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September may seem like an odd time to start a "book" with the title A Year in the Life of an ATC Artist, but that's where I am starting.
I began making Artist Trading Cards in 2020. Just in time for the pandemic. The online communication with artists all over the world was my primary social life for almost two years! I made over 2300 cards from 2020 to 2024. Then I took a long break. Beginning in September 2024, I began volunteering in Topeka's wonderful Art Lab. I thought I didn't need ATCs any more.
Eventually, I realized that I missed discussing art with ADULTS. So on the first day of September, I rejoined the online ATC community.
I have enjoyed making monthly art journals ever since I retired in 2019. Above is the first journal entry for my return to the world of ATCs. Below is the card I made on September 1.
It is appropriate that I traded "Protest" for the Emily Houtz print shown on my September 1 journal page.
Fight! Fight!
Fight! Fight!
One of the things I most enjoy about participating in the ATC groups online is participation in art discussions. ATC artists are, after all, ARTISTS. We feel very strongly about our art.
Sometimes the discussions become heated.
The two Facebook groups, each named ATC Artist Trading Cards, have admins that...
um...
do not get along.
When I returned to online trading, the two groups had a bit of an ongoing argument, which inspired the card that I made on September 3.
Seriously....
Seriously....
With my return to making ATCs, I often found myself inspired to make fewer frivolous cards and attempt to tackle topics of a more mindful nature.
2025 was a scary time for many of us in the United States. Art in the groups reflected that.
Some ATC groups avoid political art, but the group I like best (Emily's) supports and encourages artists to make any kind of art they wish.
These cards were drawn on September 6. One was traded. One was added to my "AKC collection."
(AKC is my own special term for "Artist KEEPING Card.")
The journal entry above reads more like a diary, and that is intentional.
My art journals are LIFE journals.
The September journal was the first journal I ever attempted using the unfortunately-named app, "Pages," on my iPad. After a few weeks of struggling to use the iPad version of Pages, I bought a second-hand iMac so I could return to a full-featured application on a large screen.
"The World of ATCs" was drawn on September 15, and I made and traded several versions of this card.
I really enjoy being a part of an ATC community, and that means we have "family stories" that span over months of conversation
Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, so I decided to make a bunch of Halloween cards. This year, one of my series, which I expected to be popular, was....NOT.
Happily, it gave me the idea for another card:
The "Life as an ATC Artist" series
The "Life as an ATC Artist" series
One of the reasons I go back and forth between active-participation-in-the-online-trading-group" and "lurking-in-the-online-trading-group" is my rather immature need to see "Likes."
Yes. I am overly sensitive.
I hate to see my work ignored.
I hate to have someone say "NO" when I request a trade.
But I have learned to make art from these experiences. This little card was well-received and I include it as an "Extra" when I trade.
Extra
Since the Facebook groups include a lot of mixed media artists, the following custom has evolved:
When trading with another mixed media artist, each artist adds various bits of ephemera in the envelope, along with the ATC. Stickers, gelli plate prints, magazine cut-outs, stamped images, postal stamps.... anything that a mixed media artist might find useful: these are called "Extras!" It's a fun tradition.
As I update this page on December 29, 2024, I realize that a web site is the PERFECT way to share my story. A Year in the Life of an ATC Artist is not really a "linear" story. It is betst told with lots of illustrations, lots of little stories, and lots of additional information.
"A Inchie-style Dissertation on Digital Art" is one of my favorite ATCs ever. It was the last card I made in September. The September journal was the last monthly art journal that I ever made. It ended with a list of all the cards I made and traded. (I have blocked out the names of the traders.)
Author's note: This "retro" page was completed 251222. I've made edits several times. The latest was 251229.
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