Artists Trading Cards on Facebook….Just look at all the great artists you can meet.

Click Here to join Artists Trading Cards

Dots and Dashes
(Hostess: Vanessa Melton)

Polka dots, lines, circles, dashes, all of the above. This swap is all about your interpretation of dots and dashes.

ALL MEDIUMS WELCOME.
This is a 4/3 swap. Please send your best work on clean, sturdy cards, with your information neatly on the back. Max of 2 sets per person please. Late sets will be sent back unopened.

POSTAGE ALERT!!!
Stateside Residents —-send SASE (at least $.72 worth of postage) or postage stamps (at least $.72 worth) and I will provide the envelope. If you do not send loose postage or SASE, please include $2.00 to cover postage and your envelope.
International participants —– send $3.00 (in US dollars or US postage) or an extra ATC related to the swap. I will provide the packaging and envelope.

Start Date: July 3
Deadline: August 14

Address: Vanessa Melton
4521 Cleveland Dr
Plano, TX 75093
(label the envelope: Dots)

by Pam Gaulin

“Both beginners and seasoned artists can all benefit from an Artist Trading Card mail art trade. In the mail art swap, artists make and send in cards to a host, who sorts the cards and mails them back out. While this sounds simple enough, and it is, there are still some basic tips to follow to make the mail art exchange go smoothly.” READ MORE…

Organized by Mary Alice Dickenson, The card is a three for three trade. On Facebook she says

“We all love our cars! Old, new, antique, sporty, racy, practical, covered with mud, shiny fresh from the car wash, dogs in the back seats, bumper stickers and “artwork” hanging from rear view mirrors, convertibles, sedans, racy cars, NASCAR cars….”
This is a 3/3 swap.

Start date: March 1, 2010
End date: March 31, 2010

Put your name, email, medium, and title on the backs of the cards.
Any medium on standard 2 1/2 x 3 1/2″ ATC cardstock. Please put the cards in plastic sleeves. Be sure and include $.72 postage on your self-addressed envelope.

Mary Alice Dickenson
PO Box 138
Angel Fire, NM 87710-0138

Start Date: November 17
Deadline: December January 8

Address: Vanessa Melton 4521 Cleveland Dr Plano, TX 75093 (Label the envelope: Angels)

Karen Valentine

Karen Valentine

Karen Valentine's Halloween art cards: "I thought this would be a good time to share with you some art cards I made for Halloween. I hang them from wire swags or set them up in easels for the few weeks before Halloween. Each one is made from lots of different images all put together to make the finished piece. I like the old fashioned (hah!) method of cut and paste rather than doing it all digitally."

Karen Valentine says at her blog My Desert Cottage: ” I was born and raised here (in the Arizona Desert), but my heart belongs to places where flowers grow, trees thrive and the sound of babbling brooks lull me to sleep. Unfortunately, that is not to be for me…so I make the best of what I have. I love the whole cottage lifestyle and that is what I have tried to create for myself and my family. This is where you will see my second hand finds, vintage style, and my artwork with a vintage flair! I hope you enjoy looking around!!!”

SOME FESTIVE NEWS: There is a big Halloween Blog Party going on Saturday over at A Fanciful Twist.

The debate lies in how these cards are collected. ATC enthusiasts only trade their cards. They do so by joining online forums and engaging in ATC swaps or they go to ATC meets where they can trade cards with artists from all over the globe. The ATC movement was recreated in the late 90’s. ACEO enthusiasts create cards to be sold or they can be collectors of the art form. This group was created in the early 2000’s out of desperation. It was created because there was a desire to sell and purchase cards but the ATC movement frowns upon the selling of art cards. ACEO can be bought or sold on ebay or Etsy.com and there are numerous groups to be joined in order for an artist to showcase their ACEO work.

Even though we live in a modern age, there is a war of sorts between the two movements. Some ATC artists are also ACEO artists but not all are. Many frown on it severely. It is common to receive flack from members of the ATC movement for wanting to sell or buy. Slowly, there is an acceptance of ACEO being seen in art card communities and it is only right. The size of the art cards allows buyers to purchase mini works of fine art at very reasonable prices. The current trend for collecting these cards also benefits the artists by allowing for a way to market themselves inexpensively.

Whether one buys, sells or trade should not be an issue. This is a fun hobby and many people are joining the movement. It should be expected that both ATC and ACEO find a way to get along politically since there is a consumer demand for the product. For more information on this subject or to view a gallery of the artists pictured, visit http://hubpages.com/hub/Art-Cards

Sarah became an ARTCARDIST in August of 2009. Sarah is 19 years old, soon to be 20. She developed a fondness for art cards accidentally by discovering supplies to create ATC at a local art supply store.  She says “I have is an innate ability to just draw or sculpt anything that’s in my head.” Check out more of Sarah’s work in her gallery…

Closing Celebration & Trading Session:
Friday, 30 October, 7–8:30pm

The RAG’s 4th Annual Artist Trading Card Exhibition is a display of Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) from local, national, and international participants. Everyone is invited to participate, and all techniques and mediums are welcome. ATCs must be original artworks*, and may be in a series, edition or multiple. Please “sign” the back, and contact information may also appear on the back of each card if desired. ATCs will be traded on the closing night of the exhibition.

*Please note that photocopied works will not be traded

How to Enter:

Send in 9 Artist Trading Cards in a standard 9-sleeve plastic sheet (9 cards per sheet). Cards will be displayed in the plastic sheets. Cards must be sized to fit into standard plastic sleeves (designed for hockey/baseball cards), and each measure 2 ½” x 3 ½” in order to qualify. All works received that follow this criteria will be exhibited. Please sign the back of each ATC and include your city/town so that others will know whom they have traded with. Include a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope to the Richmond Art Gallery.**

**USA participants please send $2 in US funds for return postage. International Artists please include a Postal Money Order or International Reply Coupon for return postage purchase.

Entries must be postmarked before September 4, 2009. Please attach a copy of our entry form with your submission and send to:

ATTN: RAG ATC Exhibition
Richmond Art Gallery
7700 Minoru Gate
Richmond BC
Canada
V6Y 1R9

For more information about ATC’s at the RAG, or to join our email contact list, contact Kathy Tycholis at ktycholis@richmond.ca

Information is provided by Richmond Art Gallery
More details can be found at their website
www.richmondartgallery.org