Torn Photo ATCs

I made four Artist Trading Cards for the Torn Photo ATC Swap on the ATCs for All.

It was an interesting process and required all the discipline I could gather to just glue the photo onto a plain backing and not slather it with mixed media collage elements. I'm clearly stuck doing the same, familiar things over and over, and trying to make myself believe that I'm changing things by using different materials. But it's still the same process. So this was a welcome, if slightly uncomfortable change.

2012-9  "Torn Photo ATC #1: Granny"

 The first card ended up being very simple. With just a slight skew to the image to make it appear a bit jarring.

2012-10 "Torn Photo ATC #2: Granny and Great-Grandfather"

Tried to go a little farther this time. But feels like I did the really obvious thing in switching heads around.

2012-11 "Torn Photo ATC #3: Granny/Baby"

For this one I tried to not look so much at the imagery, but at the way the shapes and colors and torn edges and use those elements for the composition. I still see things and immediately name them (head, arm etc.) which is keeping me from seeing it as much as an abstraction as I'd like.

2012-12  "Torn Photo ATC #4: Chicken Coop"

Like this the best of them all as far as having interesting lines and intersections of lines and shapes. Glad I stuck through it. Good exercise in abstraction that I can see using to develop drawings and paintings. Glad to get away from my tried and true mixed media collage. And it's a great way to upcycle all those old photos that aren't interesting enough to keep for the imagery, but that you still can't part with because they're family heirlooms and mementos of earlier times in your personal history.