Artist Trading Cards-Inseperable

One word, two interpretations, that was my challenge for these two ATCs. These are fun to make because they are small and you can play around without worrying too much about the outcome. It would be fun to have a party where everyone makes some artist trading cards. Maybe I'll plan one.

Getting organized

We seem to have papers covering most of the horizontal surfaces in our home. So much so, that to use the island in the kitchen I have to shift papers to a different location. Our dining room table is also always covered in mail, magazines, and other miscellaneous papers that are all waiting to be sorted and taken care of. So, my solution was to make a type of file pocket in which to place all of these papers and thereby freeing up counter and table space as well as keeping everything organized a bit better.

This first one is made from the fabric I used for my window treatments in our family room and kitchen. This version has two grommets at the top that allow me to hang it on the wall in our kitchen. The only reason it is not stuffed full of papers is because I spent an hour going through everything before I took this picture.

This second one is made out of canvas that I hand painted using a variety of techniques. I then added some 3 dimensional embellishments to make it more interesting. I decided to make a rod pocket at the top and insert a hanger so it can hang from a door hook in my studio. I am using this one to keep the magazines I am currently reading.

I USED to like this piece

I appreciate constructive criticism, really I do. But I've learned something: if I am HAPPY with a piece and then someone offers a piece of constructive criticism, I don't need to take the suggestions and immediately "fix" it. The original version of this painting was one with which I was really happy. The lady's face had a great feel to it. But then, someone offered some constructive criticism. The eyes weren't really lined up correctly and so on. So, I tried to fix it. The more I tried to fix it, the worse it got. She totally lost the feel she had and now I really dislike the piece. And she still isn't really right from a classical art perspective, but now I'm so frustrated that I ruined a piece that originally made me happy that I don't want to work on it any more. The point is, I liked it the way it was originally, even if it wasn't classically correct. I should have left it alone. That's not to say that I don't want constructive criticism and helpful suggestions. It just means that I need to decide how to sift through them and when to use them.

How much is one serving?

I was playing around one day with various papers and images and somehow these things seemed to fit together. I remember seeing a funny, albeit sort of sick, bumper sticker that said I love kids, but I can't eat a whole one.  That bumper sticker came to mind, and I made this piece as a response to it. So, maybe my sense of humor is slightly twisted.