ARTIST TRADING CARDS

ATC addiction is real.. It's sweeping the world with images and expressions of comraderie and connection... Two years ago , I didn't even know what an ATC was... Since joining, " Flickr" and "Fantasticflatpaperdolls", a whole new world has opened up in the realm of artistry and finding like minded friends.. Isn't the internet a marvellous tool? ' "Enlighten" ( above) and " " Caught "( below) are an example of two of my ( traded) ATC's.

This week, I joined, two more groups... "Roses On My Table" and "The Sum of All Things" ..... As if I didn't already have enough to do ( Ha Ha). The fact is
these little pieces of work are theraputic to my creative soul. It just feels good !!!

I mean who would have thought that a 6cm X 9cm card would become a such craze. The cards are produced in various media( pencils, pens, markers, etc) wet media ( watercolor, acrylic paints etc.) paper media( in the form of collage, papercut, found objects etc.) They are usually traded rather than being sold. What an exhilerating exchange of artistic freedom.. KAAZAM !!!!

Clubs, trading sessions and online mailart communities have largely replaced the original concept of trading cards.( eg,Baseball cards) Besides being a great hobby.. ATC's have become an iconic expression for existing artisans and wouldbe artists, who can hone in on their creative abilities, while sharing and learning from the experts. It's a great way keep intouch with the artistic community and enjoy classes online or locally or abroad...

To date, I have friends as far away as Budapest, Finland, Sweden, Britain and of course Canada/ Japan... and we all have one thing in common ... ZaaArt of creating. It's amazing how a small pleasure such as making a trading card can create such a big space in the heart of the world.