I've had several fellow bloggers and artists want to know what are ATC's? I've put together just a quick ATC summary and referenced two sites at the bottom of this blog for excellent sources to get you going.
Simply put ATC's (artist trading cards) are a combination of baseball trading cards and artist sample cards. ATC's originated in Zurich in 1997. They are small pieces of art created to be traded, NEVER sold, between other artists. This trading encourages camaraderie and technique sharing among other artists.
There are only three criteria to implement when creating ATC's: 1. they are NEVER to be sold, only traded, either in person, via Internet, or snail mail, but preferably in person; 2. Finished size must be 2.5" x 3.5" (this speaks of the contributing influence of baseball trading cards on ATC's); 3. Must have card info on back to include but not limited to: card title, artist name and/or contact info, and card number (if part of a series or edition). You can use ANY medium, technique, or style you want.
These cards are about making a miniature piece of art that you can share with others. They reflect who you are, at the time of creating and/or they allow you to play with new techniques/mediums on a smaller canvas. This enables you to complete your project faster and use less materials.
I use my ATC's as a way of experimenting with new techniques/medias and then incorporate it into my scrapbook. But my all time favorite part about ATC's is getting together with other scrapbookers/artists and trading. I LOVE learning new techniques and hanging with other artists!
For more inclusive information click here (http://www.artist-trading-cards.ch/) to see the original ATC artist's website or here (http://www.cedarseed.com/air/atc.html) for an amazing resource to get your appetite wet for ATC's.
Write back with questions. Nikki
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Nikki at Deal's Gap
This a me standing next to my motorcycle (that you can't see) at the top of Deal's Gap (aka The Tail of the Dragon): primo riding heaven! Don't know the strange man behind me; he's looking at me like he's never seen a chic on a bike!?! My first riding vacation was a dream! Just wanted to let ya'll know what I look like, scary, huh?!?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
You are an artist!
Most of us have been taught that art is framed and hangs on museum walls; we think art is costly and created by a certain few with God-given talent. Some believe that only the trained eye can appreciate art, that wealth and marketing pizzazz dominate over pure inspiration, and that a certain type of education is required to become an artist. These notions are nonsense!
When visiting scrapbooking stores and seeing the pages created by people who spend countless hours documenting the lives of the ones they hold most dear, I am always amazed at the art, creativity, imagination and playfulness there. I am equally shocked that the people who make these masterpieces often don’t define what they do as art. I hear things like, "I’m not creative," "I just followed the directions," or "It’s not that good." I find myself jumping in to exclaim, "You must not be looking at what I’m looking at! What you’ve made here is amazing, it is valuable, it connects you to yourself and to others, it tells a story, it leaves a legacy and it matters."
I challenge you to set aside your grown-up distinctions between the art displayed behind glass, under lights and the art we each create everyday in the pursuit to live purposeful and meaningful lives. There are no rules as to what art can be. I challenge you to take a closer look at the scrapbook pages you’ve created and see them clearly as art and yourself as an artist contributing beauty to our world.
When visiting scrapbooking stores and seeing the pages created by people who spend countless hours documenting the lives of the ones they hold most dear, I am always amazed at the art, creativity, imagination and playfulness there. I am equally shocked that the people who make these masterpieces often don’t define what they do as art. I hear things like, "I’m not creative," "I just followed the directions," or "It’s not that good." I find myself jumping in to exclaim, "You must not be looking at what I’m looking at! What you’ve made here is amazing, it is valuable, it connects you to yourself and to others, it tells a story, it leaves a legacy and it matters."
I challenge you to set aside your grown-up distinctions between the art displayed behind glass, under lights and the art we each create everyday in the pursuit to live purposeful and meaningful lives. There are no rules as to what art can be. I challenge you to take a closer look at the scrapbook pages you’ve created and see them clearly as art and yourself as an artist contributing beauty to our world.
Intro to your host on Creation Station
Random thought as heard on comedy network last night:
"How did fish start eating worms? Worms live in the ground and fish live underwater."
Most of my posts will come from me at work, please keep this in mind when reading. I want to provide a safe place for crafters/artists (called so because that is what we all are no matter what media we work with: music, paper, scrapbooks, ATC's, paint) to network, critique projects/classes, and share new ideas.
I'm currently organizing an Artist Trading Card Workshop at the Scrapbooker's Closet so many of my posts will apply to ATC's. I am so excited to share this with other artists that I can hardly stand it!!
Misty and Barb had to talk me into teaching at the store but I decided to do it, I can't stop myself. I've got a class on the 6th for a "momento book" and the premire of the ATC series all in July. So much happening!
Which reminds me, I should get back to work! And I need a new inspection sticker on my car. Road Trip!! (I'm a resident of NC) OOOOooo. . .I could scrap it! (I know, it's an illness)
"How did fish start eating worms? Worms live in the ground and fish live underwater."
Most of my posts will come from me at work, please keep this in mind when reading. I want to provide a safe place for crafters/artists (called so because that is what we all are no matter what media we work with: music, paper, scrapbooks, ATC's, paint) to network, critique projects/classes, and share new ideas.
I'm currently organizing an Artist Trading Card Workshop at the Scrapbooker's Closet so many of my posts will apply to ATC's. I am so excited to share this with other artists that I can hardly stand it!!
Misty and Barb had to talk me into teaching at the store but I decided to do it, I can't stop myself. I've got a class on the 6th for a "momento book" and the premire of the ATC series all in July. So much happening!
Which reminds me, I should get back to work! And I need a new inspection sticker on my car. Road Trip!! (I'm a resident of NC) OOOOooo. . .I could scrap it! (I know, it's an illness)
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