Artist Trading Plushies?

So I have had this idea for a while, and I know I am not the first to think of doing this. You might have heard of artist trading cards, highly collectable 2.5 by 3.5 original pieces of art believed to be popularized by M. Vänçi Stirnemann in Switzerland.

I would Love to see this done with plushies. Imagine having a pdf printout where an artist can put together a standard-sized bag or a box to fill with a plushie and trade to across websites like swap-bot or deviantart.



This movement of plushies and fanart is so incredible to me. It unites so many people across different age groups to share in the fun of sewing, drawing, sculpting, and animation, all while bringing out the inner child in someone.

Being able to interact one-on-one with the active artists of this movement by trading lovingly-made plushies, essentially soft and huggable art, could be so rewarding, don't you think? :)

My Secret Santa 2013!

I received an adorable elephant on Reddit's Secret Santa event. I recommend it to anyone who likes snail mail and trading c:

Wheatley Ring

I ordered a fan-made, 3D-printed ring from Ammnra on Shapeways, and I had a blast painting it :) Wheatley has always been my favorite character of Portal 2. The details are so tiny that it is easy for the paint to make it look chunky (like mine does), so definitely water down the acrylic and paint carefully, and in layers.

Putting This on Hold

I don't think I am ready to tackle this yet, and that's ok. It seems that the more I struggle with the intent to finish paintings, the more frustrated I am that it isn't exactly what I want it to be. I have been listening a lot to Bobby Chiu, and it is like catching up with an old friend. Some good advice he mentioned in the book The Perfect Bait is that "with knowledge, your style will form itself."

Daily Sketches

Every day, rain or shine, I am going to draw something in my sketchbook. A lot of these will be crude imitations of others' work, but my hope is to keep the pencil moving :). I have linked the original art for those who are interested.