It’s 10 p.m. the night before the artist trading card event and I dig into making the last card. I wanted to make 12, I’m going to make 12!! By 3 a.m., I’m done. All cards signed, dated, and scanned. I’m ready!

Here are the last 2 cards – one of a street scene in Volpaia, a small Tuscan wine town, and the other of a small piazza in Monterosso al Mare in Liguria.

Tuscany 1 and Liguria 1: The Last Two Cards

The next morning, I drove myself to the event about an hour away. Luckily it was clear driving because I was more than a little bleary-eyed. Laid all 12 cards out on the table, took one last picture of them all together, and waited to see what happened next.

My 12 Cards at the ATC Event

As other artists arrived, I walked around their displays and was inspired by how others had tackled these little pieces of paper. So many different ideas and approaches! One person made pop-up art on each of them. Another person wrote famous math equations. Many had collaged. All were so interesting, and I knew I’d be going home with 12 unique cards from other artists.

A bell was rung, and I proceeded to trade cards with whomever I asked or asked me. The one rule was that you couldn’t say “no” to a trade request. Talk about a mad scramble! It reminded me of a well-behaved Black Friday Sale! It was over really quickly. My 12 cards were off to new homes and I had 12 new pieces of art from others.

Upon reflection, it was a lot of work for a frantic few minutes of trading, so I’m not sure I’d make these types of involved cards again. But I did discover that I can get a whole scene onto these small cards and they are compelling in a strange way… and look good framed (I framed up a few just for fun).  I’m so appreciative that this experience introduced me to a new way of working… hmmm… now what can I do with these minis? The possibilities!

Mini Cards Framed