UGH Daylight Savings Time

People used to wonder why I didn't like to travel. Among other things, my body is extremely slow at adjusting to time zone differences. And, with the recent time change, I'm again out of kilter, as is my dog, Crash. He's pestering me to get out of bed earlier in the morning and wanting to go out on his evening walk as soon as it starts to turn dark. Fortunately for him, I've been working from home and can still accomodate a late afternoon tennis ball chase game, otherwise he'd be absolutely unbearable!

We'll work it out though, we always do. And, with the writer's strike that's crippled the late night talk show circuit, going to sleep an hour earlier isn't such a big deal. That is, for those of us who live without cable or satellite TV services, whatever travels through the air waves is what we see.

So, you see, it will be time again to produce more and more art. The creation of miniature art in the form of ACEOs (artist cards, editions and originals) continues. And, the pieces are beginning to sell on eBay, so I'm VERY encouraged. The Bird of Paradise card is shown here, a creation with Pitt art brush markers and metallic Prismacolor pencils.

Artist Cards, Editions and Originals (aka ACEOs)

I am getting back into making ACEOs, trading card size art for the masses! What fun. I especially enjoy the small format for some subjects and feel that this is a way to reach a much broader artistic market at a lower price point. The piece below is a scenic image from Bryce Canyon and Rainbow Point.



On the same road trip, I passed a lovely group of four horses enjoying a hot afternoon graze next to a rest stop in Iowa. I captured my favorite of those horses here in this simple composition, Munch a Bunch. Both of these pieces (or perhaps new pieces if you're looking after November 6) are currently up for auction on eBay...so get your bids in now!

Trade central here

I've been working at distributing the artist's trading cards that came into my home over the course of the last several weeks. There's been a total of 21 people involved in the trade, each offering 10 cards in exchange for 10 cards in return. So today was the day to arbitrarily select 21 sets of cards and make sure that no one got their own cards back. I'm glad that organization is one of my strengths!

(Okay, anyone who really knows me well enough to visit my home might question my organizational abilities, but that's a separate topic!)

It's an intersting set of cards ranging from original paintings, collages, limited edition photo and art prints; made on canvas, paper, cardstock, matboard; embellished with stitching, drawing, painting, origami, glitter, glass; and packaged in card collector sleeves, little zippered plastic bags, handmade envelopes, patriotic bags with twist-ties. Each card is being sent out in its original card packaging, or in a nice new card sleeve.

Tomorrow is the day to complete all of the postage calculations and prepare all the mailing packages, and then they'll be on their way back across the US and a few locations in Canada. This was a fun adventure, and I will do it again.

Making an Ad...

When you need to resolve who you are and what you do to 35 words, have you thought about the words you would use? I've gone back and forth with a couple of versions, and here is the most succinct rendition I decided upon to accompany the above image for an ad coming out in Madison Magazine:

Eclectic digital and mixed media art objects
www.electrikolor.com
608.845.9091

ElectriKolor blends traditional and digital techniques in photographic prints, abstract coasters, boxes, and much more. Shop online or arrange a studio visit.

Artist Trading Cards (ATCs)

I've volunteered to host an Artist Trading Card Swap (my first ever) with a group of 20 participants (really 21 with me) who need to mail the cards to me by April 20. I'll have a few days to coordinate and randomize distribution of what will be 210 cards among the participants and send 10 each back to them (I get to keep 10). Not unlike baseball card collectors, we artists (and non-artists) delight in Artist Trading Cards (which in theory are only traded and NEVER sold) or ACEOs (art card, editions and originals; these cards can be traded or sold). I've completed the first layers for my cards, and need to continue working on this side of the card (my mixed media side) and on what I'll be putting on my digital side.

Each 2.5 x 3.5 inch (64 x 89 mm) card is either an original, digital original, or a limited (or open) edition print of the contributing artist's work. For the safest postal delivery, I've asked that the cards included in this swap be sturdy--the consistency of a playing card, watercolor paper, or a baseball card--but thinner than 5 mm. Designs can be created in any medium. Each card should include your signature, a date, and edition number (if part of a limited edition). Card can also include contact information.

I'm certainly not an expert on this topic. There are plenty of places to learn more:
http://acetsy.blogspot.com/
http://www.atcards.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist_trading_cards