Artful Mondays: Artist Trading Cards

MarziaS, Etsy.com.

Have you always wanted to develop your artistic skills or pick up an old art hobby, but felt like you didn’t have the time or resources? Just go small. In the past few years, many people have started making time for art. Making it, trading it and collecting it in the form of  artists trading cards (or ATCs). ATCs are miniature works of art 2 ½ X 3 ½ inches in size, small enough to fit inside standard collector sleeves.  Outside of size, there are no rules to producing an ATC. The base can be traditional art paper or anything else from wood to metal. Media can be anything from pencils to to clay.

Valentineartstudios, Etsy.com

RadiantJasmin, Etsy.com

ATCs were orginally meant for trading between artists. Then a few years ago, artists began offering their cards for sale. This spawned the ACEO movement which stands for Art Cards, edition or original. Artists sell limited edition prints of larger artwork or create an original, miniature work of art.

JoyHanna, Etsy.com

ArtfulRevisions, Etsy.com

It’s fun to work small and it allows you to really stretch your creativity. I’m constantly amazed by what many artists come up with.  If you’re looking to build an art collection ,making and trading Art Cards is a good way to do it and accumulate  a variety of work from different artists. You also have an opportunity to share your own work. Feel inspired? Here are some resources to get you started

http://www.art-cards.org//

http://www.atcsforall.com///

http://www.illustratedatcs.com//

http://www.etsy.com/category/art/aceon

Artful Mondays: Clean out your junk drawer and make altered art

In 2007, I decided to sell some of my artwork online.  I checked out ebay to see what people were buying. I didn’t see anything like the kind of stuff I made, but I did see something that I wanted to make.  It was something called Altered art.  It reminded me of dreams and memories manifested in our 3 dimensional world.

What is altered art?

Altered art is about being resourceful. Taking everyday objects and ephemera from the past and present and creating something inspiring. Here are some common things used in altered art:

Antique Images and photographs, usually from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Ephemera from those times, which include advertising, newspaper clips and text from books.

Found objects. Antique keys are quite popular. Broken jewelry, buttons, washers, miniature picture frames and watch interiors are also common.

Glitter and swarovski crystals add to the ethereal dream-like feel of altered art.

Bases can be old books, pieces of wood, altoid boxes, shelves, or anything else that is freestanding and has openings for decoration. There are also charm bracelets, necklaces, artist trading cards and dolls.

I love this form of art because it makes you look at common objects in a new light and  see potential art when you open your junk drawer. Feel inspired?

Here are some resources to get you started

http://www.mixed-media-artist.com/

http://www.oldbookillustrations.com/

http://www.historypicks.com/shop2/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=596&cat=Victorian+Women

http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/46226460@N00/

Gmpurseanalities on Etsy

TickleMePinkBoutique

RobinsMixedMedia

Lululovestocreate

Artful Mondays: How to make cool art by doodling

If you can’t draw to save your life, you can still make something as awesome as the above picture. All you need is patience, the ability to copy patterns, and a little bit of imagination.

This method of drawing one stroke at a time is called Zentangle™.  It involves combining patterns of tangles. The end result, is a beautiful, intricate drawing.  The method is patented by the creators, Rick and Maria of Zentangle.com . You can purchase a kit with instructions and or even become a certified Zentangle™ Instructor, yourself. Zentangle™ is a great way to relieve tension and stress or just focus your mind. You get the feeling  a lot of artist discover, of being lost in the moment.

But you don’t have to take the classes to try your hand at copying patterns. Just tap into your inner child. Remember doodling? There are tons of videos on youtube that show you how to start various patterns and of course, you can just make up your own as you go along. Check out the Zentangle™ group on Flickr for some inspiring doodles.

Artful Mondays: 3 ways to save beautiful things you find online

I’m pleased to introduce you to IRBMA’s new series, Artful Mondays. An awesome way to get that extra jolt, without the caffeine crash.  Artful Mondays will feature new ways you can get inspired and add just a little art to your life. 

Do you often come across beautiful things online? With photo sharing sites you can save the things that inspire you and even curate them in an attractive way

Pinterest

Get their pin it button and make it easy to add images to your boards. You can also repin someone else’s pin or just like it and add it to your favorites list.  Your boards each have their own url, so you can share your collections.

Pinterest

Etsy

Not really a social photo sharing site, but the handmade and vintage items on Etsy are so beautifully photographed, it’s easy to spend hours exploring their site. You can make Etsy treasuries or themed collections of items you find.

Etsy Treasury

We heart it

You can install We Heart It’s app for your browser.  Once, it’s installed, just click on the heart to add inspirational and beautiful images to your heart(collection)
.

We heart it

These tools are great for wedding planning, decorating, assembling a wardrobe or  just gathering inspiration