Carry your cards with you always!
Last evening I went across the Richmond Bridge to San Rafael with Adam, a poet friend to hear another poet friend, the delightful performance artist Marvin R. Hiemstra at Cafe Arrivederci. The Monday evening Artist Salon is run by Angar Mora whose idea it is to mix it up where artists are concerned. There were musicians, printmakers, fiction writers, and most importantly visual artists in attendance, including Elizabeth Addison, a printmaker, who spoke about making monotype prints. Her work was displayed around us on the restaurant walls.
Because Mora heard that I did art as well as wrote poetry, he asked me to bring examples of Artist Trading Cards. No one at our table had ever heard of this phenomenon, and they too, wanted to see my binder full of cards. My little pieces proved quite popular, a real ice-breaker for the 10 or so folks sitting around baskets of sourdough bread and bowls of shredded parmesan.
Towards the end of the evening, Angar ran an auction for work that various artists had brought. On a dare, I held up my ATC of the little imp peaking over the sunflower; I had created him at one of Deb Price's ATC workshops and he seemed to represent one side of the Muse. Surprisingly, someone paid $4 to own my little collage, a man who turned out to also be a painter.
You just never know. Og Mandino may be right about what it takes to be "the greatest salesman in the world." The first task is just showing up.
Just as a word of caution - one of the few ATC rules is they must be traded, not sold. But that's ok, cos if you want to sell them, you call them ACEOs (Art Cards Editions and Originals, I believe). Quite frankly, saying you're selling them is aok with me, but some of the fanatical folks get all up in arms about it.
ReplyDeleteActually, I'd love to make some stuff to sell. I really should try!
Kat
I didn't know this. But, it was pure serendipity that a fellow artist had any interest in purchasing a card, and I put it up for auction! I like the fact that ATCs are not a commercial venture, actually.
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