Artist Trading Cards from Scraps

ATCs from scraps, Phillip Hoyle, 2018

Saturday's Artist Trading Cards swap didn't draw many people but did present lots of cards for trade and interesting conversations and three art installations to view at the same time. CORE New Art Space is located in the Arts District on Santa Fe at 9th Ave. right next to Spark Gallery. The trade takes place on the second Saturday morning of the month from 10 to noon. Artists are encouraged to come by and trade some of their cards with other artists. The weekly trades have been going on in Denver for nearly 20 years. 

ATC abstracts by Phillip Hoyle, 2018

Since this month's topic was so open--ATCs from scraps--we saw a large variety of artistic techniques, approaches, and materials. The variety always fascinates me and makes for good trading. Just seeing so many tiny works of art inspires me to keep at the work, use up the scraps, recycle rather than simply throw away. Making the cards is always instructive and invites improvisation and experimentation.

ATCs of contrast by Phillip Hoyle

Kind of Creepy! Phillip Hoyle 2018
Not a self portrait

Artist Trading Cards of More Predators

Two ATCs of those owl night predators. The designs are a tribute
to Native American artists of times past. Phillip Hoyle 2017

The ATC swap at CORE New Art Space Saturday was a delight. Three new participants brought cards to trade. Their work was nice: one photographic, one strong design work, one beautiful and surprising technically. And there were the regular characters with their humor and wonderful tiny pieces of art. In all the group’s work was related to the topic but none of the trading seemed to take advantage of another.

Eagle in the style of a Wyoming petroglyph site
Phillip Hoyle 2017

For me, one of the nicest things about Artist Trading Cards is that they are traded one card for one card. One does not have to trade but we all do because in our group each artist has a distinctive style or approach to the suggested topic. And there is the freedom that no one has to make their pieces to the topic.

Mountain Lion and Weasel petroglyphs
American southwest  Phillip Hoyle 2017

Now I’m started on my next set of ATCs. The topic is Moon. You can imagine what all we’ll see on Thursday night. I can hardly wait.

Airy Artist Trading Cards

"Wind" ATCs. Top panes acrylic, lower pane empty with
curtain of paper. Ground relief print of window frame in
acrylic. Phillip Hoyle, June 2017

The topic for Saturday's trade at CORE New Art Space was "Air." One artist said he'd just bring clear acyrlic cards since one cannot see air. That comment may have been the origin of my idea to have windows, the bottom open to let in the air. I meant to call them "Fresh Air," but when I looked at what I had written they were titled "Wind." Another ATC maker often has movable parts. On these cards one can blow air through the open pane and make the curtains flap in the breeze.

Yes it's a bit corny but they did trade, and as usual, they were fun to make. 

"Wind" ATCs by Phillip Hoyle, June 2017

Artist Trading Cards on Wood

Wood related ATC collages, 2016
Monoprints with collage

Although I used no actual wood in the ATCs I prepared for a swap meet last weekend at CORE Gallery, I did use a variety of wood images from a number of magazines, working them into designs that seemed to honor the given topic. I felt pleased with the results--at least most of them. 

On Friday evening I was reminded of the change of hours for the meeting at the gallery and sadly was unable to accommodate the time. I'll save these cards until the next swap and workshop and enjoy whatever "wood" items others have ready to trade. 

I read last week that the first display of ATCs was in an art gallery in Zurich, Switzerland. Three artists made the cards. An invitation went out to other artists to bring their own cards and trade. Thus the display kept changing due to the swaps and a world-wide movement began. The trade at CORE gallery was the first such event in the United States. 

"Wood" theme collages ATCs 2016

Denver, 2016

Birch Bark Art Cards

I got the idea from my grandson Matthew. He found birch bark pieces on the grass where we were staying in Kansas City a few weeks ago and cut out a card on which he wrote a thank you note to his grandma who was hosting us at a beautiful hotel.

I saw more bark scraps on the grass and, following his initiative, collected some for several experiments of my own.

The birch bark in these cards was printed on my little copy machine. Then I found an unusual petroglyph from Ojibwe country where native folk used to make birch bark canoes. (Some still make them.) I cut a block and printed an approximation of the petroglyph onto the prints.

I’m sure I’ll trade them soon if I haven’t already done so when you read this! (Most of them traded on Saturday at CORE New Art Space monthly swap.)

The source of my idea!

I love art and even more than that I love doing artwork. And I love my many artistic grandchildren! 

Denver 2016

Artist Trading Cards on Geography

ATCs from painted maps and collage of details from old etchings.
Phillip Hoyle 2016

The geography theme at CORE New Art Space trade yesterday seemed to work well for just about everyone. quite a few artists featured maps in their work, I included. I collected ATCs with road maps, city street maps, nautical maps, and pirate treasure maps. By contrast, one prolific artist brought a group of over 200 ATCs--cartoon drawings of great variety and imagination. the artists who gather always amuse and by their work stretch my imagination.

ATCs with map and photographic cutouts collaged.
Phillip Hoyle 2016

My ATCs were mostly of Colorado border lands: the CO/NEB border, the CO/WYO border, the
CO/UT border, the CO/NM border, and the four corners area CO/NM/AZ/UT. In all I was pleased with the trades. Saturday's time was great fun with good relationships, and satisfying artistic challenges.

Denver 2016

Magic Artist Trading Cards

I couldn't get over the lyric "There must have been some magic in
the old top hat they found..." ATCs by Phillip Hoyle 2016

You might have wondered just what you would find if you pulled the ears up from these magical top hats. Several people did on Saturday at the ATC swap held at CORE New Art Space at 9th and Santa Fe Drive. The topic of magic made for a wide variety of cards in many contrasting styles and use of materials. The creativity at these trades always impresses me. And, of course, the blend of artists makes for an intense and hilarious time. 10-12noon each second Saturday, 9th at Santa Fe. 

I’m not much into magic except the feelings that particular relationships inspire, but I looked around for magic symbols and I decided to pull a few surprising items out of a hat. Hope you enjoy looking at these cards as much as I enjoyed making them.

Long live art and long live our lives making artistic gestures on paper, canvas, clay, board, steel, and relationships.

Magical Chinese Yin/Yang symbol print ATCs by Phillip Hoyle 2016

Denver, 2016

Artist Trading Cards Asian Inspired

Japanese Inspired ATCs by Phillip Hoyle 2016

The topic/cue for an upcoming  Artist Trading Cards swap took me in several directions. My favorite was into a simulated Japanese world of greens and screens. I added some words from a poem (although I don't know what they mean) and feel pretty good about the outcome. Not being Japanese I don't vouch for the authenticity, but I really did enjoy the work.

Now I look forward to see what other artists will make and am ready to trade. I am always amazed at the quality of the work shared in this tiny medium!

More cards and mood. Phillip Hoyle 2016

But I still have a problem. The Asian inspired trade is scheduled at the end of the month. I need quite a few cards for Saturday's trade at CORE New Art Space. I'll have to get to work right away on another topic! Something about magic which I really don't believe in. Oh well. Long live art and imagination.


Denver, 2016

Halloween Art

Spider ATC's by Phillip Hoyle

I have acquired quite a large collection of Artist Trading Cards, the result of several years of trading these baseball trading card-size pieces of art with other artists. As a result I’ve had to increase shelf space to accommodate the growing number of ring binders in which I store them. Still, by comparison with two other collectors who have over 22,000 cards, I’m only a beginner.

In the collection I have many cards related to Halloween and Day of the Dead because these topics are always the October themes of the two trades I attend. Thus I have collected cards of glowing jack o’ lanterns, witches in pointed hats, flying bats, black cats, spider webs, and so much more. There are skeletons wearing party clothes, flying ghosts, ghastly ghouls, walking dead, on and on—designs I don’t particularly groove on yet ones that have become increasingly popular in American life and entertainment. 

Eclipse ATCs by Phillip Hoyle

On Saturday I took several sheets of gloomy ATCs to a trade at CORE New Art Space in the Santa Fe Street Arts District. My themes were spiders, the moon on a dark night (actually the lunar eclipse a couple of weeks ago), and the word BOO. I had other new cards as well, ones I prepared in case some folk should not be so deeply into fright. While I don’t find the topics exciting, I did look forward to the creativity of the Halloween enthusiasts. The October trades generally bring out larger participation!

Even though we did not have anything like a record-breaking attendance, I did take home about thirty cards--really nice ones: clever, arty, skillfully made, funny, weird, and always creative. Check on line searching for Artist Trading Cards, Denver to see more cards and, if you like, get a mild artistic scare.

Boo ATCs by Phillip Hoyle

Denver, 2015

Cactus Print Finale

Claret Cup Cacti Monoprint by Phillip Hoyle 2015

Finally I got back to the monoprint I've been looking at for several weeks, maybe quite a few weeks. I'm happy that I did after looking at many pictures of the plant. Some of the buds opened into flowers, others are waiting their turn. At least that's how I imagine it. 

Oh, the collage of monoprints I titled Bear Clan did make it into the WOW show at CORE New Art Space and is hanging there for another week. You can see it if you get there soon. The gallery is open Thursday through Sunday. In case you can't make it there I'll give you a glance at one little part of the show. 

Top left framed work 'Bear Clan' by Phillip Hoyle

Bear Clan

Bear Clan by Phillip Hoyle
Collage of monoprints

As I have worked with this image of a bear in the past year, I have always seen it as a spirit image and without thinking much assigned it to the male gender in my mind. When my daughter-in-law saw several of the prints, she saw it as a female bear. My art friend Sue saw it as a bear, not assigning any gender label.

So I wonder how others may see it. If you want to tell me, make a comment! It's a little bit difficult, but select the anonymous category. You may have to type in a code from an illustration. I would like to know. Comment below. I hope to learn something.

Oh, I entered the piece into the WOW open art show at CORE gallery. So now I wonder if its a she-bear, a he-bear, or something else AND I wonder if I'll be jury-ed in! Hope so and further hope you have a good art week. 

Denver, 2015

It's a Whale

Three whale-themed cards of mine that went to design.
Whale ATCs by Phillip Hoyle

Whales was the topic for the Artist Trading Cards swap last Saturday, a two hour event bringing together Denver artists for socializing and trading artwork. Cards were traded one for one by about a dozen artists, most of them showing their latest creations related to whales. 

I was pleased to trade about thirty cards. That means folk got more than my whales and I got more than theirs! The variety of work and the wonderful conversations made the time involved more than worthwhile. These trades are just plain fun! 

Think about joining a trading group near you. Go on line and type in Artist Trading Cards and the name of your town, city, or county. You'll be surprised. And if you join in the fun, you'll be surprised at the variety making cards will bring to your artwork. Working in miniature (cards are 2 1/2" x 3 1/2") can become a great medium for experimenting. And artists don't have to give up larger works in order to share their work with one another.

Denver, 2015

Artist Trading Cards

Some of my "Orange" cards.
ATCs by Phillip Hoyle

Orange was the theme for Thursday night's Swap, Make, and Swap Some More session. I wondered what I would do and opted for the color orange. Eventually I decided to do some florals. (I know the illustrations here may look red, but in reality they are orange and red orange.) I took two pages of orange flowers (18 ATCs) and another of mixed colors (blues and purples). The trade was great fun as always.

Cards with "Words and Letters"
ATCs by Phillip Hoyle

In a couple of week there will be another trade at CORE New Art Space in the Santa Fe Arts District (always the second Saturday of the month, 10-12 noon). The topic for that session is Words and Letters. I've completed three pages of cards, one of which is shown here. Messing with such graphics is one of my big buzzes in the ATC world. I had fun but I won't be able to trade since I will be out of town. I'm sure I'll find someone to trade with later.

I keep discovering new ideas through making these trading cards. They serve me as a low cost, slight use of materials and supplies way to experiment. Give them a try; make baseball size cards 3 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches. Check on line for artist trading cards to see what's happening around Denver and all over the world. You'll be amazed. Make some and come and trade with other artists. 

Denver, 2015

Circus Big Top

The theme for the Artist Trading Cards swap at CORE New Art Space last Saturday was Circus. I had thought and thought about the theme recalling circuses of my childhood, especially one that set up west of town with a big top and side shows and of course lots of animals. I made some ATCs of the theme that required a three-panel as they are called among swappers. They got snapped up right away at the trade. I treated the image in three different ways.

Making these tents was great fun and reminded me of many details both seen at the circus and in movies about circuses. But the circus isn't just tents or just the three rings inside the very large big top. It's much more and I had to work more to capture some if the fun.

After the tent is set up, the performers begin practicing to make sure everything is safe for them and the crowd. That's when the color increases and the anticipation grows. Of course there are clowns, but I had made clown cards galore in the past year. I thought and thought and got the idea to do a tribute to the NY artist Keith Haring. So with apologies to his memory, I presented some of the circus people and animals a la Haring with cards I titled Keith Haring Meets Barnum and Bailey.

I mostly hope you, dear reader, have a good art week!

Denver, 2015

Yes

A couple of years ago my artist friend Sue with whom I swap Artist Trading Cards produced a number of cards with the word 'Oh' on them. I was intrigued wondering just what she meant by them. Of course, as with all her work, the cards presented viewers with surprise. She is so inventive. I wondered if she also experienced some kind of surprise and wonder in the designing of the cards given that she is so experimental. Probably both of these values were a part of her process.

I got to thinking then about a word I might employ for a similar project. I realized that in my Morning Pages, the three handwritten pages I write almost every morning, I had started using the word yes. It occurs at the end of page three, a kind of affirmation that crescendos in the size of the letters I write: Yes Yes Yes! It likely is my screaming positively because I often don’t really believe the other affirmations I write out of habit before this enthusiastic ending. Finally, at least a year after thinking about using 'yes', I have made a set of cards, ten of them. Nine go this coming Saturday to a swap at Core New Art Space. One I pinned to the wall of my studio next to one of Sue’s 'oh' cards. Mine are mixed media pieces combining monoprint and collage. AND they were great fun to make. 

One of my Yes ATCs next to one of Sue's Oh ATC's
in my studio.

Denver, 2015

A Flight of Owls

I'm unsure of the traditional way to designate a group of owls. Perhaps they don't have such a designation. Other birds have rather fancy names attached to their groups. But I do know that the many owl Artist Trading Cards I made took flight. I had made twenty seven cards. Now I have none! 

I took three sheets of nine cards each. One sheet had nine drawings. One had nine prints. You may have seen them in last Monday's post. I also had one sheet of nine collages. Now I have none!

Maybe I'm bragging. I certainly am happy that I have twenty-seven new cards from the trade. (Actually quite a few more than that!) I'm happy that I got to see a number of artist friends Saturday at the trade. I'm happy that I got to see a fine installation of art at CORE New Art Space. I'm happy I spent the morning with my artist friend Sue. Oh, she got several cards.

Here are the collages for your inspection. Sorry I cannot trade them with you!

Owl collages with mixed media on paper
Phillip Hoyle

Denver, 2015