Artist Trading Cards from scraps 2

ATCs by Phillip Hoyle 2018

So many of my Artist Trading Cards are made from scraps. I throw them in a flat box. There are bits of magazine cutouts, paper I've torn or cut off of pieces just a little too big for my current project, odd things that come in the mail, cards that didn't work out right, and more. Sometimes I'm surprised what all I find there. I get a kick out of grabbing a 3.5 x 2.5 ground from some painting I didn't like or cut from scraps of mat board or something else that I once thought might make a nice start for a new card. 

ATCs by Phillip Hoyle, 2018

I grab a glue stick, my small scissors, some pens, a pencil, a paint brush, a piece of string, some of the scraps in my special box, and go to town. (I admit to being easily entertained.) I know I'll soon take this piece along with others like or unlike it to some trade where I'll meet other artists who are like minded. I'll return home with some of their works and many ideas that arise in the conversations. 

Swapping Artist Trading Cards is a great stimulus for further work, not just for cards, but for larger, more complex cards. Making them is a playground for experiments with technique, supplies, ideas, and images. The investment is usually of a bit of time. The payoff is gathering to trade. Check out your town or city for local listings related to the cards.