Recently I was introduced to ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) at Pinellas Park Art Society - two of our very talented artists presented a demo and provided samples of these tiny treasures - each one an original work in various media. The only requirement for producing one of these little gems is the size - it has to be 2 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches and they should fit in standard baseball card sleeves.
The ATC movement developed out of the mail art movement and has its origins in Switzerland. Cards are produced in various media, including dry media (pencils, pens, markers, etc), wet media (watercolor, acrylic paints, etc), paper media (in the form of collage, papercuts, found objects, etc). The cards are usually traded or exchanged rather than sold.
At the end of the demo we were given a couple of blank cards for our own creations with a promise to have a swap meet at our next meeting. I thoroughly enjoyed doing these little sketches - mostly using Prismacolor on Mi Tientes pastel paper, but numerous media were represented by our group’s talented artists. We had a lively trading session and promised to do more. I have posted my first eight cards here on the blog. They are a great way to use up the left bits of paper that I have lying around the studio after projects since most of my papers are as thick as cardstock. And a wonderful way to meet new artists and share your work!
The major art suppliers have pre-cut packs in various stocks: watercolor, bristol, canvas sheet, etc. There are even mini-mats available to frame them with! Clear, protective sleeves and sheets can be purchased at Walmart or any place that sells baseball card sleeves. Try creating a few - they are fun to do and a bit of a challenge too!
ON THE EASEL (STILL!) My little mallard duck has been put on hold so that I can get a few pieces ready for some upcoming shows - will post up more pics soon!
