This page is where you will find our monthly challenge - an opportunity to use a prompt conjured up by Ali and then interpreted by you.
The Aim:
To use the starting points suggested here or explore your own and create something around that brief. You might find yourself deviating wildly from where you began or you may like some of the resources offered below. No matter how you tackle it and what the end result, it’s the creating that matters.
Share:
Let us know what you have been up to! A huge part of The AABA is the community of people just like yourself. Take a photo of any part of your process and share it in the Facebook group that you can find HERE.
This month I pass the challenge very firmly over to you.
Below you will find the details of what an ATC is, how to create one, and what you need to do to swap with another member of the group.
We have done this project at this time of year for a couple of seasons now and it’s such a heart warming thing to be part of, I always look forward to seeing what you have created.
Next to this text, you will find a link to a Pinterest Board I have created and if you haven’t used it before, there is an excellent article HERE by 99 Robots that takes you through how it works. You can choose to scroll through the images via this page or have a read of the article and hop over to Pinterest with a cuppa and create your own account. Don’t forget to follow me (@alisoncboard) to see what else I have stored there.
Step One:
What is an Artist Trading Card?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Artist trading cards (ATCs) is a conceptual art project initiated by the Swiss artist M. Vänçi Stirnemann in 1997. He called it a Collaborative Cultural Performance. Artist trading cards are 2.5 by 3.5 inches in size, the same format as modern trading cards (hockey cards or baseball cards). They are self-made unique works or small series, signed and dated on the reverse by the artist/producer, exchanged and collected by the people who participate in the collaboration.
Step Two:
Create your own ATC.
Anything goes! You can make it seasonal or simply use a theme that has been lurking in the back of your head for some time, be as creative, crafty, artistic or downright wacky as you like.
Please make sure that you sign and print your name on the back plus a few words for whoever is going to receive it. You are welcome to make as many as you like or only got time for one? that’s fine, your contribution to the project will be very welcome indeed…
One thing to make sure - don’t make it so thick that it won’t go through standard UK letter postal rates.
Step Three:
Send it to Ali.
Post it to Downend Farm Studio, 3 Downend Farm, Bushes Road, Stourpaine, Dorset DT11 8SY and please enclose a stamped address envelope so that when Ali does the swap, she can send one back to you at the correct address details.
BY WEDNESDAY 30TH NOVEMBER PLEASE
Step Four:
Wait for your swapped card.
As soon as Ali has them all gathered at the studio, she will swap them amongst everyone taking part (plus extras if she has more than she needs) and you will receive a beautiful work of art created by another AABA member. Please remember we have a few postal strikes going ahead in the UK so it may arrive after the 25th December or even in to the new year.
Step Five:
Share your received ATC in the Facebook group.
To show your appreciation for the time and work that has gone into this project, take a photo of the card you have received and tag the artist in the post so that we can all see what we have been creating. What a lovely way to share our collective talents.
