ATC

ATC or Artist Trading Cards came about during 1990's,with orgins in Switzerland, as a form to deliver small pieces of art.  These cards, sized at 2.5" x 3.5", are traded, not sold.  Cards are produced in various media, including dry media (pencils, pens, markers, etc.), wet media (watercolor, acrylic paints, etc.), paper media (in the form of collage, papercuts, found objects, etc.) or even metals or cloth.   These works of art are a way to exchange your ideas, thoughts, creativity, and a means of expressing oneself, but on a small scale.  If the idea doesn't work on ATC, then there is no need to produce on a larger scale.  It is also a recycling project as you can repurpose old playing cards, cereal boxes, various other cardboards that have been treated to accept the media to be used.

Some artists work in singles, some in series.  The back can contain artists info, date, signature and info on media used.  Take a look at these at Artist Trading Cards.  At the ATC Quarterly website you can check out one of an e-zine to get some ideas from various artists.

These fabric ATCs were exchanged amongst a quilter group.

There is no end to what an ATC can contain.

Have an interest in ATCs?  Small works with major impact!!