Artist Trading Cards Some Gems

Artist Trading Cards by Phillip Hoyle 2016

I got an Honorable Mention for some of my ATCs at The Denver County Fair last weekend. Getting a ribbon was a first for me in a visual arts competition. I suspect it will keep me focused on the tiny art approach in the year to come. But my interest goes far beyond winning any kind of award. For me the rewards of ATCs has mostly to do with the good friendship I have been enjoying among artists I trade with and make cards alongside. 

I especially liked the judge's comments on the panel of nine ATCs that won the prize. According the the evaluation my sheet included several "little gems." The judge didn't indicate which ones, so in this post I'm showing the cards I judge to be my little gems. 

Maybe you could make your own gems and come trade the with me at CORE Gallery (2nd Saturdays at 10:00). Check online for listings of this and several other Denver ATC swaps and workshops. Join in the fun. You could even save your cards--some of the ones you make--and enter them into next year's county fair.

Artist Trading Cards by Phillip Hoyle 2016

Oh, sorry to be so late posting this. Thanks for looking and reading.

Denver, 2016

Going to the Fair

Denverites for the fourth consecutive year can go to the County Fair. I went a day early riding on the 0 and 48 busses to the National Stock Show Complex to set up an interactive Artist Trading Cards booth, a place where folk of all ages can sit for a spell and make their own miniature art pieces. The booth was located in the Fine Arts section along with its Blue Ribbon Art Show, an annual feature of the Fair, and about twenty booths of artists and art cooperatives. And the ATC booth sits next to a candy vendor and close to a stage where movies are shown, a spelling bee is held, and contests like texting for speed is held. Hard to beat that for a place to be inspired.

And the fair has many marks of the rural county fairs common to American tradition. Folk bring homemade crafts, cooking and canning, produce from their gardens, small animals and much more for judging. Ribbons are awarded the best, and I wonder if there are gardeners, cooks, and bakers who have won blue ribbons all four years. 

On Thursday I also helped hang the ATC submissions in the art show. It looked good. Hope you got to see it.

Anyway I went back to the fair the next day with friends to experience it in a different way, to look at booths, to spin wheels hoping for a prize, to study arts and crafts, to watch dogs run their courses. The feelings were good. I felt quite happy to be there with a long-time friend, her artist sister, her sister’s son, and their mother and grandmother. 

I was planning to make ATC cards with my friends but we ran out of time probably due to extra stops to watch the flea circus, listen to singers, watch a video, talk with artists, and otherwise enjoy the event! Plan to go there next summer!

Fun, fun at the fair!

Denver, 2014