooking an abundant orange tree!  I don't have a lot of space but hubby plans to help with some more shelving this winter.  The old dresser is half mine (half for guests) and the white cupboard behind the easil is a great space saver and is full to the brim.  The hard part is storing frames, canvas, paper, and etc.  That you can't see because it's to the right of the photo and is messy.    

I'll post my north woods studio another time...it is in transition and I am packing right now but I did get my own door to the studio...a real door this fall!  

Barb was also extolling the fun of artists trading cards.  Rhonda Carpenter blogged about those too. And hers are totally different!  What fun.  I am definitely going to try those.  Barb told about someone who came and did a demo on ATCs.  Great idea.