Artsy Fartsy Day

We have a group here in New Mexico that gather once a month for an ATC (Artist Trading Card) swap. These art cards are 2 1/2" X 3 1/2" in dimension. That is the only limitation. It can be 2D or 3D, edition runs, digital, hand made, rubber matrixs, and so forth (go to http://www.rhondascreativecrafting.com/ to view the meeting schedule and suggested monthly themes). You can also do a Google search on ATC's; most of these swaps occur via the internet for postings and people who swap send the cards to each other in the mail. I've been attending for a year now, and I must say that I have a nice collection of ATC's from this group. Everyone of these cards are marvelous pieces of art. Most large metro areas do not have groups like this that meet reuglarly (I know Denver does). Anyway, a group member was generous enough to host at her home an "Artsy Fartsy" day where we would demo art techniques to each other. We drove down to her home in Magdelena (a 2 hour drive from Albuquerque) and spent a day at her log cabin style home surrounded by pine trees at a 7,000 foot elevation. What amazes me is the talent that each of the group members have and how well we all get along. We hear nightmarish stories of other artist gatherings where the egos were too big to get through the door. The other wonderful aspect of this group is the willingness to share and to learn from each other. I've posted a few snapshots of this weekend's art retreat. The colorful pieces that look like stained glass are cds that have been cut up and embellished. These are the ones that our group organizer, Susan See had made. Quite nice, don't you think?