All About Trading - ArtTrader Magazine

ArtTRADER 

m a g a z i n e 

PUTTING THE ART IN TRADE 

Pen & Ink: 

Pen Possibilities 

Interviews with 

Randi Marx 

Suzan Buckner 

Tracie Rozario 

Critique 

C o r n e r 

Altered 

Art 101 

Walkthrough 

Art 

Winter Contest 

Vintage Collage! 

All About Trading 

Issue 5 - Winter 2009 

Cover background by Dana Driscoll 

ATC art doll by Randi Marx 

ATCs, Altered Art, Art Journals, Chunky Books & Creative Inspiration

Art TRADER 


Table of Contents Winter 2009 

3 

4 

5 

6 

8 

9 

14 

15 

19 

21 

23 

27 

30 

32 

33 

37 

38 

41 

42 

Art Trader Contributors 

Editor’s Note & Letters 

Winter Contest: Vintage Collage 

Design 911: Composition 

Defining Mail Art 

Paint! Paste! Color! Interview with Suzan 

Buckner 

Gallery: Fall-Themed ATC Contest 

In Search of the Even Black Line: Pen 

Possibilities 

Critique Corner 

Gallery: Funky Mermaids 

Interview with Randi Marx 

Artistic Journeys: Altered Art 101 

Gallery: Halloween Postcard Contest 

Walk-Through Art 

Interview with Tracie Rozario: The Secret Side 

of Purple 

Petite Artiste: Marlena Muir 

Readers Gallery 

Advertisers’ Ads 

Call for Articles & Artwork 

-2- 

Page 9 

Page 27 

CHIEF EDITOR 

COPY EDITOR 

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS 

ART DIRECTOR 

ASSOCIATE DESIGNERS 

PUBLISHED BY 

Page 21 

Dana Driscoll 

Meran ni Cuill 

Bonnie Driscoll 

Andrea Melione 

Sal Scheibe 

Dana Driscoll 

Abi Aldrich 

Sal Scheibe 

Brittany Noethen 


IllustratedATCs.com 

ArtTRADER Magazine 

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Editor: editor@arttradermag.com 

Advertising: ads@arttradermag.com 

Submissions: content@arttradermag.com 

Call for Entries: www.arttradermag.com

Art TRADER 


Contributors 

Abi Aldrich is a K-6 Art teacher in Wyoming. She sells oil paintings professionally, makes 

pottery because she likes to play in the mud, and generally makes text -based sculptures 

and installations because that is her true love. Beyond that she loves printmaking, drawing, 

and graphic design. In all her massive amounts of free time, Abi hangs out with her 

menagarie, including several rabbits, a chinchilla, a hampster, a cockatiel and a large 

bearded dragon. She also calls West Africa every night to talk to the love of her life, Gee. 

So in a nutshell, she is a nut who likes to make a mess in art! 

www.abigayle.etsy.com 

Andrea Melione is currently a full-time student, planning on eventually earning a Master’s 

in Library Science. She loves all types of art, but is fond of the Surreal and Symbolist 

movements. Her favorite artists are Michael Parkes, Daniel Merriam, Aubrey Beardsley 

and her buddies at IllustratedATCs.com, where she is a Moderator. She mainly works in 

watercolor, colored pencil, acrylics, markers and gel pens, though not all at once. She lives 

in NY (cow country, not the city) and has difficulty writing biographies in the third person. 

• artpfunkcentral.blogspot.com 

• www.flickr.com/photos/littleboots 

Bonnie Driscoll was a professional graphic designer and calligraph who works work for 

fun now since retirement. Her favorite mediums are watercolors, ink, and acrylic and she 

enjoys doing still life and landscape scenes. 

Brittany Noethen is an artist living in a tech manager’s body. She would rather be 

decapitated than give up making art, trading ATCs, or stop thinking that the phrase “Muffins 

or Bust” is hilarious. She currently lives in Iowa with her partner Cat, her 12 year old pit bull, 

Maggie, and shelves full of art supplies. 

• www.bnoethen.etsy.com 

• arty-iowa-girl.vox.com 

• www.flickr.com/photos/arty-ia-girl 

Dana Driscoll is an experimental artist working in a variety of media including watercolors, 

mixed media, oils, clay, book arts, hand papermaking, and altered art. She is currently 

working on several artistic projects, including painting her way through a 78-card tree tarot 

deck and combining her love of pottery and bookmaking. When not avoiding the perils of 

pursuing her Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition, she can be found frolicking in nearby 

forests or hanging out with her nerdy gamer friends. Dana’s work can be found at her blog: 

artisticjourneys.blogspot.com and she can be reached at adriayna@yahoo.com. 

• www.artisticjourneys.etsy.com 

Meran niCuill Fascinated by nature and science, Meran ni Cuill attempts daily to translate 

her passions into art. Sometimes she feels she even succeeds! And then something else 

will catch her attention and off she’ll go! Chasing another ideal. Meran enjoys gardening, 

sunsets, dogs, birds, and just about anything as long as it’s not endless crowds of people. 

When those present, she’ll retreat to a quiet place and read a book, or cut some glass, both 

of which she finds therapeutic. 

• www.meran.etsy.com 

• atcs2008.meran.fastmail.fm 

Sal Scheibe works as a creative designer for print and web and also as a freelance 

illustrator. Her designs and artwork have appeared in books, CDs and DVDs and posters. 

Sal is currently working on a number of large canvas paintings for art shows. She also 

enjoys trading ATCs and is an administrator at IllustratedATCs.com. Sal’s favorite artists 

and illustrators include Joe Sorren, J.C. Leyendecker, William Bougereau and John Singer 

Sargent. Her favored mediums are acrylic paint, colored pencils and markers. 

• www.slscheibe.com 

• www.flickr.com/photos/amerasu 

-3- 

•

Art TRADER 


Letter from the Editor 

New Year’s is a wonderful time to reflect back upon your past artistic successes and make commitments and 

plans for your future as an artist. Consider how adding a new artistic technique, advancing a skill, or even dabbling 

in a new type of art might enrich your life! To make these plans though, think big but start small, considering 

both your long-term goals and short-term plans. Where do you see yourself next week? Next month? In a year? 

In five years? Make a list of what is important to you in your artistic 

progress, and see how it might change over time. 

Where do you see your art going from here? How might you expand 

your horizons in this new year? Issue #5 of Art Trader is packed full of 

new ideas. Andrea Melione’s Critique Corner provides readers with 

suggestions for improvement of their art. This issue she addresses 

composition and depth of two cards created by Kati Barrett. Sal 

Scheibe provides us with a new “Walkthrough Art” column that 

provides a visual walkthrough of an ATC. Finally, my own regular 

Artistic Journeys column delves into the world of altered art! We 

are also pleased to provide a host of art galleries for your viewing 

pleasure. Learn more about the world of pen and ink in “In Search of 

the Even Black Line.” 

Additionally, this issue is packed with inspiration from artists around 

the world. We have interviews with artists Suzan Buckner, Tracie 

Rozario and Randi Marx. We have reader-submitted galleries, 

contest winner galleries, and funky mermaid and halloween postcard 

art swap galleries for your viewing pleasure! So read, be inspired, 

and think about those artistic New Year’s resolutions! 

Letter from 

our readers 

Hello ArtTrader Magazine, 

I am very new to mail art, and actually, art in general! I must admit I am overwhelmed 

with possibilities. But how do I choose a media to get started in? What should I 

focus on first? 

Thanks! 

Sandy, United Kingdom 

Hi Sandy, 

Thank you for writing! Mail Art is an exciting world, but it is certainly easy to get 

overwhelmed at first. There are a number of ways to get started. If you have the 

time and money, investing in some local art classes (such as those at community 

centers) or finding some artistic friends to learn from is a great way to get started. 

Books, tutorials online, and even YouTube videos can really help expand your 

artistic horizons. But above all, we suggest making time each day or each week 

set aside for art—as it is only through lots of practice and experimentation with 

different styles can you find your own niche in the mail art world! 

-ArtTrader Magazine 

-4- 

Dana Driscoll

Art TRADER 


Winter Contest: Vintage Collage 

It’s time to get your fingers sticky and show us your vintage collage skills! 

We’re accepting ATCs or postcards - as long as the genre is vintage collage 

your entry will be welcome (nudity is acceptable as long as it’s tasteful). You 

are allowed to enter up to 3 separate images. Please be sure to use copyright 

free images or those you have a license to use. 

-5- 

Grand Prize & Contest Submission Info 

A stuffed bubble envelope of collage ephemera 

and papers! Yummy! 

Our grand prize winner along with other selected 

entries will appear in the next issue of ArtTrader 

(Spring 2009). 

The winner will be chosen by the ArtTrader 

Magazine editorial staff. The contest is open to 

anyone age 18 or older. 

Submit your entries in JPG format (300 DPI) to 

art@arttreadermag.com by March 15, 2009.

Art TRADER 


iDesign 911p 

by Andrea Melione 

Welcome back to Design 911! Last time, we discussed some basics in composition: symmetry, asymmetry 

and proportion. In this issue however, we’re going to discuss a few design buzzwords: tangents, 

ambiguity and negative space, and how they can be incorporated (or avoided!) in your artwork. 

Tangents: tan·gent Function: adjective Etymology: Latin tangent-, tangens, present 

participle of tangere to touch; perhaps akin to Old English thaccian to touch gently, stroke 

Date: 1594 

If you remember geometry class at all, you may know that tangent means “to touch”. Tangents in 

design mean two elements that are touching one another, not overlapping and not near, but when the 

edges actually meet. For example, an amateur photographer may accidentally take a photo of a friend, 

who is standing in front of a bookcase and, as a result, the friend may look like they are holding books 

up with his head. Tangents can also be used for a laugh, like when tourists ‘hold up’ the Leaning Tower 

of Pisa; but for the most part, unless you are intentionally trying to break the No Tangents rule, (and can 

pull it off successfully), you can risk having your drawing, collage, etc. look unintentional, unplanned, 

and naive. 

Tangents can pose problems in your work because they 

can eliminate any sense of depth (which is the sense of a 

foreground, middle ground and background.) In addition, 

they can also make a composition uninteresting. ATCs in 

particular are vulnerable because there is so little space to 

begin with; if you have a tangent in your ATC, there may not 

be extra room to add an additional element that can offset 

the awkward tangents. 

Here is a good example of how tangents can make your art 

look unintentional: This princess looks a little worried, and 

you would be too, if you had a castle tower attached to your 

flowing red locks! Both the princess and the tower are about 

the same length and width, and when you place two objects 

of similar dimensions right next to each other, the eye can 

make no sense of their relationship, nor where the objects 

are in the context of foreground, middle or background. This 

card is drawn, but the idea applies to any art form, even 

abstract or collage. In this case, the tower should be made 

smaller to give the appearance of being farther away. 

-6

Art TRADER 


Ambiguity and Negative Space: 

Ambiguity is a great concept to incorporate into art: It is when you’re unsure if you are seeing one thing 

or another. Take for example zebra stripes; is the animal black with white stripes or white with black 

stripes? The Surrealism movement is a great example of ambiguity in art as well. Research artists like 

Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Victor Brauner and Max Ernst for inspiration in your own works. 

Negative space is a highly effective design tool. You can create visual twists that can surprise and 

interest your viewer. Negative space is also popular in Logo design (the Ram image is the logo for 

Dodge for example). Next time you see ‘FedEx’ look at the negative space between the E and the X; 

you will in fact see a little white arrow! 

Ambiguity and Negative space can be used really effectively in ATCs, and the following cards are a 

good example. I painted these cards with pink gouache and used the white of the paper for the figures. 

For the card on left, the negative space is used to define the line of her bust and torso. On all of the 

cards I use negative space to ambiguously create the clothing; the clothing is pink, but then so is the 

background; where does the clothing leave off and the background begin? 

Tangents, ambiguity and negative space are all concepts to keep in mind when creating your artwork; 

by doing so, you’ll create art that is more dynamic and visually arresting. Next issue, I’ll be discussing 

how to use color to enhance your design! 

-7-i

Art TRADER 


Defining Mail Art 

In Issue 2 of Art Trader Magazine, we asked our readers to help us define Mail Art. We 

asked people to create their own artistic interpretation of their definition of “mail art” by 

emailing us their creations - open media, open genre. Our winning entry, a postcard, 

was sent in by Marguerite Bryant from California. 

jkjgflv 

-8-

Art TRADER 


D 

Paint! Paste! Color! 

Suzan Buckner is a mixed-media 

master whose body of work includes 

meticulous abstract masterpieces, fun 

D 

and funky art journals, and whimsical 

portraiture. Her attention to detail 

and the fine-tuned play of color brings 

forth work that is multi-dimensional 

in not only physical layers, but in 

conceptual layers as well. An antique 

dealer as well as artist, Suzan shares 

with us her sources of inspiration, and 

advice for those wanting to venture 

into collage. 

D 

Suzan: My family consists of my husband Chuck (who I met on the Internet 8 years ago, and have 

been married to for 7), and my 21 year old daughter--who I affectionately refer to as “She who knows 

everything.” She’s in nursing school, and I am very proud of her. I also have 2 step-daughters, and 4 

step-grandchildren. Additionally, I am the owner of Petey the Wonderdog. Petey was an abused dog 

that wondered into my yard a little over a year ago, and whom I fell in love with. He helped me get over 

the “empty nest” syndrome when my daughter moved away to college, and for that he has been my 

saving grace in life. He’s still not very social with humans, but neither am I, so we understand each 

other perfectly. 

Can you start by telling us a little bit about your family? 

Did you study art in school? 

-9- 

D 

Suzan: The only art that I have studied was in high school. I graduated in 1982, and a year and a half 

ago--I decided I wanted to be an artist. After being out of high school for 25 years, I started doing art. 

What artists have inspired you over time? 

Suzan Buckner 

Interview by Andrea Melione 

Suzan: When I first started doing mixed media collage the journal pages of Teesha Moore inspired me. I 

looked at the art of others, and was inspired by many, many more artists along the way. I still constantly 

check out other artists’ work, and am still inspired by a great deal of it that I find on the Web.

Art TRADER 


Your work is so zany and colorful! Are there any art 

themes are you most drawn to? 

Suzan: Really the only “theme” that I have been drawn 

to is a circus theme. I love anything to do with vintage 

circus. Other than that, I have hard time with “themes.” I 

completely work out of intuition, with very little planning, so 

themes seem to get thrown to the wayside. 

You have also been an antique dealer. Has that 

provided any inspiration to your art? 

Suzan: Yes, it has. I have a life-long love of anything old, 

and I use a lot of vintage images in my art. I think that 

being an antique dealer (I am still one, only now part-time) 

has made it easier to keep fresh ideas on hand, because 

if I am not making art, then I am out hunting for old things. 

I am inspired a lot by older color combinations, and finding 

things with those colors is always exciting. 

What types of antiques hold the most interest for you 

and why? 

D 

D 

Suzan: The ones that are worth the most money! When you sell antiques to make money to live 

on, then the interesting things are the most valuable. I especially like antique dolls, and old pictures 

(photographs), if you are talking about a more personal level. But, even those Dare for sale. When I first 

started, I wanted to keep everything that I found, but have since gotten over that, and have sold most of 

my personal collections. It wasn’t hard to do when we couldn’t walk around freely in our house because 

of the antiques. 

-10- 

D

Art TRADER 


Have you any favorite artists? 

Suzan: I have one all-time, super, favorite artist, and have loved 

his stuff for many years. He is a science fiction illustrator named 

BROM. His stuff is very shocking, and dark. But, I love his talent. 

I am envious that I cannot draw like he does. A lot of people are 

surprised when they look him up because he’s so different than the 

happy, bright colors that I normally use. 

Your artwork covers a wide range of media. Can you share 

some techniques with us? 

Suzan: This is a very hard area for me. I never used “planned” 

techniques, and when I try, they never work like they are supposed 

to. I just mainly do whatever I want, and keep working it (sometimes 

with over 20+ coats of paint, and collage) until I like something. I 

buy books about techniques--end up looking at the pretty pictures, 

and never read the first word or instruction. There’s not anything 

you can’t learn by trial and error; that’s my technique. 

-11- 

D 

D 

D 

D

Art TRADER 


I know artists, including myself, have had to 

deal with artist’s block. Have you ever had 

artist’s block? Do you have any suggestions 

for those who encounter it? 

Suzan: Funny that you ask this, because I have 

been suffering with it for about a month. I am 

still producing, but not much art that I am happy 

with. I haven’t been able to reach my “LA-LA- 

LA” stage, where I am just kicking out wonderful 

things, and my mind is working towards 

producing art. I am not finding inspiration in 

anything, and nothing seems to go like I want 

it to. 

-12- 

D 

D 

gfWhen I get like this--I just keep making stuff. I keep 

putting paint on top of paint, on top of paint, and 

keep plugging along. I feel like the worse thing 

that you can do is stop creating, simply because 

you aren’t “feeling” it. Making bad art is better than 

making no art, in my opinion. I know my muse will 

return; I worked her too hard, and she’s just taking 

a break. 

D 

Your colors are bold yet always harmonious 

and this isn’t always easy! How do you create 

such great color combinations with such 

variety of color? 

D 

Suzan: First, Thank you for the compliment! 

Second, I make color mistakes just like everyone 

does. I just have no trouble dumping white over 

a color and reworking it, or making it a completely 

different color. I guess that I am different than most 

people, bcause my color mistakes usually involve 

muted, neutral colors like beige or brown. I have the 

hardest time with anything that is soft and muted.

Art TRADER 


Do you have any advice for someone starting out in collage, or wanting to advance further? 

Suzan: Get rid of the fear. Don’t be afraid. The worse that you can do is mess up, and have to rework 

something or throw it away. It isn’t the end of the world, and doesn’t make you a failure. Use photocopies, 

or scan images into your computer, print them and glue to your heart’s content. Some things are going 

to work, some are not--but it’s all a learning process. 

If you want to advance artistically--once you get comfortable doing something, put all thoughts of it 

away, and do something different, even if you aren’t liking the uncomfortable feeling of stepping outside 

the box and even if you are afraid. For every new thing that I have learned, I have a dozen failures to 

show for it. 

Also, don’t think. This is probably the most important thing to learn. You wouldn’t be creating art, if 

something inside of you wasn’t creative. So, let it out. The only way to do this is to stop thinking and 

just do it! 

-See more of Suzan’s work here- 

Website: www.suzanbuckner.com 

Art Blog: www.thriftycollageartist.blogspot.com 

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thriftycollageartist/ 

ETSY: http://thriftycollageartist.etsy.com 

-13-

Art TRADER 


Gallery: Fall-Themed ATC Contest! 

ATCsforall.com hosted a fall-themed ATC contest open to all members. We encouraged people to 

be inspired by fall colors, fall scenes, fall food and fall leaves—and the members responded with an 

amazingly amount of beautiful cards. After voting, three winners emerged! Congratulations to Janet 

Dickenson & Donna Hawk (winners of our People’s Choice Awards) and Cindy Vasquez (our randomlychosen 

winner!). Here are their cards! 

Donna Hawk 

Cindy Vasquez 

Janet Dickenson 

-14-

Art TRADER 


In Search of the Even Black Line: Pen Possibilities 

By Bonnie Driscoll and Dana Driscoll 

Any mail artist working with ink extensively knows how difficult 

it is to find a consistently producing and economically priced 

pen. After many years of experience and numerous purchases, 

we provide you with reviews of some of the best types of pens 

for your needs. This article introduces four primary possibilities 

for artistic pens. It does not consider markers, like sharpies, 

nor does it consider standard writing pens, like BIC pens. The 

article covers technical pens, dip pens, artist felt-tip pens, and 

finally other options like gel pens. 

-15- 

All About Inks 

The following are some common 

qualities of ink: 

Waterproof Ink: Once dry, a 

waterproof ink will not smear or 

smudge if it encounters water. This 

is perfect for individuals who want 

to sketch in pen and use watercolor 

washes over it. Additionally, if you 

plan on sealing your artwork with 

any kind of gloss or matte finish/ 

medium, you will need to use 

waterproof ink. 

Archival Ink: Archival inks have 

several main qualities—they are 

fade resistant to time, they will 

adhere to the page and not flake off 

and have a pH neutral composition 

to prevent decay of the underlying 

paper. 

Acrylic Ink: A polymer, pigmented 

ink that often has bold colors and 

opaque features. Acrylic ink is 

supposed to be used with dip pens 

and technical pens, although the 

inks we’ve tried have all clogged 

the pens due to their thickness. 

Instead, we use a brush or dip 

pen. 

India Ink: A simple black ink made 

of carbon. India ink is an ancient 

formula, used by the Romans and 

Chinese. It can be found in cakes, 

sticks, or liquid form. Its commonly 

used in artistic work as it is often 

archival and waterproof. 

Inks come in all colors and 

thicknesses. Your choice of inks is 

largely dependent on the types of 

pens you want to use and the types 

of art you wish to create.

Art TRADER 


Technical & Mechanical Pens 

Technical pens were the standard in graphic design work before 

the advent of computer-aided design. They are still popular today 

with artists, drafters, and illustrators. Technical pens are re-usable 

pens that come with ink refilling options and a variety of line sizes. 

The main benefit of a technical pen is that they provide you with 

the most consistent and fine lines out of any of the pens we review 

in this article. Most brands do not get clogged up by mixed media 

like acrylics and they go over bumpy surfaces well without wearing 

down the point of the pen (since it’s a solid metal point). The main 

drawback of these pens is that they require refilling and cleaning 

by hand, which can be messy. They are also fragile—dropping 

the point of the pen on the ground will damage it. 

There are several types of technical pens, including refillable/ 

self-filling/plunger pens and pens with cartridges. Although the 

cartridges are less messy, they are often not waterproof. The 

self-filling kinds come with waterproof, archival quality black ink, 

but can be time consuming and messy to fill. 

Our favorite of the technical pens are Koh-i-Noor Rapido Sketch 

pens because they provide the most consistent line, are the most 

reliable, sturdier, and easier to take apart and clean than some 

other varieties. The older Rapidograph pens are also quite nice, 

but the Rapido Sketch pen provides more flexibility and allows 

you to hold the pen at more angles. You can find them at online 

art retail stores and occasionally in office supply stores. Other 

technical pen brands include Rotring, Staedtler, and Pelikan. 

Who should use these pens? We recommend these pens for 

individuals who do frequent and extensive pen work—they will be 

the most economical to you in the long run. These pens are not 

for occasional use—they can clog up and dry out without common 

use. If you get a set of these pens, you should plan on using 

them at least once a week. Additionally, if you do a lot of pen work 

over mixed media or acrylic backgrounds, these pens have the 

best flow and do not get clogged like other pens presented here. 

Most of these pens only accept specially made black ink, although 

some use other types. 

Finally, individuals who are environmentally conscious of their 

own waste will be pleased with these reusable pens, due to their 

refillable and waste-reducing nature. 

How much do they cost? Although these pens represent a 

substantial investment up front (approx $10-25 per pen), in the long 

term and with frequent use, they represent the most economical 

of the choices. 

-16- 

How to Clean Your 

Technical or Dip Pen 

Simple clean up methods for dip 

pens with nibs or technical pens include: 

Soap and water: soak your pen parts 

for a few hours and then dry on a paper 

towel. Blot them on the paper 

towel to get all of the water out of the 

point before you refill it. 

An old toothbrush and some soap 

can help remove caked-on ink. 

Windex: pour a bit of window cleaner 

in a container and let the pens soak 

in. Do not dilute the Windex. 

Do not ever use bleach with your 

pens because it can destroy or corrode 

the pen.

Art TRADER 


Using a Dip Pen 

The following are some tips for 

using a dip pen: 

• When using a dip pen, one 

of the biggest challenges is 

figuring out how much ink you 

should have on the pen. When 

dipping, keep a paper towel or 

piece of scratch paper nearby. 

After dipping your pen into the 

inkwell, dab it on the paper towel 

before beginning a line. Beware 

of paper towel fibers in the nib. 

Additionally, if you wash your pen 

nib, be sure to dry it thoroughly 

before beginning a line as this 

can also cause uneven flow. 

• The angle of the pen is 

important as well—keep the pen 

slightly lower than a 90 degree 

angle—hold it naturally in your 

hand as you would a pencil. Pay 

attention to which way the nib is 

facing so that your line comes 

out as you expect. 

• Dip into your ink frequently. 

Infrequent dipping can lead to 

your pen scraping against your 

paper and leaving marks. 

• Use a smooth surface—a 

bumpy surface will lead to more 

uneven lines. Once you become 

more skilled at using the pen, 

you may find it possible to work 

on more uneven surfaces. 

Although dip pens are tricky at 

first, they can lead to a lifetime of 

enjoyment in pen-and-ink work! 

Dip Pens 

Dip pens are a very cheap and classic alternative to more modern 

technical or felt-tip artist pens. Dip pens are very useful because a 

number of different low-cost nibs can be purchased for drawing and 

calligraphic work. These nibs allow for many different types of inks and 

colors to be used that are not present in other pen types, such as acrylic 

or colored inks. You can also use your own handmade inks (such as 

walnut or elderberry) with these pens to great success! Many types of 

inks, including archival and waterproof, are available for use with these 

pens. 

Dip pens have a substantial learning curve and have frequent problems 

with dripping and uneven lines. Although it is possible to use them 

effectively, building your skill with these pens takes time. 

Our favorite of the dip pen brands is Speedball, whose pen nibs are 

built to last and provide a consistent line. 

Who should use these pens? We recommend dip pens for anyone 

looking for a bit more flexibility in lines, those interested in calligraphy 

work, and those looking to use the many fine colored and acrylic inks 

that are on the market. These pens are challenging and frustrating at 

first, but can be rewarding with perseverance and practice. 

Again, individuals who are concerned about environmental issues and 

waste will enjoy using dip pens due to their reusable nature. 

How much do they cost? Pen sets run about $6-12; replacement nibs 

are about $2 each. Inks to go with them run $3-5 per ink. Nibs can last 

quite a while if you care for them properly with cleaning and storage. 

Inks for Dip Pens 

Because of Bonnie’s extensive experience as a calligrapher for 30 

years, she has used nearly all of the inks on the market. Many of these 

brands have waterproof and/or archival-quality ink options. Here are 

some she recommends: 

Higgins Inks: Her favorite of the inks because of the vibrancy of the 

colors and the flow. 

Winsor and Newton Inks: These inks have a large color selection. 

They are a bit more translucent compared to the Higgins ink. 

Pelican Inks: Vibrant, opaque inks. 

Bonnie does not recommend the Speedball brand inks because they 

build up on your pen point causing you difficulty as you write or draw. 

-17-

Art TRADER 


Artist Pens 

Disposable or one-use artist pens, like ZIG Millennium, Pigma 

Micron, and Faber-Castell PITT artist pens represent a newer line of 

artist pens. These pens are the most readily accessible of the pens 

discussed in this article and they are often found in scrapbooking 

sections of hobby and art supply stores. Artist pens produce a very 

consistent line, but come in a limited amount of sizes and colors. The 

biggest benefit to these pens is that they are not messy and are the 

easiest to use and purchase. The negatives of these pens is that 

they run out extremely quickly, are wasteful, are limiting in pen sizes/ 

colors and can be very costly over time. Most of these pens feature 

archival, waterproof inks. 

Our favorite of the artist pens is the Faber Castell PITT Artist pens 

and the Micron pens because these pens clog less frequently on 

mixed media work and seem to last longer than their competitors. 

Who should use these? Individuals occasionally doing pen work, 

those who do not want to deal with the cleaning of the technical pens, 

or those who do not have the funds to invest in a more expensive 

technical pen. 

What do they cost? Although the initial investment per pen is only 

$2-4, if you use ink pens a lot, the cost of each pen adds up. At one 

point, Dana (one of the authors of this article) was using 8-12 pens 

a month, amounting to $40-$50 per month. After that, she switched 

to a technical and dip pen combination and has saved substantial 

amounts of money in the long run. In less than 2 months time, her 

technical pen set paid itself off! 

Conclusion 

Overall, we find the technical pens to have the most consistent line, 

the least amount of clogging over mixed media work, the best flow, 

and the best value for your money over time. We highly recommend 

the Rapido Sketch Koh-I-Noor line of pens if you are a serious pen 

and ink artist. Keep an eye on online retailers for sales—we recently 

scored a set of 7 technical pens for less than $60. 

It’s important to know that there is not a “perfect pen” for everyone. 

Rather, as you develop your own working style and needs, different 

types of pens will work better for you. Some people will enjoy working 

with an older style dip pen or technical pen, while others will prefer 

the newer felt-tipped artist pens. If costs are a major factor, weigh the 

short-term low-cost artist pens with the long-term technical pens and 

decide which is the best for you. We hope this article provided you 

with possibilities for your pen needs! 

-18- 

g

Art TRADER 


Critique Corner by 

XKati 

Barrett 

A border of some kind can give the card a more finished look; because of the theme, one could choose to 

give the card either a light border (for example, duplicating the white outline of the bird around the edge of 

the card as well) or a soft application of walnut ink or other darker color around the edges. I usually slide 

and daub a soft raised ink pad along the edges for this effect. 

Also, the values of the bird and background are very similar. To create a little depth and contrast in the card, 

you could darken the area around the bird; I would suggest using a light, warm brown watercolor, being 

careful not to go over the white outline. The text is also very small, but is well placed. To make it stand out 

a little more, outlining in some way could work (for example, by using a gold gel pen). 

-19- 


Welcome to the Critique Corner. In this new regular column, reader-submitted art will be critiqued. A 

critique is not meant to be a negative analysis; rather, a true and proper critique is where a piece of art is 

evaluated in both its strengths and weaknesses, as perceived by the individual doing the critiquing. An 

honest critique can be valuable; many of us will ask friends or family members for their opinion, and it is 

also useful to see artwork created by others critiqued. Also, critiques can give us insight into how others 

see our art and help us look at it in ways we hadn’t thought of before. In this issue, I’ll be looking at two 

ATCs submitted by Kati Barrett and giving you some tips to think about when submitting your own work for 

critique! 

First off, here are a few things I think about when I look at a piece of art I am critiquing: Individual style, color 

scheme, composition, rendering/technical execution, complexity, and the overall immediate impact of the 

work (in other words, the gestalt: How all of the aforementioned points work together to create the whole). 

This checklist works pretty well for all types of subject matter and media, from fiber arts, to collage, to drawn 

work. 

Let’s begin with “Mellow Light.” This 

card is actually rather nice, and is 

her first attempt at drawing! The 

drawing of the bird is not an issue at 

all, as, stylistically, it has a naive folkart 

appeal. The colors seem to work 

well together, and the application of 

the paint gives the muted feel of late 

afternoon sun, supporting the “Mellow 

Light” text. The card could use 

development in a few areas though, 

namely in the composition and its 

depth. The image of the card is very 

simple, and some extra layers would 

help to give the card extra dimension.

Art TRADER 


This next card has a lot of potential; the color scheme has 

already been established (purple, green and neutrals) and 

the placement of the elements (text, boy, window, skull) 

is fairly solid. The elements, however, are competing for 

the eye’s attention, rather than working together to create 

a cohesive whole. This can be fixed by lessening the 

dominance of the green window, and bringing the boy 

visually ‘forward’. 

In order to do this, the window needs to be ‘pushed’ into 

the background. This can be done in a variety of ways: 

1) Distress the image using fine sandpaper and apply a 

light wash of walnut ink or darker-colored distressing ink. 

2) Apply gesso mixed with a little brown paint, just to 

the window area, to make the bright green color appear 

less saturated, and more subtle; then re-create the brown 

punchinello ‘circle’ texture over the area, to blend it with 

the background. The window will still be visible, but it won’t 

compete with the boy any longer. 

3) To bring the boy ‘forward’, outline the figure using 

metallic pens or any light-colored acrylic paint, or give the 

figure a ‘shadow’ by painting the area around the outlines 

a darker color, like a deep purple, or green. 

I hope this critique has been helpful to our readers. Thanks 

Kati, for starting off this column! 

Here are some Critique Corner submission guidelines to keep in mind when 

choosing work for critique: 

* Don’t submit your masterpiece! Submit something you already feel you’re having trouble with. 

This way you will not feel your Best-Work-Ever is being ripped into. 

* Copyright Issues: When submitting a collage, make sure the images you have used have 

expired copyright protection. Dover Publications has a wide range of image collections that are 

copyright free. 

* Don’t take anything personally: Remember, the person doing the critique is working from his or 

her own perspective, and it’s okay if you don’t agree with them. 

* Just Ask! Feel free to ask several questions when you submit your piece. Let us know what 

areas you’d like some specific help with! Email us at art@arttradermag.com 

-20- 

Kati Barrett

Art TRADER 


Tabitha Ladin 

kFunky Mermaids 

Handdrawn and painted ATCs from IllustratedATCs.com 

-21- 

Ang Westermann 

Joy Saethre Andrea Melione Lynne Lemyre

Art TRADER 


Keela Cleghorn 

Sal Scheibe 

-22- 

Leah Budin 

Robyn Tisch-Hollister Liz Stevens Tracie Rozario

Art TRADER 


An Interview with 

Randi Marx 

Randi is an enigma; her colored pencil works evoke mood and invite 

meditation, or delight us with bold colors and masterful execution. 

But who is the individual behind the art? In this interview, Randi 

reveals to us her musings and ‘no shortcuts’ attitude to excellence 

in art. 

Tell us a little about yourself: 

Randi: I know it’s a bit cliché, but I have been drawing my whole life. I have gone down many paths, 

trying to figure out exactly what art is, and/or what art should be. The more I learn, the less I know. I 

love the line from Bono in the U2 song: “I knew more then than I do now.” It’s how I feel. I do have some 

favorite ideas, though, and one of those is that art should “make extraordinary that which is ordinary.” 

I’ve thought a lot about that. Some examples would be Monet’s haystacks or Cezanne’s fruit. It’s not 

what they painted, but how they painted it. And I’ve thought a lot about photography. Since one can 

capture a scene instantaneously, and then just print it up, change it in Photoshop, do about anything 

in the world with it, then why draw? Why paint? This is an unanswered question that has been going 

on since the daguerreotype. After all, the very word “photograph” means “to draw with light.” And now 

we have pixels…. so much to consider. I don’t have the answers, but I do believe that being an artist 

is more than just making pictures. It’s about creating questions and attempting to organize them into a 

visual language. 

And don’t get me wrong, I also believe art can be simple fun, as well. It can serve the artist (and the 

viewer) in many ways! It has the ability to be everything from attempting to make order out of chaos, to 

escape, or for meditation--just to name a few. 

Therefore, I spend my days searching. I want to be an alchemist. The alchemist attempts to turn base 

metals into gold. And this can be metaphoric, which is how it is for me. Base metal can be anything 

without spirit. It can be a day without meaning. Going into the creative realm, I can use all the formulas 

forged by all those before me--artists, poets, musicians, dancers, a shaman, magicians--and attempt to 

change a common day into a series of exceptional hours! 

-23-

Art TRADER 


Did you study art? 

Yes. I graduated from a Liberal Arts college. I was actually the 

first person in the college history to graduate with a 4.0 grade 

average and major in the Department of Fine Arts. This doesn’t 

necessarily mean I’m some outstanding artist, it simply means I 

was very competitive in academics. I loved it all--from Chemistry 

to English Lit to 3D Design. I see it all as important to my artistic 

development. One thing that I discovered was that the more I 

learned--I realized the less I knew. And I wanted to know more; 

I wanted to understand more. I didn’t simply want to graduate 

with the knowledge of how to stretch a canvas and compose a 

still life. I wanted to be able to hear the music of Chopin, to read 

the visual language of Kandinsky, and experience the sound 

and movement of Nijinsky and Diaghilev. And I was fortunate 

to have amazing art professors--ones who forced me to work. 

And by “work” I don’t mean simply “make pictures;” I had to 

defend my work. 

I had to learn how to verbalize my direction and goals. It deepened the experience. Because, so many 

times, even today, I have NO idea what in the world I’m doing. And sometimes, an artist has to go with 

her gut. And after the work is finished, the artist can step away, look back, and then the reason, the 

awakening, the enlightening is evident! 

Are there any artists who particularly inspire you? 

There is no way I could list who all have inspired me, guided 

me, or taught me. Every day I find new inspiration. And I 

believe that there is something to learn in any experience, 

whether the experience is positive or negative. The entire 

world inspires me. And this doesn’t mean I am always 

inspired! Far from it. Most days I can’t think of any direction. 

I can sit and sit for a long time and not come up with one 

thing I want to do. The fact is, having too many influences 

can be confusing. Because if one can’t limit something, then 

instead of having direction, there’s confusion! That’s where I 

am most the time--right in the middle of my big pot of boiling 

bewilderment. 

-24-

Art TRADER 


I will list some that come to mind: Marie Laurencin, Alice in Chains, Munch, 

Kandinsky, Picasso’s “Woman Ironing,” Percy Shelley, Virginia Woolf; the 

books: Veronika Decides to Die (Paulo Coelho); The Bonesetter’s Daughter 

(Amy Tan); Widow Basquiat (Jennifer Clement); Chelsea Horror Hotel (Dee 

Dee Ramone) (and more); the ballet “Giselle;” the Hotel Chelsea in New York; 

any books on magick, alchemy, tarot cards and/or visual symbolism; The Virgin 

Mary and images of the Virgin Mary (especially Our Lady of Lourdes); anything 

to do with All Hallow’s Eve, Dia De Los Muertos, Carnivals/state fairs/side 

shows; Nancy Spungen, and the piano of David Lanz; any master violinist; the 

music of Secret Garden; and anyone who forges new paths and breaks down 

barriers. I also find great truth in fairy tales. 

An angel pops up a lot in your work; is there special 

significance there? 

Randi: Yes, very much so. When I went to a local cemetery, ages ago, I wanted to photograph the images of 

these silent sentinels. While I was there, this one statue overwhelmed me. I stood for a very long time in the 

presence of this beautiful figure. The name “Manuel” came to mind, so that’s what I call him. At the time, he was 

almost black with moss and mold, but I saw this beauty underneath, and I photographed him many times. 

During this time, I was friends with a man named Malcolm. Malcolm was from New Orleans, a Cajun, and an 

amazing cook. He also was HIV positive. He was so spiritual. I told him about Manuel. Malcolm had become 

very ill at this time but told me that his hope was that he could go with me and help me clean this angel’s face. 

He told me how we could do it. Because of his failing health, this never came to pass. In time, Malcolm died. 

About six months later, I went to the cemetery to photograph 

Manuel again. At first, I couldn’t find him! Finally I realized, I 

was standing right before him. I didn’t recognize him at first 

because he was pure white--completely clean of the moss and 

mold. I was overwhelmed for a moment, but then, I thought of 

Malcolm. I thought to myself, did Malcolm do this? I stood in 

silence for a moment, and then I whispered, “Malcolm?” And at 

that moment, a breeze came and blew leaves across my feet. I 

really believe I witnessed an amazing miracle at that moment. 

To update this story, I went to visit Manuel this past week of 

All Hallow’s Eve. About three years ago, I lost another friend 

to AIDS. This friend was even closer than Malcolm. His name 

was Ron. I’d taken Ron to visit Manuel before and had told him 

the story of Malcolm. He had known Malcolm as well. Well, 

as I was standing there this past October, I thought of Ron. 

I whispered, Ron? But nothing happened. I went ahead and 

photographed Manuel. As I was going back to the car, I looked 

down and saw something I hadn’t noticed before. I don’t know 

how I missed it, because it was right there. Lying there on 

the ground was a bouquet of red flowers (plastic, like from an 

arrangement). I wonder if that was from Ron? Because I hadn’t 

noticed it before. Anyway, I picked it up and put it in Manuel’s 

hand and photographed it. 

-25-

Art TRADER 


Figure 3 

-26- 

O 

How did you discover ATCs and Mail Art? What kind of impact have they had on your life as an 

artist? 

Randi: I was a member of a group called EBSQ. They had monthly challenges and feature groups, 

and one time they featured the ATC. I had just returned from one of my visits to the Hotel Chelsea and 

wanted to do something with my photographs. I have always painted so large, and I’d already decided 

to do something small. This would be a double challenge for me. One: That this work would have no 

figure in it; and Two: They would be small instead of large. It was at this time I discovered the ATC group. 

I didn’t join in over at EBSQ; I went to my Chelsea photos and started drawing. I was obsessed! As time 

went by, I found the ATC group online and joined. It was at that time that I noticed the group projects 

and theme trades. I started joining them to challenge myself and to learn. Over the years, I can’t stress 

how much I’ve learned and how my work has grown from joining this group and the theme trades! I will 

not only join theme trades that I love and are fun for me, I join at least one that is challenging to me. 

The most recent was one called Beautiful Trees. It was amazing and I felt my imagination grow as I was 

working on it. And not only that, but to see all the other styles and methods the other ATC artists use to 

solve their own challenges has taught me so much. I can’t stress how encouraging, enlightening, and 

inspiring this group has been for me! 

Find Randi on the web at: 

The Arcane Harvest 

www.randimarx.com

Art TRADER 


Artistic Journeys: Altered Art 101 

By Dana Driscoll 

Recently, my mother and I stopped at a yard sale. It was a great sale—full 

of lots of old antiques, books, junk boxes to root through, and so forth. As 

we were walking around the garage, I stopped next to a basin filled with 

old rolling pins. I looked at mom and I said, “Look at these! What a find!” I 

grabbed up two of them and she said back, “Dana, what could you possibly 

need with two? One for the kitchen I understand, but two?” I replied, “Mom, 

I’m going to use one to make cookies and alter the one as a gift for one of 

my Secret Santa art partners!” She just laughed and said, “Of course!” 

Altered art has been all the rave in the last few years. But what exactly is 

it and how far can you go? This article will define altered art, provide lots 

of examples, and provide some common techniques to use when altering 

using a sample art project—the altered wooden rolling pin! 

What is Altered Art? 

Webster’s dictionary defines “alter” as “to make different without changing 

into something else.” When we combine this with “art”, we get something 

like the following: “To take an ordinary object and, using artistic techniques, 

make it different without changing it into something else.” In other words, 

the object you are working on becomes “altered” through art but not entirely 

changed. With altered art, it’s important that some of the original object 

remains (such as the pages on a book or the base of the spoon you are 

altering). 

These alterations can be anything and everything you can think of. This 

includes hand-painted, collaged, digitally altered, hand-drawn, sewn, 

stitched, stamped, glazed, splattered, sprayed, sanded, distressed, and 

more. A lot of altered art is mixed media (i.e. more than two mediums) 

because altered art lends itself well to this kind of work. 

-27- 

The sky is the limit 

when it comes to 

altering! 

Here are some common 

and not so common 

objects to alter: 

• Spoons/silverware 

• Dominos 

• CDs 

• Game pieces (Scrabble 

tiles, etc) 

• Shoes 

• Books 

• Tables/furniture 

• Kitchen utensils 

• Keyboards/electronics 

• CDs 

• Ccomputers/iPods 

• Tins/boxes 

• Bottles 

• Matchboxes 

• Mirrors 

• Clothing 

• Keys 

• 

Luggage tags

Art TRADER 


With altered art, the sky is the limit! The largest thing that I 

have personally altered is my car, followed by my bass guitar. 

After that, it goes into an innumerate amount of silverware, 

bottles, books, Scrabble tiles, and more! Altering is great fun, 

regardless of the size. 

Where do I find stuff to alter? 

My best advice is to always be on the lookout for things worth 

altering. I often find the best alterable stuff at yard sales, flea 

markets, thrift stores and other types of rummage sales. Our 

local library has a book sale of all the old books they no longer 

want and I always find a wonderful assortment of books to 

alter there. Thrift stores like Goodwill can be full of tins, boxes, 

bags, silverware, and game pieces to alter. Be ever vigilant 

and always on the lookout! 

But should I? 

One of the biggest challenges altered artists face is the 

hesitation factor—often I talk to artists who say, “Can I really 

rip the pages out of that book?” “Should I really paint over this 

nice old spoon?” And my answer is most definitely always 

“Yes!” Altered art is all about repurposing, revising, recreating 

and taking what exists and making it better (at least “better” in 

the artist’s perspective!) If you aren’t willing to destroy a few 

old books in the process, you’ll never be able to call yourself 

an altered artist! 

The only thing I suggest before beginning your altering 

process is to make sure that the object you are altering is 

neither incredibly valuable nor a family heirloom. Check to 

see if that book is a first edition before you alter it! This is 

why garage sale and thrift store finds are so useful to you. 

Otherwise—go for it! 

“Can I really rip the pages out of that 

book?” “Should I really paint over this 

nice old spoon?” And my answer is most 

definitely always “Yes!” 

-28-

Art TRADER 


Altered Rolling Pin: The Walk-Through 

After purchasing the wooden rolling pin for a cool two dollars at the yard 

sale, I took some time to think through how I might alter this for my Secret 

Santa partner. I decided on an Asian altered “Art Queen” theme with bright 

reds, combining two of her favorite themes. 

1) I started by sanding the wood on the rolling pin slightly. Sanded wood 

takes glue, paper, and paint much better than non-sanded. I always sand 

any wooden or plastic surface I will alter—Scrabble tiles, Dominos, and 

so forth. 

2) Next, I coated the rolling pin with Asian papers of various types. To 

coat it, I used a collage recipe I created myself: 1/3 part water, 1/3 part 

Tacky Glue, and 1/3 part Modge Podge. This gets rid of the too-sticky 

nature of Modge Podge and is a bit more economical. 

3) I used a combination of acrylics and glazes to paint the rolling pin 

papers. I also added some watered down acrylics to the handle to give it 

a bit of a red glow. 

4) After that, I began layering collage and hand-painted elements on the 

rolling pin. I added the Asian woman, a crown, the hand-lettering, and 

more and more layers of papers. I added Distress Inks as necessary to 

keep with the red and orange color scheme. 

5) Finally, I added outlines in ink and painted on lovely plum blossoms to 

finish the piece. 

-29- 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4

Art TRADER 


Wanda Edwards 

Winning entry! 

Catherine Parmelee 

gallery: halloween 

postcard contest 

By the artists of www.mailartworld.com 

In October, Mail Art World held its first contest for Halloween 

postcards. The winner (at left) was the fun but slightly 

naughty pumpkin lady created by Wanda Edwards. 

Congratulations, Wanda! 

Roxann Nichols 

-30- 

Robyn Tisch-Hollister 

Paula Bendig

Art TRADER 


Donna Ratcliff 

Mary Watkin 

Stuart Nash 

-31- 


Diane Glass 

halloween 

postcards

Art TRADER 


Walk-Through Art 

B y Sal Scheibe 

This new feature is going to take us through the creation of an 

ATC, from start to finish. There won’t be any step-by-step guide 

for readers, just the photos to show you how different artists 

create their art. It’s often elightening to see how others work 

and compare it to your own methods. A great way to pick up a 

few tips and tricks. 

This Artist Trading Card is based on a photo portait taken by Richard Avedon of Louise Nevelson, a 

very talented and skilled sculptor. I started off with a pencil sketch based on the photo reference. I then 

colored the card with base colors using Prismacolor markers. 

Various colors of Prismacolor pencils were used to capture shadows and highlights. I used a colorless 

blender to smooth out the color blends and my shading was built up in layers. I based the background 

on the style of Nevelson’s assemblage art. Unfortunately, sometimes Prismas don’t blend so well when 

there is a build up. I know I shouldn’t get to a build up but it happens. In this case, I used a matte 

finishing spray, let it dry, then added a bit more pencil work on top of the finish. Then I finished off with 

a Micron and gel pen for final highlights. 

-32-

Art TRADER 


Tracie Rozario: 

The Secret Side of Purple 

-33- 

Interview by Andrea Melione 

Tracie Rozario is best described as “Purple,” with all of the feelings 

and concepts this powerful color can evoke. She is mystical, fun, and 

bohemian with a true gypsy soul. Her fantasy work has both a light and 

dark side. She is the queen of her artistic domain and her confident pencil 

technique, ability in the altered arts and mixed media realms makes her 

a truly versatile artist. She is the owner of MailArtWorld.com, where she 

works as administrator and member of the Art Panel. 

Tell us a little about yourself. 

Tracie: I live on the sunny West Coast of Australia in the Perth Swan 

Valley with my husband, 3 children, 2 dogs and 2 cats. My hubby runs our 

family business while I take on the job of Domestic Engineer. When I’m 

not chasing the kids or looking after the household, I can usually be found 

doing something creative. I find it to be a little bit of ‘me’ time in my crazy 

and hectic days. That being said, most of my ‘me/creative’ time usually 

occurs between the hours of 9pm and 1am. 

My friends say I’m a little bit crazy (hopefully in a good way!) and somewhat 

of a hippie. The hippie part mostly comes from my dress style, I’d imagine, 

and that I am somewhat ethereal in nature. I love the fantasy realm and 

would say that is the theme I am most comfortable with. I am also quite 

infamous for my love (or crazy addiction) to the color purple. 

I am always trying new things and love the challenge of learning something 

new or pushing myself to create in a different way. So I often end up 

with more than one project on the go at once. I dabble in many areas: 

Parchment Craft, Encaustic Art, Jewelry–Making, and, more recently, 

Fused Glass, just to name a few.

Art TRADER 


Your college studies focused on the sciences; how did you 

develop your artistic talents? 

Tracie: For as long as I remember, I have always loved to draw 

and paint. Creating in some form seems to be a part of me that 

never goes away. I often feel that there are two sides to me: the 

creative side and the scientific side, both happily existing alongside 

each other in a complimentary fashion. 

While at the university, I still found time to ‘create’. It seemed to 

balance me in some way. However, my art ‘development’ was 

somewhat stagnant. I wasn’t actively trying to further myself 

in that area; it was more something that I just did or was just 

there. 

Why did you decide to pursue the sciences, and has 

scientific knowledge had any impact on your art? 

Tracie: When I was in my final year of high school, I felt like 

I had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life. I had 

done well academically as well as artistically throughout my 

final year so I had to decide which side of ‘me’ to pursue at the 

university. 

I had (and still do have) a passion in both areas. It finally came down to logic. I could study chemistry and 

science and do art as a hobby, but I couldn’t study art and do chemistry/science as a hobby. This way I was 

able to keep both parts of me together. 

I would say that scientific knowledge has really only impacted my artwork in two areas. Anatomy lessons 

were invaluable in learning the human form. 

Understanding how the human body works, from skeleton 

to skin, has enabled me to draw the human form more 

accurately. 

And my chemical knowledge has helped me in areas involved 

with the mixing of certain types of artistic supplies. Knowing 

what each chemical is, in a substance, means I know the 

outcome of a mix without having to ‘test’. That has come in 

handy a few times. 

What are your favorite materials for both your drawn and 

mixed media work? 

Tracie: For my drawn artwork, my favorite materials would be 

Prismacolor pencils, lead pencils, and fine-line black markers. 

I would consider those items to be my trusty faves and ones I 

just couldn’t do without. For mixed media artwork, my favorite 

materials would be anything I can get my hands on! Even then, 

most of my mixed media work usually contains paints, markers 

and pencils also. 

-34-

Art TRADER 


Q: Any favorite mixed-media 

techniques? 

Tracie: Taking a collage image and adding 

my own touches is my favorite technique in 

this area. And using pencils, markers, gel 

pens and paint to alter the image, whether 

it be to add an element like a hat or wings, 

re-color the image with my own rendering 

or to just completely change the color of 

parts of the image. 

How have you solved any organizational issues? Do you have any 

tips? 

Tracie: No matter how hard I try, I am completely un-organized with my 

art supplies. The only organization I have is with my colored pencils, 

markers, brushes and paints. These are just kept together. My art room/ 

studio is almost classed as a disaster zone. So much so that I don’t create 

in there, but do my artwork on a table in our alfresco [ed. - outdoor] area. 

To enter and navigate the room requires locating small open spaces of 

spare floor and bending, twisting, and jumping over to where one needs to 

go. A background in gymnastics or ballet would certainly come in handy. 

My biggest tip on being organized... is to be organized! 

Do you have any favorite pencil techniques? 

Tracie: Blending by Burnishing is my favorite pencil technique. Burnishing 

is best described as the layering of at least two colors, blending them 

together with a light color (usually white or a blending pencil), then 

layering more colors and blending again. Keep doing this until the paper 

surface is entirely covered. This technique helps me create rich colors, 

depth and intensity in a piece. 

-35-yx

Art TRADER 


And finally, the old interview standby; If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you 

HAVE to have with you? 

Tracie: Well, if I had a limited amount of ‘haves’ they would be (and of course multiples if possible), 

a 2B pencil, an eraser, a sketchbook or paper, a knife, some matches, a blanket, a book by any of my 

favorite authors, a musical instrument - guitar or alto saxophone, and not to forget the Coca-Cola! 

f~Find Tracie on the Web~ 

ETSY: www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5354053 

Blog: www.purplerealm.net/blog 

Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/purplerealm 

www.MailArtWorld.com 

-36-

Art TRADER 


Petite Artiste 

by Abi Aldrich 

Marlena Muir, aka Darth Marl, is a thirteen-year-old artist from Manitoba, Canada. She said, “I was drawing 

ever since I was about 3 years old. I’ve always drawn stuff.” Her mom, Melissa, added, “Not always on 

paper, unfortunately! LOL!” 

Some of Marlena’s favorite things to draw include, “anime, animals, tattoo-like designs, cartoons, and 

flowers.” Marlena said, “I use pencils the most; and I also like to paint, with watercolors and acrylics.” 

With all the artwork Marlena creates, she said, “I mostly give it away to other people, like my family and my 

friends. I do keep some of my art, like my ‘Blood Red Moon’ that I painted. It’s a favorite of mine.” 

“I have an art teacher in my Jr. High - Ms. Harrison. Also my Mom teaches the Afterschool Art Club on 

Wednesdays, where we do other art projects that we don’t get to do in school. I haven’t won any awards 

yet, although I am planning on entering a contest this December,” said Marlena. She added, “The type of 

art I like has kind of a Rock ‘n’ Roll, Gothy edge to it, so my art is reflecting that. I do like to try new things, 

like glass etching, soapstone carving and clay. I find that art is very relaxing, and it helps with my other 

pursuits, like poetry!” 

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Marlena Muir 

Winnipeg, Canada

Art TRADER 


Collage ATCs by Allison Berringer 

ACEOs from Linda Williams 

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Readers 

Gallery 

We receive a lot of great altered 

art and Mail Art from our readers. 

We want to show it off! Please 

kfeel free to submit your own art. 

Check our website for details on 

submissions. 

www.arttradermag.com

Art TRADER 



-39- 

Vintage collage ATCs by Lorri Lennox 

k 

Abstract beauties by 

Sarah Bentvelzen

Art TRADER 



Acrylic painted ATCs by Rosanna Johansen 

Beautiful! 

-40-

Art TRADER 


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Advertise in the 

next issue of 

ArtTrader Mag! 

Please visit our 

website for details. 

www.arttradermag.com

Art TRADER 


Call for Articles and Artwork 

Thank you for your interest in contributing to ArtTrader Magazine. ArtTrader 

Magazine is a web-based publication (in PDF format) focused on Mail 

Art for trade such as ATCs (Artist Trading Cards), ACEOs, art journals, 

chunky books, altered art and altered books. 

We are always accepting the following types of materials: 

• “How to” or Step-by-step articles on artistic techniques. We are 

interested in techniques that can be applied to any mail art. These include 

illustrative techniques, and also works in fabric, digital, collage, mixed 

media, and more. 

• Articles on artistic journeys or experiences. Do you have an interesting 

story that you would like to share? We would like to hear it. 

• Artist Spotlight/Profile. Do you have a body of work you would like 

share? We would love to feature you in our artist spotlight. 

• Showcasing Art. We are interested in showcasing assemblages, 

mixed media work, creative journaling, chunky books, fat books, inchies, 

ATCs (Artist Trading Cards), post cards and more. These types of articles 

usually have a small bit of background accompanying them but primarily 

are visual in nature. 

• Product and Book Reviews. If you are interested in writing a review of 

a new product or book that is connected to the Mail Art world, we would 

enjoy hearing about it. 

Submissions of Artwork 

Almost all of our articles require artwork submissions. You might also want 

to submit artwork to appear in our webzine galleries. Our call for artwork 

is always open and we welcome your submissions of ATCs, ACEOs, art 

journals, chunky pages or altered books. Everyone is welcome to submit 

their art. You do not need to be a member of IllustratedATCs.com to submit 

artwork. 

You must submit your work to us in digital format. 

• 

• 

• 

300-400 DPI is sufficient. Do not submit artwork lower than 300 DPI. 

Acceptable formats include: JPG, BMP, TIF. Do not submit GIF files. 

Any submitted artwork should be at least 500 pixels wide and high 

(they can be much larger than this, of course!) 

-42- 

Art TRADER 


Article Submissions 

Dana Driscoll, Editor 

editor@arttradermag.com 

Artwork Submissions 

Sal Scheibe, Art Director 

art@arttrader.com 

Advertising Inquiries 

ads@arttradermag.com 

For additional details on our 

submission and artwork guidelines, 

please visit our website 


“Meathead” ATC by Sal Scheibe

All About Trading - ArtTrader Magazine

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