Why so long at the fair?

The ATC tent right in the middle of things.

I attended the 8th annual Denver County Fair. Plans for such a fair reach back to the mid-19th century but were interrupted by the outbreak of the Civil War. Finally in the early 21st century the idea was picked up by some enterprising folk, many of whom were artists. The competitions in food, horticulture, urban farming, urban livestock, community action, popular culture, family activities, carnival rides, and fried foods continue. So still blue, red and white ribbons are given for art, crafts, speeches, cooking, baking, and spelling bees, just to name a few categories, prevail. Cats have their own pavilion! I saw turkeys and chickens, ducks and doves. Pigs were showing off their abilities to receive and carry out tasks to the great amusement of a crowd. This year featured a roller derby and much more. One woman who has been involved in the art part of the fair said, “It will be a real county fair as soon as they get drag races. Still, she enjoyed the Drag Show—an urban touch.

Multi Panel ATC made at the Fair, 2018

I was there at the Artist Trading Cards tent where adults and kids could make and trade art cards. It’s a messy experience since glue is available to children. It seems squeezing overly generous amounts of glue in the messiest way is tolerated by parents. I cleaned up after quite a few such parents.

But I also saw the creation of many wonderful cards. Plus we volunteers made contact with a number of adults who might join in one of the Denver ATC groups. This last is our main goal.




And, of course, there was a lot of laughter, conversations with all sorts of people, good coffee, good ice cream, and so much more.

I didn’t stay too long at the fair, yet two long days will satisfy me for a year.

Pizza Rain, ATC, Phillip Hoyle 2018

Artist Trading Cards Favorite Colors

Red and Black are my favorite color combination.
Two collages, Phillip Hoyle 2018

All my life long I've loved red. I called it my favorite color. I fondly recall a red sport coat, red crayons, a red cap, and several red shirts. I don't recall wearing red slacks, at least not bright red. Perhaps I'm just too shy. 

When I began doing artwork seriously, I gave an important part to the color. It often worked as an accent. With Artist Trading Cards red serves as a background or often as a main color. And through the work with ATCs I have realized how much I like red and black together. 

I didn't really mean to repeat the left image but am away from my printer.
Anyway, you get the drift.
Phillip Hoyle 2018

Last weekend, July 13-15, I had three pages (9 images each) in the Denver County Fair Art Show. All 27 pieces were made since last year's show. The Fair was located at the Denver Stock Show Exhibition Hall. The art is fine and varied; the displays engaging. One of my pages won the Green Ribbon due to my using all recycled products. 

Artist Trading Cards of Keys

Key from Great grandmother's wardrobe
Phillip Hoyle, June 2018

Last Thursday night's ATC workshop and trade featured "Keys." I had two kinds. First was a set of nine cards featuring the design of a skeleton key, one I drew from the key that locks my great grandmother's walnut wardrobe. I had loved that key as a child and couldn't believe my good luck to own it and the wardrobe as an adult. I copied it and then presented it in different ways on those 2.5" x 3.5" cards. Some of the grounds were from my old paintings I cut to size, others from paper prepared by Nikki Evans, an artist who often attends the workshop. 

ATC by Phillip Hoyle, June 2018

One of my grandsons loved that key. I made not of that when he was at my house afraid that he might make it his own. Perhaps some day it will become his. He is a very fine artist and surely would be inspired again by the old key. 


My other designs, another page of nine pieces, were related to musical keys and key signatures. I found myself having to look at printed staff signs to do these even though I had drawn them for years. It's been a long musical dry spell for me. I used a number of grounds and enjoyed the project. 

The key of C. ATC by Phillip Hoyle, June 2018

This guy I called the Key of G.
ATC Phillip Hoyle, June 2018

Key ATC using papers made by N. Evans.
Phillip Hoyle, June 2018

Make some cards to your own ideas. Explore techniques and find someone to trade with. The Artist Trading Cards movement has been going on for years and years. There is an annual display of them in the Art Pavilion of the Denver County Fair, July 12-14, Exhibition Hall at the Western Stock Show, Denver.