Little Women ...

Little Women series by Ellen McHale

These are my "little women" - not to be confused with my hometown heroine, Louisa May Alcott's, Little Women. Although I must admit that I was inspired to do a series of little mixed media women when I was walking by Miss Alcott's very own Orchard House. 

My "Little Women" are destined to travel the world as Artist Trading Cards or ATCs as you might already know them.  ATCs are miniature works of art created on a card the size of a baseball trading card. (roughly 2 1/2 x 3 1/2).  All kinds of media find it's way onto artist trading cards like watercolors, pen and ink, collage, printing, acrylics and mixed media.  The cool thing about ATCs is that they are for swap only and not for sale.  You organize your mail swap with a group of other artists and send your little creations out into the world with the hopes that you will get one back in return.   There are Art Card Editions known as ACEOs that are sold as original works but you must be upfront about your intentions before you decide to join in on a swap versus a sale.

This ATC swap is happening with a group of women artists that connected through a terrific art workshop/ e-course called Creatively Made.  It was dreamed up by a very talented artist named Jeanne Oliver of Jeanne Oliver Designs.  So out into the world I send my little creations knowing that they will arrive in the hands of a group  of encouraging women artists around the Globe. 

Here are a few of my "Little Women" ...

Little Women ATC mixed media, water color on bristol board

Envelopes awaiting their tiny work of art (all photos by Ellen McHale)

If you are from Louisa May Alcott's hometown and you would like a Little Women trading card just for the fun of it ... let me know with a comment in the comment section.

"It's amazing how lovely common things become, if one only knows how to look at them."

 ~Louisa May Alcott, Marjories Three Gifts

I hope you enjoyed the post - more to come next week.  Enjoy this gorgeous, albeit strange, warm March weather. 

~Ellen