My idea of an ATC Art Doll

Okay, you need to click on the pict for a larger view. You can see the great paint job I did. Look at the cool greens and shimmers from the interference oxide green over the black acrylic paint (one of my fave-o things to do). Can fave-o be my "thing" like Rachael Ray's EVOO or Yum-o? Just thought I would ask.

I was just looking through the Art Doll Quarterly. Those of you who know me - know that I am not a big art doll fan. I can do one or two at a time and then I am done for a long while. Well, I got inspired again. Yes, doing ATCs and art dolls - something I don't do that much of. I just thought this would make a great swap for the Art Techniques group. I did not put it in the Art Techniques ATC group because it is both an art doll and an ATC. Besides, I do more stuff in the main group than the ATC group (thanks so much to co-owner, Sherre, who does a lot in both groups but more in the ATC group than I do).

If you want to play, then you have to be a member of the Art Techniques group. Link it on the right column of my blog. Go to the File section under Open swaps to get the details. Go to the database section to actually sign-up. Sign-ups are until 6/30 and ATC art dolls need to be mailed to me by 7/31. 6 for 5 quantity. I usually do 5 for 5 but I wanted one of everyone's to post in the group and to maybe do something with them later on.

The ATC itself is a piece of copper sheet. It was thin enough to cut with sharp scissors. I rounded the corners so no one would cut themselves while holding it. I tried metal embossing on it but it was a little thick and the tools were not working well. So, I just folded it over in different directions - making sure not to fold it too sharply so the piece would break. I then unfolded it so that it looked like an ATC again. I did that several times in different directions. I used a little black acrylic paint on top and then went over it with Golden's fluid acrylics in interference oxide green (BS). You can't see it in the scan but it has the most awesome aged, green shimmer. It always looks great on metal - black acrylics and then the interference oxide green on top of it.

If you are looking for a great deal on copper sheets, I found a really good source. http://www.basiccopper.com/ http://stores.ebay.com/Basic-Copper I got my copper from their eBay store. If you ask them, they can sell you some scraps when you place an order. Some of them are even stained! I think she might have thought I was nuts when I said I wanted the stained ones. You know what a found object freak I am (okay, not as far gone as my art friend, BJ). For those of you who are not that familiar with copper, then 36 gauge is the thinnest they have on there, 30 would be the next thicker one, and 26 would be the thickest of the 3. 26 gauge was what I found at Ace Hardware. They did not have any copper sheets at Home Depot - just silver. The 5x7 copper sheet 26 gauge at Ace Hardware was $7.99. Copper costs more than the silver or brass in the hardware stores. She can probably quote you smaller quantities than the rolls.

If you are a metal work artist or want to try some metal art, then a good place to start for some supplies and tutorials is Volcano Arts. I get a lot of my stuff from there. There is also some really good information there like how to thread your jeweler's saw. http://volcanoarts.biz/

If you are just starting out and just want to play, then you might just want to start with some metal scraps, some pliers, and a good pair of snips or very sharp scissors. Sand paper and a Dremel is also very useful here. Supplies for metal work are very specific and they do not often translate to other forms of art. You might try it for awhile before investing your money in it. Yes, this week's TOD is about whether you buy too much in art supplies or not.





The heads, crowns, dress, arms & hands, and feet are from Artgirlz. They just came out with a new line of art doll stamps. http://artgirlz.com//SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=50. I used my Crop-a-dile to punch holes into the copper and then used it to set the eyelets. It is a very handy tool. Very easy on my arthritic hands. No, I am not old with a silver ponytail. I am only 43 but have arthritis in various places from years of tearing my body up while powerlifting.



Realize that my idea of an art doll may not be the same as yours. That is why a swap is so beautiful. So, you only get 5 ATC art dolls back. You get to see and feel them in real life. I always post the scans from all the swaps I host into the gallery group so everyone can see. I love to see how someone's interpretation of the same idea is so different from mine. Come and play with me!



Comments welcome.