Art Trading Cards, or ATCs

Art Trading Cards are miniature works of art (2.5" x 3.5") that fit inside standard card sleeves. This type of art was started in Switzerland in 1996 and grew out of an interest in mail art. ATCs are now produced all over the world in various media, including pencils, pens, markers, watercolor, acrylic paints, collage, papercuts, found objects, etc.
I’m starting an afterschool ATC Class next week, and am working out ideas to do with the kids. I usually have a lot of really young ones, like kinder and 1st grade, so I’m trying to keep the art really simple.
1. I started with watercolor paper, and drew some simple ocean life shapes in pencil. (I actually got inspired by art from one of my favorite coffee cups.) During class, I will probably draw these on the board to help the kids get started. I plan to have a different theme for each class, so this one will “Sea Life” or something like that.
2. After my drawings were done, I traced them with a black Sharpie marker.
3. I used my favorite Prismacolor® watercolor pencils to color and paint the cards. (Sorry Crayola®, I use your watercolor pencils to stir paint!)
4. After the cards were dry, I went back with my fine point Stabilio® markers and drew some details in the cards.

Read more »

Senofu Spirit Drawings

The Senufo people of West Africa’s Ivory Coast are renowned for their cloth paintings. They believe their artwork has special meaning and helps protect them in their daily lives. Design motifs usually include birds, snakes, fish, frogs, crocodiles, and turtles as seen from above or side, covered with lots of geometric patterns.
1. I had to substitute manila paper for cloth, but someday would like to try this on muslin. I had the students draw a border around their paper the width of a ruler. I drew some very simple animal shapes on the board for them to refer to. They were to pick their favorite and draw it as large as they could in the middle of their paper. When complete, the animals were filled with geometric patterns as well as the border.
2. After the patterns are all drawn, I had the students trace the animal and border with a fat black Sharpie and the inside patterns with a thin one.
3. When coloring with oil pastels, I explained that the Senofu people thought all animals had spirits and often outlined them with a thick band of yellow to represent that kind of energy. Lastly, the background was colored whatever color they wanted. The borders were to remain with patterns only and no extra color.

CA Art Standard: Grade Four
4.4 Identify and describe how various cultures define and value art differently.

Read more »

Ode to Georgia O’Keeffe Poppy Mural

The artistic brilliance of Georgia O'Keeffe revolutionized modern art. With her paintings she vividly portrayed the power and emotion of objects of nature. One of her most famous paintings, Oriental Poppies is full of brilliant color and measures 30 inches tall and over 40 inches wide.

My Poppy Mural has 28 pages to color and measures 54" by 40" when complete.You can purchase my pdf file with instructions for just $5. Click the “Add to Cart” button below to make your payment and receive download instructions.

Read more »