Diane Clancy's Art Blog

One of the things we artists, and everyone else, needs to remember is to rest and rejuvenate. To allow ourselves the luxury of filling up with spiritual sustenance and spilling it over into our lives. This is actually not a luxury at all – it is as necessary for creative life as breathing. So often in this busy culture we drive ourselves to be busy and think that is what will move us ahead.

Flights of Fancy, Digital © Diane Clancy

Many of us are very busy fulfilling our dreams in life. Many of us artists now know we need to market besides create. I know for me there is no way that I will ever do what I think I need to do to be able to get my artwork out to you as I would like to.

I know I need to take the time to reconnect with the ease of spirit and joy – this is what truly fuels my creativity. Come join me in this “Flight of Fancy.”

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: rejuvenate, spiritual sustenance, creative life

This painting is practicing Wabi-Sabi as is talked about in Neda Doany’s blog here and here again. Irene commented on the progression on this image over the last couple of days as being related to the idea of change and impermanence being part of life.

Cirque du Soleil Dancers, Digital © Diane Clancy

I feel very delighted that Irene would think that “apparently you have no angst of becoming in the process of growing into some more.” Not true but perhaps I am making progress on my own self and being and creating. This blog, the blogosphere and the support of you fantastic bloggers has moved me ahead in my own creative process to take more risks and be more relaxed in showing work that I haven’t honed and tweaked within an inch of its life.

It is nurturing a playfulness and enjoyment and sharing with others that hasn’t always been true for me around art. In the several art classes I took years ago it was more true for me – we had to produce, produce and produce. And I got some good paintings out of the whole process.

In a way blogging is like that for me – I have a community that I feel a responsibility to create new paintings for. It is a stretching myself for me and my art but also for you – it is very useful to me.

How is it for you?

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Wabi-Sabi, impermanence, blogosphere, playfulness, community, creative process

One of the things I am particularly enjoying about this process of digital painting is my sense of being silly and having fun. Sometimes my silliness gets separated from my painting because I want to make sure I am reverent. But with the digital, somehow it seems ok to just be silly with the paintings and with the names.

Deadlines Looming, Digital © Diane Clancy

Many of this last series of images the last month or two, I would never do in paper or canvas and paint. For me, there is something about this medium … partly the immediacy with the tools I am using … that really bring out my silliness.

So many of them look like silly little creatures. Sue O’Kieffe also had mentioned a quote from a famous person about painting from the unconscious (or subconscious) caused figures to emerge. Somehow that also helps me feel good about these silly little beings that are emerging.

How about you? What happens when you let yourself be silly when creating?

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: digital painting, Sue O’Kieffe, creative process

It is delightful that we are talking with each other about these issues of creativity and supporting each other as artists. For me, it is much different doing things digitally than with paper or canvas and paint. Lately I have been sitting down with an image and just saying – “go ahead and change it.”

Here We Are, Digital © Diane Clancy

First, actually I cruise a bunch of images and see who speaks to me. Someone jumps out and yells, “me, me me!” So I say, “OK.” I don’t have anything in mind … I work from the process before me with the Studio Artist program. That is how I have made most of these images lately … and often gone into Photoshop for while too.

It is much scarier for me with paper and paint. Though I used a similar technique for using paper and tempera for awhile and 2 of those images are very popular ones of mine. With paint I feel I have to create something “special” to justify using resources and stuff .. so it is much harder to create.

Also, with paint and paper or canvas, sometimes I do sit down with a specific idea – like to create another image in a series. Allowing myself to play obviously works much better. And I absolutely agree with Sue – don’t worry too much about being original.

Start with something that you want to do and constantly stretch yourself. Hard as it is, try to compare yourself to you – not to anyone else. Though that is easier to say than to do!  I know!  What else are you thinking?

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Studio Artist, Photoshop, tempera, creative process

Rima Koleilat has issued another challenge for anyone to play the game of changing an image. Details are here. So I have taken up playing this game too. Here is my first image – with a tip of the hat to Aldous Huxley (who wrote “Doors of Perception”).

Doors of Reflection, Digital © Diane Clancy

Part of the game is sharing how you got from the original (see Rima’s post) to the final image. I decided to start out in Studio Artist. As before, I started with Translating the image – which moves it in the direction you pull and then doubles as one moves. Because I wanted to keep a sense of realism, while adding mystery and a sense of otherworldliness at the same time, I only pulled in one direction at a time.

After pulling left to right horizontally, I Translated downward vertically. I wanted to continue this process but as I tried it, I was losing the main elements of the image that I wanted to keep. So I used Scale Uniform to just make everything smaller to give me room to fool around.

Then I Translated from right to left to double the door and and Translated from top to bottom to add to the upper stories. After that, I Translated from bottom to top to double the shop and doors to deepen the sense of mystery established with the doubled sign on the shop awning.

I wanted to differentiate the bottom shop and doors from the top to make it look like a reflection. I made a selection in Studio Artist to choose just the bottom reflections and was struck by the striking nature of the inverse color that showed up as I was highlighting it.

I couldn’t figure out how to make things work from there in Studio Artist so I switched to Photoshop since I know certain things much better in that program. Again, I choose just the bottom reflection and tried a few things like watercolor filters and such. But that inverse color was stuck in my mind. So I did a simple inverting the color in the reflection part.

There is an article that I have written about “Art that Changed Me” – it is the topic of the current and next issue of the People’s Voice which is a local newsletter of which I am the editor. There wasn’t room for me in the current issue so we are going to run the topic again. It is now quarterly – it used to be monthly and was way too much work! In that article, I talk about how the reflective surfaces of the bathroom window sills and bathtub walls of my childhood impacted my perception and expanded my viewpoint. This image reminds me of the mirroring wall quality.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Rima Koleilat, Aldous Huxley, Studio Artist, mystery, Photoshop, People’s Voice, creative process

This is a painting that I find hard to believe is digital!  To me this is luscious and luxurious.  And why am I so bold to sit here and say that about something I created?  Because it doesn’t feel like I created it – I was just the vehicle.

Liquid Elegance, Digital © Diane Clancy

Often when I am painting (and writing) it feels if something much greater than Diane the personality – my muse?  my spirit?  the life force?  something else? – is the one who is doing the creating.

What do you think?  How is it for you creating? Do you get different results when you are in that kind of flow or not?  Please share your own thoughts and experiences.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: digital painting, flow, muse, creative process

Since I was bestowed with the Thoughtful Blogger Award yesterday, now it is MY turn to pass on the honor. Please check out the Writer’s Review where you will find the rules, see how to on this gift and also pick up a banner to display on your site. Being a Thoughtful Blogger I chose the more subtle colors so it wouldn’t scream at you … ok, ok, it didn’t go with my design sense either.

It’s Time!, Digital © Diane Clancy

Drum Rolls ….. It’s Time!

First, The Courageous Blogger Award is bestowed upon “those bloggers who are battling or have battled with physical and mental illness, those who are survivors of abuse, poverty, or who have overcome other challenges in life. Those who serve in the military or work/volunteer in dangerous situations in order to provide a service or to help others. This award is for the strong, the brave, and the courageous.” This award goes to Susan Elkin at her photography blog.

The Thoughtful Blogger Award is bestowed upon “those who answer blog comments, emails, and make their visitors feel at home on their blogs. For the people who take others feelings into consideration before speaking out and who are kind and courteous. Also for all of those bloggers who spend so much of their time helping others bloggers design, improve, and fix their sites. This award is for those generous bloggers who think of others.” This award goes to Rima Koleilat at her Maraya Galleries and to Chris O’Byrne at his art marketing site.

The Creative Blogger Award is bestowed upon “those who bring unique and creative elements to their blogs. For those who incorporate art, music, creative writing, photo’s, and other beautiful visual effects into their website. For those who put a unique spin on things and come up with new ideas. This award is for the artsy, the funky, the inventor, and even the rebel. This award is for those creative individuals who stand out from the crowd.” This award goes to Lisa Call at her quilting blog.

The Inspirational Blogger Award is bestowed upon “those bloggers who inspire others through their words and actions. With a positive attitude, and an uplifting spirit these bloggers make the blogosphere a better place, and encourage others to do the same. This award is for bloggers who rise up to set an example but continue to reach out and support others.” This award goes to Sue O’Kieffe at her Xanga blog, Dancing Sun.

Well, there are my 5! Each of these bloggers has been an inspiration to me in one way or another. Thank you again, Neda, for bestowing the award on me!
~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Thoughtful Blogger Award

Neda Doany of Papiers Collés has bestowed upon me The Thoughtful Blogger Award – which goes to “those who answer blog comments, emails, and make their visitors feel at home on their blogs. For the people who take others feelings into consideration before speaking out and who are kind and courteous. Also for all of those bloggers who spend so much of their time helping others bloggers design, improve, and fix their sites. This award is for those generous bloggers who think of others.” Neda, thank you for your generosity!

Who Me?, Digital © Diane Clancy

The award is part of the Writer’s Reviews and the brainchild of Christy Z. It is a pretty incredible and kind idea – and I am sure Christy deserves all 5 kinds of awards! I will bestow my 5 awards tomorrow – some of the people have already gotten one award and deserve yet another!

Thoughtful Blogger Award

Tomorrow you will find out who I have chosen! Thank you again, Neda for thinking of me!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Thoughtful Blogger Award

I had posted another image earlier and asked, “Can this be a circus then?” But I decided that that image disturbed me – and I don’t like to be disturbed – enough of that to go around already! Is this friendly, now? I really like this … entering into something deep or a third eye … I like this a lot!

Beyond IV, Digital © Diane Clancy

Trust me … I am going somewhere with all this … the business cards have gotten in the middle of this project. If you look at the categories this is posted in, you will find a hint.

Do you have any thoughts or feelings about this?

~ Diane Clancy

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