Beginner's - ArtTrader Magazine
Beginner's - ArtTrader Magazine Beginner's - ArtTrader Magazine
Art TRADER m a g a z i n e Receiving Cards in the Mail and Storing Cards Within two weeks of sign ups for your swap, you can expect to start receiving cards in the mail. Here are the steps I follow to keep organized and make my life as a host easier when receiving and storing ATCs for an ATC swap. Some of these steps are modified for mail art swaps, especially those with bulky bubble envelopes. Once I get the mail for the day, I’ll open up all of the mail and set the swap cards aside. I will go to the thread where the swap is posted, and update the swap, letting participants know that their cards have arrived. Some swap hosts also elect to leave participants iTrader feedback at this point (although I usually wait to leave it all at once at the end of the swap). Because all participants are sending a SASE, I will remove the swap cards and SASE from the original envelope. I check the address, then put the swap cards in the SASE. On the back of the envelope, I write the participant’s User ID and number of cards they sent (minus any hostess gifts they may send). I have a plastic bin where I keep all of the swap cards; I simply place the cards in the bin and keep adding new cards to the bin as they arrive. If the participant did not send a SASE, I will write their address (or use an address label) on a new envelope and put it in the bin. Writing the participant’s name and number of cards they are to get in return helps you during the swapping process and also will help you identify which cards belong to which envelope if they accidentally fall out when you are moving or storing them. If You Get Behind If you find yourself overwhelmed or have family emergencies that keep you from fulfilling your hosting commitments, seek out help! Experienced hosts are always willing to take over a swap that you are unable to complete. Participants are usually very understanding if you need an additional few weeks to get your swap out of the door. The most important thing to remember is to keep communicating about the swap and to not think that you are alone in your situation. Conclusion This article has presented a first look at hosting mail art swaps. I encourage you to start thinking about and planning to host your first swap. Join us next time when we’ll cover the logistics of swapping and mailing cards in the second part of this article. -68-
Art TRADER m a g a z i n e Introduction to Whimsy Art By Dana Driscoll What does it mean to be a whimsical artist? What is all this talk of whimsical art? This article will present an introduction to whimsical art, including defining what it is (and isn’t) and providing a list of common features. In defining what whimsical art is, we can start with some definitions of whimsy and whimsical. Whimsical and whimsy actually come from the root word whim. According to Merriam-Webster, a whim is, “a: resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice ; especially : lightly fanciful b: subject to erratic behavior or unpredictable change.” Believe it or not, whim comes from whim-wham, a term that first appeared in print in the year 1500 that referred to a lighthearted object or ornament, usually for clothing. Not bad for a start! Merriam-Webster defines whimsical as “full of, actuated by, or exhibiting whims” or “resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice ; especially : lightly fanciful ” and “subject to erratic behavior or unpredictable change.” Yes! Now this sounds like art worth creating! Let’s take a look at some art that could be defined as whimsical. The three images presented here, by Sal Scheibe, Andrea Melione, and myself, are all very different, and yet all possess whimsical qualities. Sal Scheibe Andrea Melione Dana Driscoll First, none of the three pieces of art are entirely realistic. In Andrea’s piece, the fairy has exaggerated and disproportionate features including the neck, the eyes, even the hair and body. The fairy’s features are all stylized in a way that is playful, fun, and unique. Sal’s house looks like none in the real world, and rather reminds one of a gingerbread house, complete with the trees that have dots quite similar to gumdrops! In my piece, we have the two insects embracing on top of a flower and modified to look more human-like. Very whimsical indeed! In these three pieces, we see that the subject matter and stylization could fit the definition of “whimsical.” -69-
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Art TRADER<br />
m a g a z i n e<br />
Introduction to Whimsy Art<br />
By Dana Driscoll<br />
What does it mean to be a whimsical artist? What is all this talk of whimsical art? This article will<br />
present an introduction to whimsical art, including defining what it is (and isn’t) and providing a list of<br />
common features.<br />
In defining what whimsical art is, we can start with some definitions of whimsy and whimsical. Whimsical<br />
and whimsy actually come from the root word whim. According to Merriam-Webster, a whim is, “a:<br />
resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice ; especially : lightly fanciful <br />
b: subject to erratic behavior or unpredictable change.” Believe it or not, whim comes from whim-wham,<br />
a term that first appeared in print in the year 1500 that referred to a lighthearted object or ornament,<br />
usually for clothing. Not bad for a start!<br />
Merriam-Webster defines whimsical as “full of, actuated by, or exhibiting whims” or “resulting from or<br />
characterized by whim or caprice ; especially : lightly fanciful ” and “subject to<br />
erratic behavior or unpredictable change.” Yes! Now this sounds like art worth creating!<br />
Let’s take a look at some art that could be defined as whimsical. The three images presented here,<br />
by Sal Scheibe, Andrea Melione, and myself, are all very different, and yet all possess whimsical<br />
qualities.<br />
Sal Scheibe Andrea Melione Dana Driscoll<br />
First, none of the three pieces of art are entirely realistic. In Andrea’s piece, the fairy has exaggerated<br />
and disproportionate features including the neck, the eyes, even the hair and body. The fairy’s features<br />
are all stylized in a way that is playful, fun, and unique. Sal’s house looks like none in the real world,<br />
and rather reminds one of a gingerbread house, complete with the trees that have dots quite similar<br />
to gumdrops! In my piece, we have the two insects embracing on top of a flower and modified to look<br />
more human-like. Very whimsical indeed! In these three pieces, we see that the subject matter and<br />
stylization could fit the definition of “whimsical.”<br />
-69-
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