A.I. Twinchies

Ive never done twinchies before. Are they like a square ATC or simply a run of abstract elements or a planned artwork strip?

Twinchies is a great idea, to draw, paint an image on 2" X 2" square is easier than 1" X 1"! The larger size is perfect for portraits. @Star7Lily has a good idea too - the 2" X 2" squares could be eventually mounted in a strip if the "Twinchies" swaps are continued. All of you are so brilliant.

LadyDy totally read my mind. I was just thinking of twinchies!

@Star7Lily I consider them miniatures in the ATC world. ☺ I have made them collage, multi-media, hand drawn and painted.

Great minds together girls, yes, they are really cute when you get enough and frame them. Thank u @whippet for your input too . I had 60 inchies mounted on card stock ready to be frame, looked adorable with many artist abilities showing and then accidentally sent to Goodwill will picture frames I didn't need. Couldn't retrieve them. Going to start again. Enough interest, will do it each month.

Well i shall defineatly have a go. Can't promise great things, but reading what you ladies have put forth i am sorely tempted. And yes miniatures are like chocolate to me, mmm i wonder if i shall become adicted to these beauties too? Sounds promissing.

More people need to join in! ♥ Whoever gets me is getting this Finchie Twinchie! I just finished it today. ☺

I just know you all would enjoy doing these and having these to collect. Will do more if interested. Maybe a theme too. Whatcha think??

85 members here an only 1/10 sign up for these swaps. If you have no interest at all then unjoin the group. If there is something you want to put up as a swap let me know.

Watercolor paper is 140 lb. I don't have anything heavier than that, unless I cut them out of cereal boxes. Even then, I don't think it's heavier than 140. Any other suggestions? (I don't want to have to buy a whole book of paper just for one swap).

Glue them on a cut out cereal box. Up to you. Just don't think paper thin is too good though. I will do mind glue double the watercolor paper if I feel it us too thin. I think 140 lb. may be okay.

i glue just about everything to at least good quality card stock somewhere in the process. it just is easier to manage a thicker sturdier item when i use wet stuff or seal with krylon or both.

Just a thought, here we are making mini works of art. We spend our energy with the belief that we are making wonderful pieces. Therefore even including the word cereal box which is poor quality cardboard is almost abuse of ones art. 140 lbs watercolour paper is fine if you back it onto a cream cardstock, that is cheap enough at only $1a sheet or less, so it would last you several atc swaps. Or double or triple the 140lb paper. Use quality archival glue and your work will be preserved for the future for your generations down the line to enjoy. Respect your art and your inner artist. :)

I love that finchie twinchie!

The challenge here is the art work. Do what you do and are happy with to send.

By my education, which is between a BA in art + design, a class trip to the paper conservation laboratory at AIC and a family that sold trees to the paper mills, cereal boxes and chipboard packaging are almost pure wood pulp and lack bleach and a lot of chemical junk in many commercial papers. A lot of these boxes test acid free and I know an Australian artist who uses a pH test kit to be sure the recycled packaging she uses is acid free. A lot of what is "acid free" on packaging is just legal language for advertising, none of the art products are necessarily conservation quality material in reality; it can just be called acid-free because it is within certain parameters to be in accordance for truth in advertising. On the other side of the coin, I know a lot of artists that use recycled or non-conservation materials none of whom respect their work any less than anyone else. They expect the works to age over time and respect their works for reducing waste and being less invested in consumerism. ☺

I stand suitably chastised. I use inside of dilmah tea boxes, for the quick ATCs, but quality Rag papers on my authentic art swaps. Just so MY partners know, the thought of ugly cereal boxes as a backing leaves me cold, but as long as i dont use them then, and dont recieve them, then please Do honour your art that way, what ever floats your boat, i say.

@ARTG733K74 by the way, the reason why 100 year old books have that distinctive ashen tabacco smell, and the paper disintergrates between your fingers, is that they were made from pure wood pulp. It breaks itself down, it is the cellulose glue they used to bind it that is the culprit. The same process is used for cereal boxes. We received training from the Archival Libraries on how to mount your work and and keep it for generations. Printmaking was my course. I mentioned the quality card stock so as to keep the price low for those less unfortunate, but would like to have a go. For those that are already using watercolour pressed paper, they would keep their images fresh. . But what would a humble B of FINE Arts know? Apologies for the sting.

My goodness, Please! this is to be fun to do what you like to do and are happy to send. Appreciate the knowledge, however.

these twinchies sound like 4 seperate artworks not one artwork cut into 4 2x2s. is this correct?

@Hannibal , Yes, but if you make an 8 inch strip of a landscape or whatever and it makes each two inches look different that will be okay also, or you just put different drawings on each separate 2 x 2, up to you the artist doing it. Basically if you do it as an 8 inch strip it becomes a triptych when cut into separate pieces if of a related subject. When you put all four together it becomes one painting or watercolor or whatever. How ever you want to do the twinchies is up to you.

i just finnished, 4 seperate but with related colors. i love these.

I hope to continue with these so we have a variety to put together in a frame if you wish.

All sent, wonderful. Now, where are you all for the next month twinchies?