July 2023 ACEO: Not Without Love by Andrew Thornton

ACEO (Art Cards Editions and Originals) Series by Andrew Thornton

Edition Date: July 2023

Edition Title: Not Without Love

Material: Acrylic and Collage on Bristol Board

Approximate Size: 2.5" x 3.5" 

Please note: The painting shown in the photo is a representative of this edition. Your piece may vary.

From Andrew:

I first became aware of ATCs/ACEOs when I was teaching at ArtFest in Port Townsend, WA. I loved the sense of community and the excitement people had at sharing their artwork with one another. I was also intrigued by the petit size of the cards. At the time, I was living in New York City and did not have much wall space (I also did not want to put a bunch of holes in the wall), so this portable size enabled me to have a robust collection without much square footage. 

At Allegory Gallery, accessibility is very important to us. Both William and I come from humble backgrounds, so we know what it's like to want to have something, but not necessarily have the means to acquire it. With some of my larger-scale pieces, I understand that that may make them out of reach for some people. This edition allows more of our loyal supporters to have some of my work. 

I call this edition "Not Without Love". As an artist, my hands are some of my most important tools. To me, they symbolize action and manifestation. As I journey through life as an artist and a human, I recognize the importance of learning to love one-self for who they are, wholly and authentically. It is vital to me to ever follow my heart and pursue what makes me happy (easier said than done! lol). For me, all artwork follows a process of transforming an abstract idea into an object, moving from head, to heart, to hand. When I make work, I try to focus on a particular idea or feeling, and imbue the work with that specific emotion or concept. If I don't feel I'm in the right head-space, I will generally work on administrative duties. I don't know if people can feel the energy that I put into these pieces, but it is my hope, regardless of if they can, to create in this way. All of my artwork is crafted with love. 

Please note: The painting shown in the photo is a representative of this edition. Your piece may vary.