Artist Trading Cards

ATCs made in workshop August 2016

Thursday night I participated in a workshop at make ATCs and was happy to complete a dozen in a couple of hours. They went black and white, abstractions from details of contrasting magazine cutouts. The trades were fun and the conversation engaging. 

ATCs from Workshop, Phillip Hoyle 2017
Sorry about the focus!

Part of the evening is to share food as well as conversation and the trade. Like usual the pickin's were fine. The tastes of the eleven people there were even more interesting. 

Planets Artist Trading Cards

Planets ATCs by Phillip Hoyle 2017

I considered what I wanted to do with the topic planets and was sure of only one thing. I would use a stack of black mat boards (2.5 x 3.5 “) and begin by splatter painting them with water-thinned Titanium White acrylic paints. That step took little time and, of course, I had diluted too much paint. (I looked for more cards and used the left-over paint to wash them and then with a cloth wipe much of the paint away.) I waited until the next day to look at the results. It’s good to wait a day. The color changes. I was pleased with the star-studded results.

ATCs by Phillip Hoyle, 2017

I now had cards prepared and had decided I’d use a circles template. Just how, I didn’t yet know. I considered using a sponge roller to apply a rough surface with craters but was pretty sure I didn’t want to deal with the mess. So I got out my Gel pens, regular ones, Suffle ones, and more. With a Suffle white pen I drew a circle. Then? I was still unsure. I made marks slightly arced to suggest an orb. Then I did more with other colors, more lines, dots, and scrawls. Some I tinted with a different kind of gel.

ATCs Phillip Hoyle, 2017

I worked late in my studio listening to KUVO, a public radio jazz station, and realized how much the music affected what I was doing. When I finished 22 of these cards I decided to sign them. Each one is called 'Jazz Planet'. I don’t know what solar system they revolve in, but I was pleased to have them ready for the next workshop. I look forward to the trades and the new cards I'll make there. 

Buildings Artist Trading Cards

Buildings ATCs by Phillip Hoyle 2017

The topics of buildings and architecture and sculpture left some of us card makers seriously challenged. I went my own way by beginning with letters and numbers, some of which I have saved for years and years and had never used in collages. So for this trade I prepared nine "downtown" high rise buildings piecing together, drawing lines, and the like. They must have worked for I traded eight of them plus quite a few of the Aboriginal inspired designs shown in my past two posts. 

Of course I make no apology for the impracticality of the buildings. I only wanted to use letters, numbers, a few cut outs, and a large dose of imagination. 

ATCs Phillip Hoyle, 2017

ATCs Phillip Hoyle 2017

ATC Phillip Hoyle 2017

  I’m still playing around with the mixed media cards I wrote about and showed last week. I was so into the project I kept making more. Finally I have stopped on those and am turning my focus to our next topic. But I’m posting a few more of the Australian inspired theme. I hope you enjoy them.

ATC Phillip Hoyle 2017

A favorite ATC Phillilp Hoyle 2017

ATC Phillip Hoyle 2017

ATC Phillip Hoyle 2017

I'm not quite sure what happened with the spacing of these cards. At least you can see the designs. Why not try your own cards? Find another artist or crafter to trade them with.