Embroidered Collage

ACEOs seemed akin to blasphemy when I first heard about them - artist trading cards were being SOLD!  Changing the name to Art Cards, Editions and Originals seemed a superficial trick that avoided the issue that these artists were commercializing a friendly pursuit. My attitude changed over time. Why shouldn't an artist sell work of a specific size and call it an art card, emphasizing its collectibility? Because there was a culture that traded works of that size as well? The one wouldn't hurt the other as long as no one sold another artist's work that was intended for trade only. So my approach came around a full 180 degrees and I even bought some cards from artists I admired.

And now I will be adding ACEOs to my Etsy store!  But not until November 1.  This week they are free treats with a purchase of another artwork.

I have always been more comfortable creating when I have an outlet for what I create. I need to keep playing with the idea of bands of color and design on a small scale so I can build up my visual sense to accomplish more dramatic works on larger scales and using the art card format satisfies me. This has been the driving force behind many of the cards you've seen over the last month, letting my play support my efforts for artistic growth.

I could have traded them, of course, but after doing some looking around on Etsy I became convinced that offering ACEOs would help keep my shop active as my available art time contracts further with the upcoming arrival of an infant. They would also provide a lower cost introduction to my work. I know that I've started purchasing more original art since I started looking at the ACEOs already listed for sale!

I will continue to create cards for trade but they will be in different styles than the ones I list on Etsy. All my cards for sale will be in the "Strata" series and individually numbered. While I will use various media on paper such as watercolor, collage, and acrylics, I will probably not add stitching to any of them. Each will be packaged in a stiff plastic sleeve and be listed for $7 with free shipping to anywhere. If I ever do create embroidered cards I will likely make a separate category for them.

During November I am going to show you some of the artists on Etsy who I have purchased original ACEOs from, or would like to do so. In some cases, their previous successes helped convince me that this endeavor was worth trying.