Goal!

Feeling a bit dainty today. ATCs-Each one is just 2.5x3.5"

Yay! I did it! The goal was 50 drawings or paintings in 30 days for National November Drawing Month. So with these three little Artists' Trading Cards I am now ahead of myself!

As I meet up at various locations with the sketchers, I sometimes find myself in a place where I wouldn't usually go. We've been to some antique shops in the last months and I've begun to revive my small collection of bone china tea cups.  I put them all away when we remodeled the main floor of our house a few years ago. Then Liz Steel's work reminded me of how very paintable they can be. It's such a fun subject for watercolor and a great drawing exercise. I decided to go traditional with these; a light pencil drawing, transparent watercolor, no masking fluid, no white except the reserved paper. Fun!

There will be a lot of goodies around here for awhile, and what better way to enjoy them than with some nice hot tea in a lovely cup!

ATC swap on Friday at KAC

First, I asked everyone to select a card for anonymous trade. We placed them all face down and picked one at random. Then I told everyone that they could trade any extras that they brought with their friends. After that, everything is kind of a blur. Anyway, here is an idea of the wonderful art that goes on in our Intermediate class on Fridays, just for fun!

Painted at home and in class. Wonderful!

Then people brought out ATCs from their personal cache. 

More cards from personal trades. 

Thursday's ATC Trade at A Guilded Gallery

I thought I lost my photos from our very busy day in Stanwood. Found them! Look what our very busy class did at A Guilded Gallery. There was a fun session of trading ATCs going on in lieu of the usual critique today!

They have captured the rainy character of fall in the PNW, haven't they?

Wednesday afternoon, Wednesday evening at SVC-ATC trades.

I offered this ATC to trade.

This week is going to be very exciting. Because we are finishing up most of my fall classes, our last day of class is going to be an exchange of ATCs in addition to the final lesson.

Here are the results of a very busy two days of trading!

Wednesday afternoon:
We had an anonymous trade in Anacortes, with all the cards face down and then everyone picked  one at random. This is the one that I contributed, and look (below) at what I got in exchange!

I got this beauty in trade at Anacortes.

Here's the selection from which we chose this afternoon:

Wednesday Evening:

Here's the selection from the night class at Skagit Valley College.

ATC or ACEO Tarts

I use a magnetic whiteboard to hold the tiny cards in place.

Dessert anyone? Is it tea time yet? These are the steps for your ATC or ACEO tarts:

#1. Go to your favorite bakery and purchase some fruit tarts. Or something else that you like that is equally yummy. 

#2. Use your .01 black Micron pen to draw them on 2.5 x 3.5" sized 140#CP watercolor paper. You can cut them yourself or buy them ready made.

#3. Use your artists' quality water colors to paint all the strawberries first, then the crusts. Once they are dry, then paint all the blueberries, then the cast shadows. Tips for painting the berries: Vary the colors and make sure to reserve the white paper for the top of the crust and shiny highlights.

Sign them, trade them, eat the tarts. Hmmm. May have to go back for the lemon ones. Oh! Did I say that out loud?

Sunday Painters, Get the whole family involved!

ATCs or Artists' Trading Cards are small original artworks on a 2 1/2"x 3 1/2" format. They can be done in watercolor, pastel, acrylic, oil, pen, stamping, collage....just about any medium you could think of. You can cut up paper or card on your own, or you can purchase sample packs already made up for you to use. Strathmore has sample packs with watercolor paper, illustration board, canvas, and more.

Get the whole family involved on a weekend or during time off for the holidays! All ages can join in the art making fun and then trade with each other. What a nice memento of your next family gathering!

ATCs are generally 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches. This is the size of playing cards and other trading cards.

I recently assigned my watercolor students to make ATCs of people and umbrellas in the rain. Here are a few examples of the ones they made as well as workshop examples from previous classes. There's an illustrated lesson plan online here at WikiHow.

While the purpose of ATCs is to trade, not sell, those who are interested in creating these wonderful works for profit, it would be more appropriate to list them as ACEO's (Art Cards, Editions, and Originals). These are more often made for the purpose of sale, and by labeling them appropriately we don't take away from the ATC namesake tradition. All creation rules are the same for ACEO's as they are for ATC's. Limited Edition, Signed and Numbered ACEOs, especially with short print runs of 25-50 cards, are very popular and still count as ACEOs because they're the Editions.

Now for the Friday class and their ATCs!

Just when you think you can't be amazed any further, the Intermediate Class gets busy on the ATC assignment. Look what they produced in class at the Kirkland Arts Center today!

Intermediate Class ATCs at Kirkland Arts Center

Well, gotta get back to tidying up the studio! The 20th Annual Studio Open House is tomorrow. Hope you can come! Hours: 10am-7pm (Wine and Cheese from 5-7pm)

ATC from the Thursday class in Stanwood

These people amaze me! This is what my students in Stanwood did during class today at A Guilded Gallery. We are all working on more ATCs (Artists' Trading Cards) at home for the big trade in class next week!

The Thursday class ATCs

If you would like to learn more about ATCs, please follow the links below:
Explaining ATC or ACEO cards

• 1001 ways to make them
• Starter Kits online

Artists' Trading Cards in class this week!

What fun! With all the drenching rain and stormy weather we've had recently, there had to be a class on wet streets and another on people and their umbrellas. Everyone worked continually on their ATC format, making 3 1/2x 2 1/2" cards. Just look what the Wednesday students produced in class!

From the afternoon class

From the evening class at Skagit Valley College

Custom Mats and Frames for ACEO

 "Autumn Leaves" triptych

Original Watercolor by Michele Cooper

3.5"x2.5" each watercolor leaf
Price: $90 (for all three) does not include mat/frame

Also shown: "Red Orange Leaf"
Original Watercolor by Michele Cooper
4.5"x5.5" in acid free 5x7" photo mount card
Price: $48

After the intensity of creating a triptych of autumn leaves comes the energy-sapping task of properly matting and framing. I prefer that my collectors would take the original work to a reputable framer and have them do it. "I'm an artist, Jim, not a framer!"

If you do want to be sure that the framing is properly done, here are some do's and don'ts:

Do:

• Choose archival, acid, lignin, solvent free materials to preserve the quality of original art
• Select a mat and frame that gives enough room around the artwork to separate it from its surroundings.
• Keep mat and frame colors minimal and not competing with the artwork.
• Use a dust cover on the back and wire, not sawtooth hangers.

Don't:

• Never frame so that the artwork presses against the glass. Over time,  moisture will transfer pigments and ruin the artwork.
• Never glue, laminate or otherwise permanently attach the whole artwork to backing. It devalues the painting. Framers have acid, lignin, solvent free tape for attaching it to the mat.
• Never use cardboard or wood against the back of the painting. Acid erosion and foxing will damage the artwork.
• Never spray glass cleaner directly on the glass. Spray onto a soft cloth and then clean the glass. Cleaner could creep under the frame and soil the mat and/or artwork.

Daniel Montoya has a very nice tutorial on DYI methods for framing these small paintings.

ATC Swap 3 and 4

 What a lot of fun! First, making the ATCs, then swapping them with my students.

Here are two "first swap" collections. They are true pieces of art, though tiny.

Click the images for a closer look.