All things ACEO (Trading Cards for Artists!)

Ever heard of an ACEO? That’s “Art Card Editions & Originals” or “Artist Card Editions & Originals.”

They’re a groundbreaking form of original artwork that originally germinated on, of all things, eBay.

Also called “ATC” (Art Trading Cards), these mini masterpieces are all the rage (and we’ve started our own collection).

Let’s face it. Not everyone can afford original artwork. Sometimes we can’t even budget fine art prints or poster reproductions. But everyone (or at least most folks I know) enjoys the original piece–even when we can’t always afford to splurge. The original beauty of an ACEO card is that it allows a wide variety of people to collect authentic, one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork at an affordable price. Since you can afford to buy the REAL work, it really sparks your taste for more.

ACEOs are also brilliant because they inspire a new way to look at the ordinary canvas. We’re all familiar with traditional sizes (constraints like 11 x 14, 9 x 12, and the like). Since the official size of an ACEO is 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″, imagine the possibilities. It’s like opening up a visual haiku that you must decorate with carefully placed brush strokes. It’s minimal, but as vast as the imagination. It forces you to reconsider the concept of “small.” Can something small be the gateway to something infinite?

ACEOs are available on places like: eBay and Etsy.com. Many are also available from an artist’s official e-commerce site, or from other online retail venues. We will also be offering our ACEOs here on plasticpumpkin.com in the very near future.

Here’s some of the neat materials and media we’ve seen used in ACEOs:

Oil Paints, Acrylic Paints, Oil Pastels
Pen & Ink
Pencil
Cloth ACEOs made from stitched or sewn media
Collage ACEOs made of collaged ephemera and other items
Metal ACEO cards

and more!