NOV 5 deadline for PET ATCs

Patti suggested the next ATC theme - our Pets. The deadline is Nov. 5. I have all kinds of ideas - involving our late, great, and wonderful MITSU the amazingly lovely and goofy Golden Retriever! You'll be seeing more of her soon.

Best Friends ! ...... More Digital Delights

Digital ATCs

Original Photos taken in Morocco 1988
Because I have been writing books for the past few years, I have been working with photographs rather than paintings. I decided that I would also create digital image ATCs. I printed the first set on watercolor paper, which gives it a painterly quality. I hope you like them!

Thoughts on "My Elegant Eyes"

The most personal ATC I made was "My Elegant Eyes Are Eternal." I always thought I had pretty eyes, no matter what size I was. But in 1990, I had Graves Disease, which is a thyroid disease that made my eyes bulge out. I could no longer wear contact lenses and my eyes got so big that they touched my eyeglass lens. They receded as the disease was controlled, but they were bulgy. And the area around my eyes got fat with the fat proteins that are released due to the thyroid disease.

A few years ago, my opthomologist said it was safe to do a reconstructive surgery called optical decompression. A gruesome procedure that I will not shock you with. My face still has nerve damage that makes me feel as if I've been hit in the face with a shovel. But my eyes are normal again.

So I went through my photos from babyhood, to thyroid period, to post surgery, to present and did digital cutouts and then printed them. I then put them on as a collage to show myself. There's even a childhood face photo that shows me squinty eyed with laughter and joy. That's what I wanted you to feel when you see this image!

Collage Works - thoughts on....

As I was working on my ATCs, I realized that I am so out of practice as a painter. So I did collage ATCs. This made me think of my first high school collage project. Our civics teacher asked us to make collages that represented ourselves. When we turned them in the next day, I saw that most people did the minimum amount of work. They put a few pictures together (from magazines) and put their name on the back.

The teacher held up each person's collage and we tried to guess who it represented. It was down to the last 2. Mine and another person's. The teacher held up this huge 22 x 30 poster board with almost 100 images on it. It was mine. No one had any clue that it could be me because they thought I was so quiet. But inside, I had so many ideas, so many emotions - all bursting for expression. They thought I was strange, so I thought they were all quite stupid after that....

So when I worked on each collage ATC, I decided to "make it simple, stupid" - or to learn how to edit myself. Each idea had the basic image and words. I tried not to overwhelm the viewer, and to focus and present the image.

Cousette's ATCs - "E" Theme

ELECTRIFY EMOTION EVERMORE / EGYPTIAN ENCHANTMENT EMPIRE

ENTER EVOLUTION / ELEVATED EYES EXPLORE

EGRET EMBRYO @ EARTH'S EDGE / ENCHANTING ECLIPSE

MY ELEGANT EYES ARE ETERNAL

Patti Shepp's EXQUISITE Art Trading Cards arrive!

I spent the day in San Francisco and then came home to find an envelope. In it were Patti Shepp's ATCs! Equisite miniature paintings that reveal a talented working artist.

Patti worked with my theme of using the Letter E. Here are her beautiful results - enjoy! (YES, my cards are coming soon!)
Patti's card is to the left and the back of the card is to the right.

EMPRESS ELLA ESCAPED EGYPT.

ELLA'S ENCHANTED EQUATION

ELLA EATS EGGS