Diane Clancy's Art Blog

First off, am I to assume the thumbnails work for the Studio Artist demo?

Rima Koleilat of MaraZine blog (marayagalleries.blogspot.com) has issued a digital challenge in this post here. Rima is asking anyone interested to download the same digital image and make an painting with it. You can download it from this post, here on my blog … then the thumbnail will expand and you can download the file. There are a few simple rules you can read in Rima’s post – and a deadline!! I am joining in with the fun and I hope you will too. Anyone may play!

Ferris Wheel, Digital © Diane Clancy

Rima adds about this challenge “It would be nice to have more people try their hand at interpreting the same picture, with varying degrees of know-how. I think for a lot of our readers and fellow bloggers, it would be a little push in a different direction – always good for creativity muscles. ” Sue, I can’t wait to see the mandala you make – though you can make another picture too.

Lily Pad for Rima’s Challenge

Rima also wrote in a comment on this blog,”I do enjoy your “unsymmetrical” work, I find it more expressive of your gentleness.” I asked Rima for elaboration to better understand what she is meaning. This is what Rima answered, “I like all of your work, but I do like the “looser” designs most: like “Expansion” (it blew my mind, I loved that one) – very profound, and pieces like “In the Garden” with the Buddha in the flowers ) – so gentle and beautiful.”

Rima continues, “In the more “designy” series, works like in these posts: Castles in the Air and Can this be a Circus (my “umbrellas”!) still have some symmetry … but … it’s like you decided to play instead of painting, and the result is more energetic.”

With these thoughts in mind, I decided to push to go to a different place with Studio Artist today to create a painting for this post. When I have an actual paint brush in my hand, unless I am using masking tape for the straight edge “Luminous Angles” series, you probably never see a really straight line. But the way I have been using this program, I am generating lots and lots of straight lines. It is a little funny, odd funny. Here is one the Luminous Angles, “Dance of Life” if you want to check it out.

But, then again, Rima is really talking about symmetry rather than straight lines. And I guess it is symmetry rather than straight lines that Studio Artist generates so easily with the tools I have been using lately. So funny, Rima says symmetry and I hear straight lines. I will have to think why that is. I was going to edit out a chunk of my writing once I realized that straight lines were never even being mentioned, but I thought it might be interesting to follow where and how my mind travels.
Giving me lots to think about as I create. Thank you so much, Rima, for taking the time to think and write about my work!! But the best news is … I have been creating lots of new work lately! And one big reason I have been painting digitally is to show you some ideas. So, a big thank you!!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Rima Koleilat, digital challenge, Studio Artist, symmetry

Talk about town … these figures are very busy chatting up a storm … I wonder what the topic is … They almost look as if they are gathering at the village well – where all the important news gets shared. Or is this a vertical painting – a portal with figures guarding the doorway, perched on the top?

Beyond VII, Digital © Diane Clancy

I think it fun to see all the different ways to put together the same design elements. In creativity I often find it useful to constrain the variables so I am forced to be creative within limits rather than in total freedom.

Tomorrow I will share the chosen business cards ~ I haven’t had time to prepare the files to upload for the blog yet.

Do you have any thoughts or feelings to share?

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: design elements, creativity

I am having lots of fun playing and making these digital paintings ~ are you? I sure hope so … it is being a lot of fun to just play and see what happens … Neda, is this your Golden Rule? I love the texture in the blue … and how it relates to the yellow. I may well rename some of these later … right now I just want to have fun.

Beyond VI, Digital © Diane Clancy

I got  caught up today with the work of documenting my finances for the art business … thank goodness that is done! I waited too long so it was hard to recreate the details. Please remind me to keep up better!

But tomorrow I should be able to get back to  … ta da … the business card. Hopefully that can get wrapped up tomorrow. Thank you for being in my life and in our community!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: digital paintings, Golden Rule, business card, color

Now can this be a circus? Is this fun? I love the swirls and circles … the way the colors – especially the yellows and blues – play off each other keeps my attention. And those different shades of blue swirls engage me.

Beyond V, Digital © Diane Clancy

Sue, I tried to not make any eyes that might feel scary … but only you know for sure whether I was successful. What do you (everyone) think … feel?

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: colors

Castles in air … enter into my world … the chaos of life, reflections of life, reflections of the carnival, reflections of outer space, reflections of inner space …

whimsical, comical, vivid, fun, topsy-turvy, dr suess, children, play … the wild blue yonder …

Beyond III, Digital © Diane Clancy

What do you think … feel?

~ Diane Clancy

This is the last of this Gold Leaf series. I had a lot of fun making them. I think they should be rugs or wall hangings. But they look so rich and sumptuous to me – very luxurious.

Gold Leaf III, Digital © Diane Clancy

In the post yesterday, Sue O’Kieffe of Sacred Circles Mandalas said “My art, at its core, is about the Light piercing the darkness. My intent is to find new ways to let the Light shine through !” I love her mandalas and to me her art is about piercing light – the light piercing in many different styles and feelings and outcomes … but all about light and energy.

Even though our work is very different, that is what I want my work to be about too. “Enhance Your Spirit” is my slogan – it is the effect that I want my art to have on people. To me, the uplifting comes from light or love or energy.

Some of my work has specific aspects of light (Conundrum I, the Luminous Angles series) and others I think are more light-filled by the content. Sue’s work is more an emphasis of physical light which then translates into the light of power, love and healing – to me.

Perhaps my work is more about other things shining through – but to me in the same realm of light, power and healing – at least some of my images. One of the Luminous Angles is Heart of Fire if you would like to see that use of light. When I just peeked at the painting again, it does look like Sue’s – light coming through.

Thank you for stopping by and allowing me to share my thoughts ~ I would love to hear what you are thinking about.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Sue O’Kieffe, light, Enhance Your Spirit, Luminous Angles, Sacred Circles Mandalas

In the Northeast U.S. we are having a week of glorious weather … a week that has drawn many of us outside to tackle gardens and reconnect with the earth more directly. This little fellow (a bear cub) is also awake and checking out the world. I feel very full of life and energy.

Bucky in Flowers I, Digital © Diane Clancy

My studio is functional again. The weatherizing is finished and the studio is put back together and spring-cleaned. There a many projects all pulling at me – in all sorts of different directions. I am going to have to prioritze!

Being an artist in the modern world is a juggling act. Of course, there is creating art. That IS why most, if not all, of us started in the first place. Creating needs to continue. Sometimes it is easy for me to get diverted into the business of art.

I have to learn how to move more gracefully between the creative process of art and the art of business.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: creating, creative process, juggling, prioritizing

In talking with you this week, I am much more at peace about my creative style … or should I say variety of styles. I am grateful for your sharing of my journey. I am happy enough for now to stick with my colorful, whimsical and uplifting styles – internally there is a cohesiveness. Painting is the key for me right now.

Abstract Design VI, Digital © Diane Clancy

Locally, the CDC (Community Development Corporation) featured a business class for artists last fall. Many types of artists were there – painters, photographers, writers, installation artists, musicians and more. I had been hoping for mostly visual artists because I thought they would be the ones I would have more in common with.

Instead there was an incredible wealth and variety of experience and paths. It was extremely helpful to see that we are each carving out our own path in harmony with our creative needs and practical necessities. We could each share our own ideas, and methods and out of that came an incredibly fertile cross-fertilization.

We discovered in the class that we all had a lot to learn (we already knew that!) but we also realized that we all had valuable insights and experiences. We also found out that there are many resources that can help us but common sense and persistent would take us quite the distance.

My feeling grounded and ok about myself and my own process allow me to hear and absorb others’ help. When I start feeling doubtful and judgemental about myself, my life and my work, it is a distraction from getting on with life. But also part of life – I want to be in balance. The upshot is that once again, I need to listen to the experience and advice of others and listen to my internal intuition.

Thank you for sharing this week’s journey with me as I sorted out how I am and how I want to be in relationship with my painting.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: colorful, whimsical, uplifting, business, common sense, balance, painting

I so much appreciate that many people share their experience and wisdom through blogs, websites, books, email, the phone and conversations. I am delighted that artists (and others) are very generous. Workshops and classes are another exciting way to connect with people. The amount of information is immediate, helpful and sometimes a little overwhelming.

Abstract Design II, Digital © Diane Clancy

This abstract design signifies the continuing of the discussions from posts earlier this week … Another area in which many share a lot of advice is the how to be successful as an artist. Many of the strategies are consistent and similar, and others are pretty divergent.

Sometimes I feel that I should passionately throw myself into the creative process of painting and sideline much of the rest of life. Some people have taken great leaps of faith and have realized their dreams of success with much hard work and some luck. I could focus on painting and drop much else that I do.

Other times, I think the slow steady way is right for me. I keep building this art business, but at the same time I also do graphic design and web design for clients. Also, many times people will ask me to do a job here and there with computer skills – convert some files from vector to bitmap or put their kitty into a field of flowers.

I did make a comittment last fall to myself, my artwork and my business – Any new volunteer work needs is to be directly connected to art. I have taken responsibility for managing part of a website for local artists and I am the chair of the Visual Artists Group in Franklin County. I feel those comittments enhance networking and support me as an artist even though they take time.

Doing my paid design and computer work allow me to keep my paid work in a creative field. That is working for me right now. Thank you for sharing in my clarifying process.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: design, creative process, painting, vector, volunteer, networking, clarifying

I admire artists who feel an incredible passion for only one type of creating. I have a friend, Tom Wyatt, a fine art photographer, who has made a decision that a particular type of photography, especially water reflections, is what inspires him. Another photographer friend, Gloria Kegeles, photographs only car reflections.

Susan Elkin, another fine photographer, loves to shoot series using the lights she finds at night (Night Light Series). But she also photographs landscape, portraits and reflections. One of her landscapes fools everyone – they are sure it is a painting, not a photograph. Her work has a unifying theme of revealing the mystery – whether of a person, place or thing.

Abstract Design IV, Digital © Diane Clancy

This process of writing to you about these issues is actually helping me a great deal. In fact I am writing these several posts all at once to share with you day by day. I like to read posts that are moderate in length, so I am writing these thoughts in (short) chapters.

I am feeling more at peace with my decision to create different kinds of artwork. Perhaps there is a unifying theme and perhaps I am fooling myself. But I am now accepting that, for now at least, this is my process. Much more important than choosing one medium and style is doing more painting!!

There is one more piece that gets my thoughts twirling in this very wise business advice. Sometimes I wonder if I should throw myself passionately into just creating artwork and give myself the possibility of making it to a much higher level through my hard work and luck. More on that tomorrow … Thank you for being with me in my process.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Tom Wyatt, photography, Gloria Kegeles, Susan Elkin, unifying theme, passion, creative process