RAG ATCs received

A few months ago I sent nine zentangle-inspired artist trading cards (ATCs) to the Richmond Art Gallery in British Columbia for their 5th (and last, I learned later) annual artist trading card show. There were over 420 participants from all over the world. At the end of the exhibition, the cards are traded and gallery staff does a tremendous amount of work effecting trades for all the out-of-town artists.  Here is a photo of one wall of the exhibition, from the RAG's Facebook page:

You can see the cards I sent here. Below is a photo of part of the gallery. My cards are in the upper left. Lucky to have made it into one of the photos clearly enough to know they're mine!

Here are the cards I received in return. The three in the right column are fabric: machine embroidery on linen, weaving, and felt work. The one at the middle left is a collection of 'found' objects. The lower middle one has cut-out windows.

I also received the 'catalogue' for the show: a poster with a list of all the artists, where they live and their placement in the gallery, and on the other side one image from each of the participants. Here it is, 400 artist trading cards!

And... will ya lookit that?!? Way in the lower left corner? Someone else contributed Zentangle inspired cards, too!!!

The Google Art Project

Google is collaborating with some of the world’s most acclaimed art museums to enable people to discover and view more than a thousand artworks online in remarkable detail. To date 17 museums are participating, including the  Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Tate Museum in London, and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.

Using Google's Street View technology you can virtually move around the museum’s galleries, navigate interactive floor plans, select works of art that interest you and learn more about the museum.

Visit the Google Art Project. I recommend watching the three minute Visitor Guide video.

 CONTEST  UPDATE: 

Thanks to everyone who's entered my contest so far! I'm getting lots of great thoughts to share with Zentangle students.

Here's another metaphor, quoted in the Zentangle newsletter of January 2010. This one's from Carol Bailey Floyd, CZT: 

Zentangle is visual music.

Remember that in a metaphor you're not just describing something, you're comparing it to something that is actually unrelated. Referring to some of my earlier examples: the process of zentangle and life (anything is possible...), the zentangle tile and personality (unique and individual), a zentangle tile and life (a different perspective).

Keep 'em coming. Enter as often as you like.

I have five favorites so far. This is going to be tough!

Artist Trading Cards full speed ahead!

I've been interested in Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) for quite some time but hadn't had an occasion to get involved. Enter patsy monk, a Zentangle teacher in Florida. She proposed an ATC swap among the Certified Zentangle Teachers for anyone who was interested. I was!

Artist Trading Cards measure 2.5x3.5 inches, and are for trading only - no selling or buying allowed - and they must be original art.

Zentangle is done in black-and-white but for these cards - just as a challenge - we were to involve color somehow. I asked if I could send 10 cards instead of the requested five, and get more in return... and she agreed! I don't have a photo of the cards I sent (stupid), but here is a picture of some of my ATCs:

A few days ago I received an envelope full of delightful trades:

Next, I went to a local gallery one Sunday afternoon when I understood there was to be an ATC swap. As it turned out, it was an activity for children, but heck... I traded for some pretty cool cards by kids. One has a tiny mouse, one has a blue dinosaur, one is done by a 21-month-old girl, one is a night cityscape.

Then I heard about the Richmond Art Gallery's annual ATC show and swap. I sent them these nine cards in a plastic loose-leaf sheet:

The exhibition runs from 26 November 2010 until 22 January 2011. A few months from now I'll be receiving another batch of cards from artists I've probably never met. I've just discovered that there are trading websites. Of course, isn't there a website for anything you can think of?

Artist Trading Cards, full speed ahead!

Mendel Art Gallery Members' Showcase

I have two pieces in the annual Members' Showcase at the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon (Canada).
One is a zentangle-inspired mixed media work titled "On the Street Where You Live".

The other is a colorful, sort of zentangle-inspired, mandala-esque, acrylic painting called "The Dawn of a New Day". The exhibition continues until November 7.