Creativity Shared

Creativity Shared

Creating art, making crafts, writing poetry or prose are typically solitary pursuits. It is wonderful to create something new, but isolating to want for an audience to provide positive feedback and encouragement. While some people think the Internet has lessoned social interaction, used in a positive way, it actually can increase our connectedness with others.

Now, we can learn techniques from people we would never have otherwise met. We can trade art with people in other communities, states, and countries. We can see, in an instant, what others have created recently, and we can research and learn the history behind different art forms.

When we are planning a trip to a new place, we can research for museums, exhibits, festivals and other art-related events in the area. We can sign up to receive visitor information by mail without making a phone call.
The Internet provides a way to share our love of the creative without limitations. Financial, educational, health, accessibility, and travel limitations are somewhat reduced as we share with others who see, in essence, our creative side only. At times, deeper connections can be made as we ask questions, view the art others have created, and look deeper into what the online creative community is doing.

There is going to be an interesting movie, a documentary, out next year (2009): Handmade Nation. Learn more at http://www.handmadenationmovie.com/ You can also obtain a book about the creation of the movie at Amazon.

In conjuntion with Art of Ohio (a division of ACEnet, the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks) I'll be leading workshops on creating Artist Trading Cards, altered books, painting, and other creative endeavors. The techniques will be useful for anyone interested in scrapbooking, altered arts, painting, or creating personal stationary or greeting cards.

You can learn more by clicking here: http://www.janicephelps.com/ATCworkshop.pdf.

Or visiting this Meetup group: http://www.meetup.com/CreativeWorkshops/

See a list of books at Amazon about Artist Trading Cards.

ATC groups
List provided by Janice Phelps Williams (www.janicephelps.com)

artisttradingcards 3501 Members, Archives: Membership required
This group is for Artist Trading Cards or ATC's. We run this group so that others can share in our enthusiastic endeavors. We LOVE them! Working on a smaller scale is fun & fast! We want all artists of all mediums to join us, share your artistic knowledge, make friendships with others all over the world and just have FUN! All types of ATC art will be embraced.

ATC_CONNECTION 191 Members, Archives: Membership required
ATC_CONNECTION is a place for artists of all skill levels, beginner to professional, to come together in a welcoming enviroment to discuss and swap Artist Trading Cards (ATC),Altered Boxes, Tins, Books, ETC.For those of you who do not know, Artist Trading Cards, or ATCs as we refer to them, are 2.5"x3.5" works of art. And that is the only rule to making them! They can be any medium, any subject, any style. 2.5"x3.5" is the ONLY rule. This group is created for the trading of atcs and not selling atcs/aceos.We invite you to join us to create and discuss your favorite techniques and methods, as well as to get to know other amazing artists.

ATC_JamsGalore 94 Members, Archives: Membership required
JAMS are where one person begins by preparing three (3) identical backgrounds and sends to person #2. Person #2 adds something (same thing to each card) and sends to person #3. Person #3 adds something (same thing to each card). The set is now complete. Person #3 keeps one card and mails the other two cards to Person #1, who in turn will mail one card to person #2. This completes the JAM.

ATC_World 1805 Members, Archives: Membership required
If you love ATC's (Artist Trading Cards), then come join us! We have swaps running all the time, each listed in the database.

mixedmediaartlinks 1029 Members, Archives: Membership required
Homepage Art created by: Cassi Here you will find comprehensive listings of links to ATC's, Fabric Art, Images to Print, Art Dolls, Found Object Art, Altered Art, Artsy Paper Dolls, Book Making, Bottle Cap Art, Altered Tins, Polymer Clay, Collage, Outsider Art, Altered Books, Artsy Fonts, Free Stuff, Game Piece Art, Altered Playing Cards, Art Jewelry, Bead Making, Journaling, Paper Making, Tag Art, Galleries, Project Sites, Technique Sites and much more


miniatureartisttradingcards 177 Members, Archives: Membership required
This group is for the discussion and swapping of Miniature Artist Trading Cards. Mini atc's measure 1.5 x 2.5 inches. They are mini masterpieces on an even smaller scale than the regular size artist trading cards! All mediums are welcome. Please feel free to share your mini artworks

ATC_Fun 360 Members, Archives: Membership required
Artist Trading Cards are a wonderful way of expressing yourselves and meeting other artists. Any art medium goes, as long as it fits on a 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" card. ATC_Fun is a good place to connect with individuals who love making ATC's. And, if you are a newbie, we would love to help you learn and grow. Active participation is encouraged, but not expected. You will find photos, classes and lots of sharing going on. All posts are encouraged to have the subject of ATC's as the focus.

ArtistsCraftersTradingSupplies 218 Members, Archives: Membership required
Welcome to Artists Crafters Trading Supplies! Do you find yourself inundated with supplies, yet you want more? Are you one of the crafters that want a little of this and a lot of that? Then this is the group for you! Are you done with that book on collage and need some fabric for art dolls? Need game pieces or buttons and have some chalks you no longer use? Offer it up for a trade here. Let the group know what you have and what want to swap for.


ATCswapping 170 Members, Archives: Membership required
This group is for swapping Artist Trading Cards (ATCs). There will be themed swaps posted every month which you will sign up for until the date in which the swaps close. Then you will have some time, usually until the end of the month, to make your cards and send to your swap partner. In each themed swap, you will make *ONLY* 2 cards, and they will both be sent to your partner. Please make both card different but on the same theme. Your partner in turn will make 2 cards and send them to you

14_Secrets 143 Members, Archives: Membership required
14 Secrets for a Happy Artist's Life Since the 14 Secrets for a Happy Artist's Life include lots of art making and lots of art exchange, that's what you will find here. We are a group of artists that share, swap, exchange and inspire all things artistic from artist's trading cards to fat books and puppets, mostly through our postal services. Having grown quite rapidly, and having a "happy artist" mandate, we are currently taking on new members by invitation only

Altered_stArt 226 Members, Archives: Membership required
Have you discovered altered art, rubber stamping or mixed media/collage? Would you like to meet other artists, some who are also new to altered art and others who have already stARTed their journey? Altered_stART was originally created as an online group for people who were new to the world of altered art and Yahoo art groups. While we still focus primarily on people who are discovering these art forms, we welcome and encourage people of all skill levels to join

Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/ to search for additional groups by your area of interest

The other day (Sunday) the air cooled and Tyler (our Pekingese) admonished me that he could wait no longer to explore "the back 40." In other words, the 2 acres that extend beyond the steep drop at the edge of our back yard. So, back pack loaded with everything we'd need for a whole day, and hiking boots dusted off, Tyler and I left for our adventure--which lasted all of 45 minutes. Much to the relief of my mother, and husband, I'm sure.

I discovered that my hiking days have changed, at least till the asthma improves. But in the meantime I did get to see what our property looks like from the back, looking up the hill at the house. And, I learned that the woods are full of dead trees, burrs that stuck in Tyler's fur, old brown bottles, and interesting moss and fungi.

Tyler had a blast. He zoomed from tree to tree, always coming back when I blue my whistle. When it was time to return, he led the way, remembering his p-trail and running back to make sure I was following properly. When we got to the top, he ran ahead to get Mark, then came back to join me and plopped down on his back, tummy in the air, to cool off. What a guy!

We wanted to find the creek, but alas, never did get that far. We know it's there though, because it shows up on the Athens map, as being on our property.

Anyway, it was all worth it to get this photo!

Janice

Artist Trading Cards Workshop - Athens, Ohio

In conjuction with Art of Ohio I will leading an Artist Trading Card workshop Sunday, Nov. 9th, 2008 from 1:30 - 4:30 in Athens, Ohio at ACEnet. No artistic experience or talent is required--it's all about expression and networking.

My sister, Joan Phelps, will be teaching with me. Details are available on this PDF. You can also look on this webpage for information on workshops. Art of Ohio will also be posting information and supporting materials as the time for the class gets closer.

Memory-Keepers - Drawing

What is a memory-keeper drawing? I like to think of it as a way to document events, memories, of things that happen to me in my life or that are important to me in some way.

If the professors in my art classes had talked about keeping a sketchbook as a way to document one's life, or make sense of the visual images bombarding us daily, or as a visual journal we can look back on thirty years down the road--well, I might have kept a more faithful journal. We were just told that "all artists should keep sketchbooks." Certainly practicing technique is important. Working out ideas before commiting them to more expensive materials is a good idea too. But how about forgetting about "doing your best," or "perfecting technique," and just getting down the images, feelings, memories? That is what I'm finding joy in now, as a "mature artist." My inner critic has been silenced, for the most part, and I can draw without evaluating the worthiness of my product. I can create art for art's sake, for my sake.

I was thinking recently about all the pets I'd cared for in my lifetime. Rather than write a list, I drew them. The ones who were with me briefly and went to live with others, are shown walking or flying off the edges of the paper. Those who stayed with me until they died, are shown with little halos. Quite a list when it was all compiled: Timmy the teddy bear hamster who liked to watch TV while sitting on my knee; Marcel, my first pet bird, a Gouldian finch; Joey my first dog, a dashhound; Bailey, the beloved cockatoo whose funny antics still bring a smile to my face.

As for the drawing; it's just OK. But it got me to thinking about other projects that could take off from this one. Actually, this drawing came to me after seeing a photo of Frida Kohla with parrots on her shoulder.

Whether using ATCs, AECOs, collage, paint, scrapbooks, or writing in a journal or drawing in a sketchbook--take time to document your life.

I have some sketches I did decades ago. I've been carting them around from place to place and they are getting rather raggedy. I think I will scan them into my computer and print them out on Epson presentation matte paper (my favorite) and assemble them in a binder.

Do you have any sketches or artwork done, not for the final product, but as a process for keeping memories?

Drawing on New Surfaces

Paper, Canvas--traditional surfaces. But what happens when we take our favorite materials and work on new surfaces? Surprising things.

In a previous article, I wrote about my love of Sharpie markers in creating drawings of birds. I also like to use them to create bold, abstract drawings. Like the following:

What happens if we take those same markers, same bold colors, and apply them to a different surface? Below, you will see how the Sharpies look when I drew on a sheet of light beige foam.



This foam, used in kids' crafts, is sold in craft stores and in some discount drug marts. It's inexpensive and fun to use and comes in all sorts of colors. I first started buying it when I began incorporating collage and paste into my acrylic paintings; to build them up and create texture.

I decided to make some Artist Trading Cards using the same technique, and cut the foam to the 2.5 x 3.5 inch size.

The bold color remains, but the effect is softer, more impressionistic and dreamlike.

Take your favorite art materials and apply them to a new surface--see what happens!

Here are some surfaces you might not have thought of:

Recyled materials such as:

• the nice white inside of a milk carton.
• Old pieces of glass, old windows, old bottles,
• old glass lenses, removed from frames and with a pin backing added
• scraps of wood
• old slate roof tiles
• rocks
• bricks

Materials you can find most anywhere:

• Kids' board books can be found at most Goodwill and Salvation Army stores
• Felt, foam
• A variety of paper surfaces: rough, smooth, textured
• Apply a coating of gesso or acrylic paint to fabric, then draw or paint on the fabric. How does velvet compare to felt? How does linen compare to fleece? For inexpensive fabric, cut up clothes you are going to give or throw away or buy clearance items at Goodwill.
• Browse online catalogs from Dick Blick and the like and see what other surfaces are out there.

Finding the Right Art Materials #1: Permanent Markers

Let's muse a bit on materials. Ones that work and ones that don't.

How frustrating is it to create a beautiful ATC or altered book or collage or greeting card, reach for a "gold foil" pen and the result is a huge blob of goldish paint right in the middle of your creation?

I love gold and silver pens, but some I've bought went right into the trash. Others consistently work. My problem is keeping track of which is which and remembering when I'm in Hobby Lobby or shopping at Dick Blick or Jo Ann Fabric!

I am thinking about materials because I recently paid many bucks for Micron Archival Ink Acid-free pens. One set of black in various widths and one set of colored. Turns out, I love them. They were worth the price.

I usually draw with fine and extra fine Sharpies. I love the bold colors, the layering of colors, the ease, convenience and portability. In my perfect world there would be 256 colors of Sharpies.

My son, Jesse, introduced me to Poster Paint markers, and the white has been a good addition to my marker box.

But, back to the Microns, the .005 size, in particular. A drawing done in extra-fine Sharpie looks good, but the same drawing done in .005 Micron looks much more sophisticated. Suddenly, my drawing looks hip, looks Wow, looks...I don't know...more professional. I really like the results I'm getting, and nothing about me has changed! Only my tools. How great is that.

Here are some examples:
Here is a drawing I did this week of Tyler, guarding his birthday bone. It is with the Micron pen.



Next, we have a drawing I did last year with Sharpie Extra-Fine markers. I call it Tiny Dancer. You'll see the difference between the two pens.


Here is another drawing of Jackie done with Sharpie markers.

Next, we have two drawings I did this pasat week with Micron .005 black and colored markers. "Tyler and Jackie Dancing" and "Farley's Treat Yes! #2." These are also Artist Trading Card (ATC) size, which is 3.5 x 2.5.

Now, one would hope my technique and skill would improve over time, but the Microns just seem to make things easier.

Do you have any pens or markers that are particular favorites? What gold and silver pens have you found work best?

People and their pets–vintage images

Recently, I joined two Yahoo groups for those interested in Artist Trading Cards. Wow! What a wealth of information, friendship, creativity, and visual resources.

I began looking at some of the links to online databases for images of people with their pets. This led me to two websites that were goldmines: http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/ and the Library of Congress.

The images that caught my eye gave me a glimpse into life with pets in an earlier time in American history and several images and articles that sparked ideas for future art and writing projects.

Photographing pets is a great hobby. For more on photographing pets, see this previous blog article.