Year 1 Artist Trading Cards
My incredibly talented, kind and all around amazing friend, Kris Loya, invited me to participate in an Artist Trading Card (ATC) group in 2021. I was so nervous to participate, but ended up loving it and finding my creative process through participating in it throughout the year. Super sadly, Kris passed away very suddenly from metastatic breast cancer on December 21, 2021. I am so grateful that I had this year of creativity and ATCs with her and her 12 cards are my most valued art.
So what is an Artist Trading Card and how does this group work? It’s a 2.5” x 3” mini piece of art. Each person in the group creates a card for themselves and each of the other group members, usually based on a theme for the month. Then we keep one card and mail the rest of our cards to the host of the ATC group with a self-addressed and stamped envelope each month. Then the host divides the ATCs up and mails us one of each member’s cards. Receiving the envelope full of everyone else’s cards was like having my birthday every month - it was so much fun to see everyone’s creativity and unique take on a theme.
Through participating in this group, I developed a process for creating a card each month that I loved. It made me feel like a ‘real artist’ to have a creative process:). I would think about the theme and put a line item in my To Do app and outline the steps I needed to take to make all of my cards by the due date (usually the 10th of each month). I usually needed to brainstorm ideas, make a prototype, cut my cards out of a large sheet of watercolor paper, then take the steps to make each card. I used paint (acrylic and watercolor), collage, pen work and mixed media to make my cards. Some months the designs came quickly and easily to me and others it was a struggle to come up with an idea. Many months I’d get an idea that I loved and then have to figure out how to bring it to life (and then repeat it 8 times:), often trying out new techniques and using image transfer techniques.
The picture above is a sample of some of my ATCs for the following themes:
Transformation, Love, Black & White, Lucky, Spring, Flowers, Summer, Fall, Pattern, Winter, Space
So, which one is your favorite ATC? Let me know if you have any questions on participating in an ATC group, on my creative process or any of the specific cards. And definitely let me know what your experience has been like if you participate in an ATC group or if you become inspired to try one out! Happy Creating!!
