More Fetish Artist Trading Cards

ATCs of Badger and Bison, Phillip Hoyle 2017

Last week I went to the ATC workshop ready to trade only to find I had gone one week too early! I chalk it up to old age and too compressed a schedule. You'd think a retired person would do better meeting a schedule. I say that because I don't have nearly the schedule I sustained for many years. Still I write, do my artwork, and socialize. I attend both writing and art workshops and classes. Life is full. I like it that way. 

Bird ATC, Phillip Hoyle 2017

I like animals in general although I am less excited these days by squirrels that are making it necessary for me to keep cleaning off the patio as they harvest sweet locust pods. They're as messy as my grandkids, dropping all the leftovers on the patio. I'd put out a trash bin but it wouldn't solve a thing. They don't look where they drop and sometimes they drop them right on me as I sweep. See, life in retirement still has its challenges. Hope you have an art filled week and meet some interesting people.

Fetish Artist Trading Cards

Artist Trading Cards, Buffalo and Bear, Phillip Hoyle 2017

I'm getting ready for an ATC swap and workshop coming up next week. The theme ought to provide some beauties and, perhaps, some laughs. That will be up to the imaginations of the artists. There is a lot of imagination in the groups I trade with. 

I've long admired the cultures and artwork of Native Americans. I get to look at the work, both traditional and modern, of such artists at the Denver Art Museum, the first American art museum to show these works as art. My work with such designs is a mark of my appreciation. 

Rabbit Fetish, Phillip Hoyle 2017

All three of these ATCs are inspired by fetishes by Native Americans. They are done here on water color paper grounds, collage, handmade papers, ink, feathers, and rafia.

Tobacco Artist Trading Cards

Tobacco Juice Artist Trading Cards, Phillip Hoyle 2017

The swap meet at CORE New Art Space on Saturday was especially fine. One artist who we used to see often returned, a new artist came with a handful of cards, and another artist stopped by to look over just what happens. The overall work seemed especially creative. I took some rather silly looking grasshoppers having recalled that when as boys we’d catch them, they’d leave a brown stain on our hands that we called tobacco juice. That’s what I named my cards.

Tobacco Juice ATCs by Phillip Hoyle 2017

They went quickly and were replaced by beauties from other artists. It’s a social with art not refreshments, but to an artist what could be finer? These tiny pieces of art inspire new pieces, techniques, and endless cards to trade. The trade takes place on the second Saturday of the month. Come with 3.5 x 2.5” cards. Check out the website on Facebook. 

Tobacco Juice ATCs by Phillip Hoyle 2017
Grounds for these cards were old acrylic washes and collages.
Drawings in graphite, black ink, and gell pens.

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.