What are ACEOs?

I’ve been asked about ACEOs lately, so here’s my take on them.

ACEO is an acronym that stands for Art Cards, Editions, Originals. They’re highly collectible tiny artworks that can be either prints (editions) or originals. The one rule is that they have to be exactly 2.5 x 3.5 inches, the same size as a baseball trading card.

They can be made in any medium or style on any support. Mine are all originals on paper done in mostly traditional painting and mixed media – watercolor, acrylic paints, colored pencils, ink, collage, torn paper. However, I’ve seen ACEOs done on canvas and also as photographs or prints or even made from glass or metal or fabric.

Subject-wise, my ACEOs are abstract acrylics and collages, though the styles and subjects used by other artists run the same gamut as larger artworks: traditional, landscapes, realism, Impressionism, illustration, florals, primitive. Whatever your favorite style of art, you’ll find an artist making ACEOs in that style.

ACEOs are a sibling to ATCs, which stands for Artist Trading Cards. The same rule about the size applies to ATCs, and they too can be done in any media. The essential difference is the method of distribution: ATCs are only traded never sold, hence the “trading card” part of the name.

ACEOs are sold. Prices range -- what’s the expression? -- from pennies to bennies? I’ve seen some artists’s ACEOs indeed sell for pennies, which breaks my heart, to hundreds of dollars. Mine are in the $10-25 range.

ACEOs are sometimes nicknamed “pocket art”. My catch-phrase is “Art you can carry in your pocket. What could be better?” No, I don’t carry ACEOs in my pocket because women’s clothing makers rarely put pockets where they might be useful. I do, however, carry ACEOs in my purse and my wallet all the time.

I also call them “my little gems”, because aren’t they just?

Valentine ACEOs In the Works

I've been busy working on a bunch of new Valentine's ACEO's -- all kinds of sweet little hearts and curly-cues. Some are collaged papers, some are painted, and some are drawn with ink. Many of them are not the standard pinky pink Valentine's hearts, either. Green hearts? Why not?

None are finished yet, except the Double Sweet Hearts.

Stay tuned. These will be done and posted promptly!

Double Sweet Hearts, Red and Gold, ACEO

Cute little hearts done in acrylic paint on paper. Both hearts are done with iridescent paint so they shine nicely. The scroll border is done by hand in ink.

Visit my Etsy shop to get a closer look:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19274268

Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy

Here are 3 little fish ACEOs for you today:

Red Coral Zig Zag Fish ACEO (SOLD)


Purple Tropical Fish ACEO


Blue Fish ACEO


They are all collages. The fish were made by painting and drawing on a variety of paper. I then cut out the fish shapes and glued them on ACEO-sized cards.

The top one (the red fish with the zig zag design) was made by gluing together strips of paper and then painting over them. I made the backing card by weaving together strips of specialty papers that have wonderful bits of fiber and plant material embedded in them.

The purple fish in the middle has these great gold stripes that give it an exotic feel.

The blue fishy has wonderful watery washes of acrylic over printed scrapbooking paper. I drew the fun branch and box design with sepia ink. The left edge of the card has a ragged deckle edge that adds to the fluttery feel of his tail.

All are for sale in my Etsy shop: http://lifeneedsart.etsy.com

Acronyms and Definitions for Miniature Art: ACEO, ATC, OOAK...

Miniature art is sometimes described with a variety of abbreviations and acronyms. While they're helpful to aficionados, they can be confusing to the rest of us.

Here's an admittedly informal list of acronyms. It's heavily biased toward ACEOs and their cousins, since that's where my interest lies.

What others do you use? Have you found artists using an acronym but can't find the definition? Let me know and I'll try to track it down.

ACEO = Art Cards, Editions, Originals. Must be 2.5 x 3.5 inches, but any medium may be used. ACEOs can be sold.

ATC = Artist Trading Cart. Must be 2.5 x 3.5 inches, but any medium may be used. ATCs are only traded not sold.

INCHIE = Square 1 inch x 1 inch. (Not an acronym, I know.)

OOAK = One of a kind.

SFA = Small format art. Usually less than 14 inches in any direction.

TWINCHIE = 2 inch x 2 inch square. (Not an acronym, I know.)

Note: miniature art societies, groups, and galleries have their own definitions. Please check with your group to be sure you're abiding by their guidelines.

Holy Family ATC by Morris Nelms

This lovely ATC entitled "Holy Family" was painted by Morris Nelms. It found its way to me through the Strathmore Holiday ATC swap.

It's a wonderful card, beautifully done, with a peaceful feel. It truly embodies the spirit of the season. I'm honored to be the recipient.

Mr. Nelms is an accomplished pianist, composer, vocalist, and painter. Visit him on the web:

www.morrisnelmsmusic.com

www.myspace.com/morrisnelms

If ACEOs Are Pocket Art, Do You Carry Them In Your Pocket?

I do.

Several, usually.

I carry one ACEO that I made for myself with my daily words to live by. It's meaningful to me. I guess that means it's not technically an ACEO -- I wouldn't sell it for anything.


I also carry a small snack-size zip bag with a stack of unfinished ACEOs: some plain white ones and some with colored backgrounds. Plus, I carry a handful of pens and pencils. Sometimes I'll sit at lunch and doodle.


I also sometimes carry a finished ACEO with me. Sometimes I'll finish one and especially like it or make one that's completely different and gets me thinking about a new series or direction. I'll put it in a plastic sleeve and take it with me. I might put it on my desk at the day job, on the kitchen counter at home, or even on the dashboard in my car.

And, I have a little album with finished ACEOs that I sometimes carry with me so that I can show other people my cards. Friends will often ask what I'm up to, and it's handy to be able to show them my latest cards. Or, I'll take it out of my purse and leave it sitting on the table while I have coffee or lunch, and you'd be surprised how many conversations it starts. So I always tuck a few business cards in the back of it.



Do you carry ACEOs with you?