Studio Update & Paris-Inspired ATCs

Michelle Casey, ATC inspired by Paris Vogue (2011), Collage, 7.5 x 3.5 inches, September 2012

As my studio and home renovations progress, our place is quickly becoming a maze to navigate in! Besides re-organizing my studio and relocating my office to the second floor of our home, we’re also re-arranging things in our bedroom, another spare room as well as attending to the details of a fall landscaping project. As I glance around the house and see furniture, boxes and cleaning supplies filling the hallways, I’m feeling a bit claustrophobic. Since my physical space often mirrors my head space, I’m finding it difficult to keep up my usual working momentum. Moving around things physically and mentally really zaps my energy! This has been compounded by the fact that I also picked up an infection last week and have been suffering from the side effects of the medication I’m taking… needless to say it’s been like that old adage: “When it rains, it pours!” One day this week, totally exhausted, I curled up on the only clear spot of our bedroom floor and took a short nap! Needless to say, I was forced to slow down and re-prioritized some goals which would allow me to get the more pressing things done by the end of the weekend instead of trying to do everything in record time! Early next week, the studio furniture moves will be nearly finished and the next phase of sorting storage boxes and shelves will begin. It’s a lot of work, but it feels great to get each little bit done.

And despite all this chaos, I still managed to create a collage! For the past few months I’ve been so busy with the business end of things, I’ve been missing my monthly Artist Trading Card (ATC) meetings. Earlier this month, I vowed to participate no matter what! Our theme alone, Paris, was one sure to motivate me to creative action! I decided I would make a three-page fold out ATC with fragments from a Paris Vogue magazine in my stash. The only catch was to find out where it was hidden under a mound of boxes, papers and piles of furniture in my studio! Sure enough a couple of days later I triumphantly dug out not one but two issues! My next challenge was to clear a space large enough to work in… the only spot left was on my computer table… there a small cutting mat in a 12 x 12 inch space did the job nicely. Allowing paper fragments to fall to the floor and sticky ones to cover my desk, I happily worked away until, at one point, I could no longer find my computer mouse under all the mess! Within a day, my card was ready. I was pleased with the images and word play I managed to achieve with it despite my fuzzy medicated state.

Once that was done I was glad to escape the house and visit with artist friends. Our ATC meeting was held at Wendy Southin’s Dragonfly Dreamers new studio which officially opened this weekend! Wendy’s cozy, comfortable studio is nestled in a beautiful rural setting just west of the city; it’s a great space to sip tea, create and chat in. Being in her studio gave us much to contemplate in organizing our own studios. We exchanged helpful advice regarding mixed media techniques as well as had spirited discussions about our visits to various art venues this summer. Needless to say, everyone’s Paris-themed ATC was terrific. I was privileged to trade cards with Veronica Smith who incorporated an actual museum ticket from the Louvre into her ATC! Thanks Veronica, it’s a beauty… it’s so wonderful to add a souvenir of this famous museum to my collection.

Veronica Smith, Paris ATC, Mixed Media/Collage, 2.5 x 3.5 inches, September 2012

My friend painter Susan Ashbrook keeps pestering me to teach a collage ATC workshop for her this winter. I was so pleased to be getting back into the groove of making them again, I think I will! What about you? Made any interesting ATCs this year?

Other Related Links:
A Personal Glimpse into the World of Artist Trading Cards