I'm seriously inspired in all my creating by the beautiful works of
miniature, collectible art that are being produced by participants
in the ARTIST TRADING CARD movement.

Artist Trading Cards resemble baseball cards in that, like trade-able
baseball cards, they're 2.5 x 3.5 inches in size. But the similarties
end there, because art cards, or "ATC's" as they've come to be known,
aren't mass produced stock images, but one-of-a-kind or very limited
edition original artworks completed on a small scale and intended for
exchange between artists.

Collage artists, painters, illustrators, calligraphers, photographers,
mixed media artists, quilters, and fiber artists are all getting in on the
ATC act, and the cards being traded in ATC circles worldwide are often
of museum quality, inexplicable beauty, and originality. Plus, they're
just plain fun to collect and to hold in your hand.

As a way of exercising some new and different creative chops, I joined the now-defunct trading site,
ATCards.com, and participated in 1:1 and group ATC and chunky book swaps there beginning Spring of '07. Art
card swaps are just for me and just for fun; my ATC's aren't currently offered for sale as ACEO's, but are always
available for trade. ATC's carry none of the pressures of my "regular" creative job... but all of the excitement!

I'm thoroughly enjoying my foray into art methods and mediums, and the cards I've been producing -- and have
received -- have positively reinvigorated my entire creative process. I was incredibly honored to be accepted for
membership at a new, juried ATC site, illustratedATCs.com, in early fall '07. I had to submit a "portfolio" of
hand-drawn work before I could participate. But the nerve-wracking wait for acceptance was so worth it, and
I've seen my skillset grow by leaps and bounds since being surrounded by such a fantastically funny, intelligent,
and supremely talented bunch of artists. I couldn't be any luckier, any more blessed.

You can view my art cards in the gallery at illustratedATCs.com. My user name is potbellyarts. Having said that,
flickr is probably the best place to view my entire body of ATC work. I update my gallery there regularly. And I"m
excited to announce the newest ATC trading site on the web, www.ATCSforALL.com, which is currently in
development by some talented friends of mine! It's a non-juried site, meaning anyone and everyone is welcome.

Pop by for a visit, won't you? And while you're visiting (and no doubt, getting inspired yourself), why not register
and join in the fun? Swaps are open to everyone, and they promise to be organized brilliantly for maximum fun and
creativity, and a minimum of stress. You'll have an absolute blast, I promise! Come play with me!

Below is just a small sampling of my own hand-drawn, collaged, and digital ATCs. Several are reproductions of
famous works -- that's always a terrific exercise in technique and media for a blossoming art student like me, and
I'm really proud of how they turned out.