ATC collages in the style of PG GRAVELE

It has been a very long time since my last post. Mainly due to the issues of dealing with my MIL's estate after her passing away. I hope that I can now resume my artwork where I left off. The first post will be to show off a couple of artist trading cards which I have made in the sstyle of PG Gravele whose work I wrote about in the last post.

I entered a challenge on Paper Digital Art and Images by Kim and used Gravele's style to create a background to a short word as the theme was text. In both cases the title was the text on the card.

Unfortunately the images are not terribly good, taken late at night in poor light. I will try to get better photos which show off the metallic foil in the atc's and replace them.

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Collaged Art Work

On a weekend away the hotel we stopped in had as usual prints on the walls. There were some collaged art works which really took my fancy. So much so that I took a couple of photos, meaning to use the style as a reference for some of my own work. These were:-

In fact googling the artists name, PG Gravele, I found that he is considered collectable especially in the Midwest (USA).

I also found that many of his works are available through All-Posters, which is very worth while a good look if youe are into mixed media. I did a little research into collage in Fine Art for an article published on Squidoo, Collage In Fine Art which did not throw up this artists name. However, this was probably because I was reading the historical angle rather than looking for modern artists. I will have to review the research and consider a wider search.

I will definitely be considering some work of this nature myself and will post here when I am happy with the outcome.

Making Artist Trading Cards

It has been difficult to find time to post on this blog for the past few weeks because of a succession of illnesses and a bereavement in the family. Just to keep things flowing I hope you won't mind if I take stock of where I am with my series of Squidoo lenses (=web page) on the subject of ATC's.

My very firt Artist trading card in watercolour - sold on Ebay. 

Portmerion, location for The Village in The Prisoner (TV series)

I originally started writing these lenses as a way of recording some of the research I was doing on the internet to widen my knowledge of the subject of ATC's. As a painter, I had discovered the format on Ebay and sold around 80 watercolour cards (ACEO's as they were sold!) within about 12 months or so. But of course I couldn't fail to notice the mixed media and collaged versions. These attracted my attention and I wanted to find out all I could about them -how many ways of making them were there? How should I display or collect them? Can I make and sell them? A lot of these answers were readily available and I joined a number of groups wher I became addiccted to swapping and forgot all about selling the cards. I now have a large collection and these lenses represent a personal view of this hobby.

A scultured artist trading card, made using layers of tissue paper.

There are four lenses which tell my story and record what I found on the web and these themselves link to other lenses which cover more specific information, such as tutorials for beginners and easy and free backgrounds for mixed media cards. The links to the main lenses are:-

• making, collecting and selling artist trading cards
• making artist trading cards
• collecting and displaying artist trading cards
• selling and trading artist trading cards

• simple collaged artist trading cards for beginners
• ideas for framing artist trading cards
• how to make easy atc backgrounds
• atc's with a difference

I hope to go on adding to this tally and by so doing increase my personal knowledge and interest in this fascinating and addictive hobby. May you find something in these lenses which will be of interest to you.

Free vintage photographs for collage art

I have started posting some old family photographs on to RedGage. An example is:-

The adults are my mother's parents. I accept that once a photograph is posted onto the internet it becomes fair game to some people, but I would be happy for these to be used in creating art. Only a few to be found there at present, but I intend to put a fair number on that page. Another example is:-

I am not even sure who these are, my mother had a collection of photos that she kept to herself for some reason.

Please feel free to visit my RedGage collection of vintage photographs to see if there are any of the photos that you feel you could use. I would be grateful for a mention and to know if you have used them but it is not a condition.

You might be interested to know that finding this collection upon my mother's passing, was instrumental in converting me into a collage artist. I have written about my first collaged ATC else where on this blog.

Happy creating!

A new venture - poetry

I posted yesterday of a new blog I am starting called Poems and Poetry on Life, as a starter for ten I have included what I consider to be my best 5 poems in a TOP 5 on best reviewer. This is really just a quick review of what I have been posting on the new blog but if quick is what you want, see what I think are my top 5 poems available on the web so far.

The other reason for this short post is to recommend Best Reviewer, actually a possible way of earning a little cash from on-line activities, especially if you have some thoughts on the sort of TOP x lists that might get lots of readers. If you want to join and make a few lists of your own why not try, register here.

But be warned this is not a get-rich-quick scheme, time patience and maybe lots of lists may be desired.

Broken Pieces, The Theme Of My Latest ATC challenge on PDA

Due to issues at home my available time for crafting is very limited at the moment but I have managed to at least get this one ATC finished in time to enter this challenge on PDA. The theme was broken pieces and boy did I have a little fun preparing the raw materials for this piece. A small hammer was the tool and a clam shell (I think) was the main material, which I smashed into quite small pieces. The idea was to use this to create a landscape on the ATC with the mother-of-pearl side uppermost to show its natural sheen.

I call this "Hot on the Rocks", the background is a marbled paper from my PDA friend Lynda Gilchuck  for which I am very grateful. The sun is a metal charm sold for embellishing cards which I aquired (legally) from a local Pound Shop. The title is of course a play on the words of that popular drink, "Scotch-on-the-Rocks".

I do hope that I am able to find time to get back to crafting/art regularly in the near future, I think that I am getting withdrawal symptons and getting involved in too many other things which will take time if I keep them up. For example, I have just started a new blog to cater for a new interest (well, a rediscovered interest really) in writing poetry. Something that has always gone hand-in-glove with my songwriting.

Watch this space.....

Mixed Media and Collaged Art on Zazzle

I have been busy with so many things just recently that crafting has taken a bit of a back seat. I have joined an on-line (free) art course. The artist is intending to produce one lesson per week over the next three years. A tall order but as an art teacher she believes it possible to create a course equivalent in content to a three year art school course. Without the final qualifications of course. The Art School - Learn How To Paint and Draw is only just starting, time to get on board, you can't lose. There is also a group on FaceBook to act as a focal point for contact between the members of the course and allow tutorials.

I have also started to take up my guitar again, seriously; and have attended what could be an inaugural meeting for a new Shadows related guitar group. First time that I have played in public and really enjoyed myself.

I have also been adding a few images to products iin my Zazzle store, hopefully a way of earning a little pocket money from my art. I thought it warranted a few examples posted on here.

A tee-shirt using a marbled paper design is the first:-

My other shirts a Da Vinci by artyfax
More Marbled T-Shirts

A collaged image on a truckers' hat:-

wisdom, collage by artyfax
View other Vinatge Hats

An a collaged deign on a greeting card:-

birthday card, a message by owl delivery, HAPP... by artyfax
See more Birthday Cards

 Most designs can be seen on a wide range of products which can be customised by potential purchasers. If you prefer, you can also see the same products in my UK Zazzle store.