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Dealing cards

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Contributed by: Rhonda Van Pelt on 3/27/2008

BY RHONDA VAN PELT
YOURHUB CONTRIBUTOR

It's art for the masses: people of any level of experience and ability making tiny works of art in the media of their choice. They don't have to commit to large projects, buy expensive supplies or follow a long list of rules.

Artists trading cards have become immensely popular around the world since a Swiss artist started making them in 1997. If Craig Cantrell has his way, they'll catch on in the Pikes Peak region, too.

Cantrell, manager of the Business of Art Center's Venue 515, leads a free monthly session for people who want to dig into creativity. He has supplies such as watercolors and brushes, cardboard, magazines to cut up, glue and markers, but people can bring their own to use or to share.

Around 10 a.m. on the third Saturday of the month, people start wandering into Venue 515. Soon after, they're hunched over their creations, muttering to themselves and looking up occasionally to scrounge for supplies or offer encouragement and ideas.

One unshakeable rule is that ATCs must be 2.5 by 3.5 inches. Beyond that, the imagination is free to roam.

After a few hours, the trading begins, with oohs and aahs and questions such as "How did you do this?" and "Where did you find that?"

The March session included a longtime scrapbooker from Wheat Ridge and a manager at a software company warming up his creative muscles before jumping back into art.

The only other rule is that ATCs are not to be sold. The aim is to share art with others, whether they live next door or on another continent. Various Web sites offer forums for exchanges and galleries for inspiration.

Creators add their names and contact information to their cards before sending them out into the world, in hopes of connecting with the next person who sees - and loves - them.

Rhonda Van Pelt confesses that she's hopelessly addicted to making and collecting ATCs.

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CONTRIBUTOR INFO

Rhonda Van Pelt

Colorado Springs , CO

Rhonda Van Pelt has posted 2 stories and 0 comments since joining on 3/14/2008. Rhonda Van Pelt 's average story rating is 5.

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