ACEOs – Production-line shortcuts

ACEO - in progressI’m trying some oil paintings as ACEOs.  (That stands for Art Card limited Editions and Originals, a kind of artists’ trading cards.)

Because traditional art cards (including ACEOs) are the same size as other trading cards (like baseball cards, etc.), the 2.5″ x 3.5″ ACEOs can be tricky to work with if you’re painting with oils or acrylics.

My first attempt revealed a few flaws that I’ll fix with the next batch.  However, here’s what I did:

First, I covered a masonite sketch board (shown below, at right) with newspaper, held in place by a Very Big Elastic. (The elastic comes with the sketch board when you buy it at any arts or crafts store, or you can simply use one from other packaging… but you may not need it at all.)

Then, I positioned a series of blank ATCs (artist trading cards) approximately where I figured they should be, to mask them. (Michael’s and other stores sell these canvas-textured blanks in the same aisle as their fine art drawing & painting supplies.)

Next, I used blue (easy to peel off) painter’s masking tape to tack blank ACEOs in place.

After that, I laid down strips of that same tape, masking the edges of the cards, usually about 1/4 inch.  (That’s not shown in the photo.)

And then, of course, I painted them… at least with an underpainting (my signature cadmium red) and then the first layer of oil paint.

Impatient to see how they’ll look, I peeled off the long strips of masking tape.  The result is in the photo on the right.

One card tore slightly as I was peeling off the tape.  (The tear was a small surface tear and it can be repaired with glue.) I’m not sure if that issue can be wholly avoided with this process, but I’ll keep experimenting.

I tweaked some of the cards while this first layer of paint is wet.  I wanted to cover the cadmium red that had seeped under the tape more than the oil paint did.  Alas, some of the tweaking ventured into the ACEOs’ white margins.

While these cards dry, I’m starting a new batch of ACEOs.  This time, I used a ruler to position the cards and the tape, so it’s more regular.  So far, so good.

The oil paint will take at least a week or two to dry enough for the next layer of paint, so these cards won’t be completed very quickly.   I’m aiming to have the first batch of ACEOs ready to ship in about a month.

However, I see several merits to using ACEOs for oil paint (or acrylics):

1. These allow me to experiment with designs on a small scale, to evaluate them for larger paintings.  These cards are sort of like thumbnail sketches, but more finished.

2. I can sell these ACEOs for far less than my paintings, making them easy for new art collectors to purchase.  (I’m very enthusiastic about the Cheap Art Manifesto as much as it’s practical… while still being a professional artist.)

3. Shipping the ACEOs will involve wax paper (to protect the surface of the card) and some cardboard rectangles as support in the mail.  Then, each card can go in an envelope… cheap and easy!

As soon as I’ve worked out more of the bugs, I’ll create a sheet that you can easily use to layout the blank cards yourself, if you’d like to try a painterly approach to ACEOs.

Why Art?

Art class, photo by erdogan ergun, TurkeyWhy art? Really, why would anyone take the time to create art, unless  he or she is a full-time artist?

The answers are clear to anyone who’s independently created art of any kind.

Even if it’s a scribble or a graphic note in the margin of your class notes, if you’ve ever expressed yourself visually, you’ve created art.

Note that I said independently created art.  That’s important.

If it was a class assignment, or something you had to do, the art process may have been vacant.

For many artists, the art process is where the value is. If the process is drudgery, it’s only mimicking art.

Artist Harley Brown said it well. “Within a second of starting a picture, I’m on top of a mountain which has finally become my reality. So, when I tell people to do a drawing a day, it is not only to learn to observe or perfect skills, it is putting ourselves closer to what we really are and for what we live.”

Art Gallery, photo by brendan gogartyWhat makes art important in our lives is how art makes us feel.

Whether you’re creating the art or admiring it in a gallery or on your drawing pad, art should evoke an emotional reaction. If it doesn’t, the art isn’t necessarily bad, it’s just not resonating with who you are, inside.

For most artists, particularly when you’re starting out, the focus must be on the process. Your results will improve with practice. The joy is in the creative moments and the discoveries you’ll make — good and bad — as you work on art.

Your art, whether it’s drawing or painting or singing or fine-tuning a recipe, is a process that makes you feel more authentic… more alive.

In The Book of Awakening, Howard Thurman is quoted, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Separate the technical aspects of art from the joy of creating. Sometimes, the learning process can be as exciting (or boring) as singing scales or reciting multiplication tables. However, the process of putting the pencil to the paper, or paint on the canvas, is where the magic is.

Little girl playing, by Armin HanischAim for something original. That won’t come from copying others, or measuring your work against theirs. The finished product may be a disappointment, but the more important question is: How did you feel when the work came alive? Did you forget about time and tidiness? Did you feel in flow, following a joyful current?

Musician Jeff Beck said, “As long as there’s something original going on, that’s all that really matters.”

He’s right.

Art can be about the finished work. However, it’s more important to focus on the energy that is grounded in and emanates from the creative process.

If you feel that spark of vitality, even for a few seconds as you’re creating art, you’ve seen a glimmer of what drives us to be artists… and what keeps us fully alive in every moment.

We create art for how it feels, not necessarily for the merits of the finished work.

Photo credits
Art class – erdogan ergun, Turkey
Art gallery – brendan gogarty, Australia
Girl in field – Armin Hanisch, Germany

Sewing Onto Your Journal Pages

You can sew embellishments onto your paper journal pages.

You can use any page in a book like fabric (to sew on, for example) by using iron-on interfacing on the back side of the page.

Yes, just iron it on, the same as you would iron interfacing onto fabric. It won’t always stick 100%, but it will work well enough that you can sew through it.

(If you try to embroider or sew beads onto regular pages in a book, the thread tends to pull right through the paper, if the thread is tugged.)

You can do the same thing with your journal cover. A strong crewel embroidery needle will usually sew through cardboard… but you’ll probably need a thimble to push the needle through.

artists journals cover - treated as fabricYou can then embroider with embroidery floss, yarn, thin ribbon, etc. You can add buttons, beads, and so on, too.

At left, you can see one of my journal covers that I’ve embellished with sewn-on buttons. (Click on the image to see it larger.) The biggest button is part of the journal closure. When it’s not in use, a string of hemp (secured to the back cover) is wrapped around the button on the front cover to hold the journal closed.

After you’ve finished your sewing (or other embellishment), you can glue a page or fabric over the ironed-on interfacing, so your stitches are concealed. If I’m doing a lot of this in a book, I’ll buy a second copy of the same book, so the “backing” page is what it would have been, if I hadn’t covered the original with interfacing.

You’ll find iron-on interfacing at any fabric shop. It’s usually kept in a bin or on shelving next to where they cut fabric yardage for you.

You can also iron on Stitch Witchery or another fusible adhesive, and that gives you the option of sticking something wonderful on the other side… interfacing isn’t all that interesting.

For example, you could fuse an actual piece of fabric to the paper page.

Then again, after I sew beads onto the page, I like to cover the interfacing side with more paper… maybe a collage.

You can sew onto your journal pages, or turn them into fabric. It’s easy!

Foam Brush Notes

PaintbrushesPaintbrushes are important for many artists.  I have lots of them for all purposes.

I use bristle-style brushes for my oil and acrylic painting. Also, I’ll use soft, hair-type brushes when I’m painting with watercolors.

However, for me, one-inch foam brushes are most useful for art journaling.

How I use foam brushes

When I’m creating collages, especially torn-paper collages when I’m art journaling, I apply Yes!Paste with a foam brush. That’s my favorite adhesive for magazine images, tissue paper, and so on.

If I’m using gel medium to seal my art journaling pages, I’ll apply that with a foam brush, too.

I’ll use a similar brush to add glittery paint and to apply gold leaf, too.

Also, I use foam brushes to apply cheap, vivid, cadmium red paint (acrylic) as an underpainting when I’m working on an art shrine (that I’ll also paint) or a fine art painting.

I generally get at least three to five uses from each foam brush.  I wash them thoroughly and promptly after using them.

Some foam brushes are better than others

I used to buy my foam brushes at Michael’s. Recently, to get the best price, I had to buy a package of assorted foam brushes.

That was a mistake. Some of the brush sizes were useless for my work. In addition, the quality wasn’t great.

Now I buy brands that I trust, like US Art Supply’s 1-inch brushes. And – for now – I order through Amazon. It’s convenient. If a product is disappointing, it’s easy to return it, but so far, these brushes have been fine and the price is very good.

Note: If you use the kind with wooden handles, the wood can be recycled in a variety of projects.  (For some of my cloth dolls, that handle is the perfect size to reinforce the doll’s neck, as the wooden dowel will extend from the head through the neck and then into the torso.)

Artists’ Journal RR #2b – Debbie O’s Pages

The following two journal pages are glorious examples of work by Debbie O. of our Yahoo Group, ArtistsJournals.

They’re wonderful mixed media journal pages with fabric elements, and they’re full of personal insights and juicy imagery.

These continue the journey of Round Robin #2b (a larger blank journal) as it traveled across the U.S. and then to foreign lands.

Alley Hauldren’s Journey to Winchester, TN

After arriving in Tennessee from Arkansas, it was time to continue Alley’s journey.

During the final phase of Alley’s adventures, she reached Winchester, Tennessee.  That part of her trip inspired the next two pages in this round robin artists’ journal.

This transformed this journal into a true mixed-media artists’ journal, as Alley included actual cotton from Falls Mills.

These are her pages, larger:

Alley Hauldren’s Third Journal Pages

After Arkansas, Alley and her husband were on their way to Tennessee.  The map in this collage shows the route that she and her husband took as they headed toward Memphis.

Paper ephemera illustrates their journey.

Here are her journal pages, larger:

Click here to see the last two pages of Alley’s section in this round robin journal.  They cover the conclusion of her trip as she drove from Dallas (TX) to Winchester (TN).

Alley Hauldren’s Second Pages

From Texas, Alley’s adventures continued through Arkansas.  That part of her journey was documented on the next two pages in the round robin journal from the Yahoo Group, Artists’ Journals.

Alley Hauldren - pages 5 and 6

Here are those pages, larger:

Click here to follow Alley’s next step of the journey, as she and her husband drove from Arkansas toward Memphis, TN.

Round Robin Journal #2b – Alley’s Art

After I finished a quick pair of collage pages, Alley Hauldren from Texas took this round robin journal on an adventure, driving from Dallas (TX) to Winchester (TN).

Here’s her first two-page addition to this journal:

Pages 3 and 4 of the RR Journal #2b - Alley Hauldren

Here they are, larger.

Her next two pages cover the second segment of her vacation.

Click here to see Alley’s journal pages about her adventures in Arkansas.

Round Robin #2b – First pages

Last Spring, two round robin journals were launched through the ArtistsJournals group at Yahoo Groups.  The first one — Round Robin #1 (aka RR #1) — returned to me first.  It’s pages have been scanned and posted.

Round Robin Journal #2 had a slightly rockier start.  The first person I sent it to… she kept it and was never heard from again.

So, I quickly replaced it with RR #2b, which had a few lulls but eventually returned to me.  However, I did take time to start this journal with a hasty, two-page collage sequence.

RR2b - Aisling D'Art's collages

In my collages, I’m always intrigued by two things:  How expressive eyes are, and a sense of motion (or stillness) in the combined images.

The left-side page is a collection of women’s faces, looking in different directions with different attitudes.  The right-side page includes a couple of images of fast-moving clouds, a leg to suggest motion, and faces contrasting enthusiasm and a sense of whimsy.

After that, I sent the journal to Alley Hauldren, who took the book on a journey.  Click here to see those next pages.