Diane Clancy’s Art Blog

Ths is a link to sign a petition against this act;
(http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-to-orphan-works-act.html)

Everyone everywhere on the planet many sign this petition - I hope all of you who haven’t will do it now. Below is another great link - but I want to make sure I give everyone something the can do to help! There is another international link below also.

Nature Reflections VI, Digital © Diane Clancy

This is a fantastic link!!! For people in the US this link gives you lots of options!! (http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/) - you use their letters or personalize them - there are lots of versions - for supporters of artists, different kinds of artists - it is great!! Please take a couple (literally) of minutes

Here is a link to let people outside the US do more. (http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/01_topics/article.php?searchterm=00267) … it deos not look quite as easy, but I hope you will go do it. Thank you!!

Here is the latest from the Illustrators’ Partnership

———————————————————-
FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS’ PARTNERSHIP
———————————————————-

Since yesterday (May 7th), over 31, 000 letters have gone out from our
Orphan Works advocacy site.

Q: What can we do next?

1. Write the House Judiciary Committee. We’ve set up a special alert to
contact members of this important committee.

Go to our Take Action/Alert site:

http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/

Look for the sample letter labeled “Contact House Judiciary Committee
NOW” and send it.

If your Representative is not a member of the House Judiciary Committee,
this will send him a message asking him to contact his colleagues on
that Committee on your behalf, urging them to oppose the bill.

2. Ask for support from family and friends:

Please ask your friends and family (5 to 10 others) who support your
creative work to also go to the site. They can follow the instructions
to easily send a message of opposition to this reckless bill. Look for
the sample letter labeled “For Supporters of Visual Artists - Wrong to
Weaken Copyright Law” and send it.

3. Spread the word to the public: Photosharing on Web will now be at risk:

Please alert your friends who post photos to the web their personal
property will be at risk. Look for the sample letter labeled “For the
Image-Making Public - Protect Personal Property”and send it.

For more information about the Orphan Works Act of 2008:

IPA Statement to House Subcommittee March 20, 2008:
http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/01_topics/article.php?searchterm=00261

IPA Senate Mark-up Comments April 30, 2008:
http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/ow_docs

Geneva/ May 7, 2008 Orphan Works Bill Catches Global Attention/
Intellectual Property
Watch/ http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=1028

MP3 Interview: http://www.sellyourtvconceptnow.com/orphan.html

YouTube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CqBZd0cP5Yc

All ammendments are listed here:
http://judiciary.house.gov/Printshop.aspx?Section=839

Please post this message or forward it to any interested party. You can post or copy and or all of this post.

I think this is sort of a cool painting because you can see so far into - so deep - the image. Obviously it is a variation of the last few. I am very tired today. I had planned a nice relaxing day today where I could rest and catch up … and the discouraging work I was doing a few days ago got reactivated this morning. Which is fine. But I got notified that I needed to overnight printouts - that I did not have printed yet. I understand why and it was an excellent strategy - but just implemented at the last minute. And I understand why. But the post office and Fedex place closed in about 30 - 60 minutes … so I needed to go into hypermode. And now I am pretty, pretty sick. There is a reason I do everything pretty much early - I don’t function well that other way. So I am exhausted and needing to rest. Please tell me how you are.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Orphan Works Bill

The Orphan Work Act has been filed in Congress.  I did not check this myself, but I heard it from a very reputable source.  I will work to have things for you to do tomorrow so you can help protect the rights to your own artwork and to others’ art. Even if you just fool around and post these images on your blog, someone can use them (IF this is passed)~ and potentially make millions while you get nothing.

Harem, Digital © Diane Clancy

I am going to put the original of this pastel (framed and matted) in my Etsy Shop .. as soon as I can get it to the top of the list. I absolutely love the purples, blue and teals … and the colors and the blends of that fabric in this pastel painting.  Thank you for stopping by … I still an at half steam … but so much better!

Technorati Tags: Orphan Work Act, color

Here are more links … This is compiling all that I could find about the Orphan Works Act to make it easy to find the info. Certainly it is only few places that is saying it is baloney (really only one) and another says we are over-reacting. So I would say that it is real - one is a US House hearing link - so hopefully it can get disappeared before it gets going … but it will only do that because we care and act.  I hope you will sign the petition - I am putting it first (you can sign this if you are from ANY country).  Please also contact your legislators (if you are US residents.)

The Empty Chair, Pastel © Diane Clancy

Ths is a link to sign a petition against this act;
(http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-to-orphan-works-act.html)

from this link:
“One thing to keep in mind, though, is that in law writing, as in law practice, the battle is often won in the drafting stage. Multi-billion dollar industries that stand to benefit from harvesting others’ intellectual property have been pressing Congress on this issue for years, and you can be sure that the pressure did not relent between 2006 and today. Speaking as a historian as well as a lawyer, I would observe only that the blogosphere’s insistence that artists wait in silence while elites write the law is not lacking in irony.”

(http://blog.newsarama.com/2006/07/?p=7811)

Orphan Works Bills Blog
http://orphanworks.blogspot.com/

Information: Crafts of Texture feels it so important, they put the article in today.  (Just information that other artist groups are taking this seriously.

You can read more about it here;
http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=Columns&article_no=3605&page=3

This is a link with the contact information for the president and all US senators, representatives, state governors and legislators;
(http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml)

US House Hearings
(http://judiciary.house.gov/oversight.aspx?ID=427)

Resource Page for Artists
(http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/01_topics/article.php?searchterm=00185)

Illustrator’s Partnership is saying:  (directly quoting - I understand that they want this passed around)  

“The language in the draft confirms our warnings. If this bill passes, you’ll be forced to clear all your secondary licensing rights through at least two government certified databases –

“The language in the draft confirms our warnings. If this bill passes, you’ll be forced to clear all your secondary licensing rights through at least two government certified databases – or risk orphaning your art.

Despite its masquerade as the “last resort” to search for a rights owner, these databases will likely become the only source many users will rely on for finding a rights owner. Reason: it will give users the legal right to infringe any copyright not in the databases.

We’re working with our attorney now to prepare opposition letters.

We have contracted CapWiz, a service that will allow you to send these letters to Congress with a push of the button.

CapWiz will also provide us with “digital stickers” that anyone else - organizations, individual artists, blogs, etc. - can put on their sites that create a direct link to the command center to write their Congressman and Senators to defeat this radical change to U.S. Copyright law

Please stay tuned and we’ll tell you in a day or so what you can do to register your opposition.

For additional background on Orphan Works, go to the IPA Orphan Works Resource Page for Artists
(http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/01_topics/article.php?searchterm=00185) ”

Links that say this is baloney or Overkill

Baloney Link
(http://www.boingboing.net/2008/04/12/countering-the-fud-a.html)

Overkill Link

(http://blog.newsarama.com/2006/07/?p=7811)

You may copy this, forward this and/or post it on your own blog.  You may link your blog or forum or anything to here so that people may have access to these links.  I would like this word to get out!!!  Thank you for caring and being involved!!!

~ Diane Clancy

With this painting also I always think of Alice in Wonderland. To me, this is like being small and going into the forest of the vases and teacups. Hence Alice. I hope you enjoy it. I have always wanted to create lots more of these because I love them. I think it is very true that who and how one is at any given moment determines quite a lot about how art comes out. So I have always been concerned that new ones wouldn’t really go with these two … and I can hear you now … do them anyway!! You are right of course … who cares if they match. I have a gigantically (for me) large one almost done … just needs a few tweaks. It has gotten somewhat damaged but might be redeemable anyway.

Bottlescape I, Pastel © Diane Clancy

I need to keep using the nebulizer .. juut have to accept that fact for now. Tomorrow is the big day when the AWE project goes up!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: AWE

I always think of Alice in Wonderland with this. To me, this is like being small and going into the forest of the vases and teacups. Hence Alice. I hope you enjoy it.

Bottlescape II, Pastel © Diane Clancy

I am very tired and also not breathing as well again. I am back with the nebulizer. So I just have to realize that I do need it at least every couple of days for now. That’s ok.

~ Diane Clancy

Happy Valentine’s Day, Everyone!!

This is part of the One World, One Heart give-way. The prize is one 6 pack of these cards. The size is 4.25 x 6″ and they are professionally printed. These are my cards - I am thrilled so many of you wanted to win these cards … I will have all the different images up so you can see them again. Near the top and at the bottom of the post there is an opportunity for you to purchase the cards (identical button) at a discount if you really want to take them home with you, but didn’t win. SO … here it goes … drum roll please …. drums banging away!!! And the WINNER IS …. Melissa of Altered Faireys. Congratulations, Melissa!!

Conundrum I, Collage © Diane Clancy

Reflections in Blue I, Pastel © Diane Clancy

Reflections in Blue II, Pastel © Diane Clancy

Mother Watching All, Oil © Diane Clancy

Sight, Collage © Diane Clancy

Anticipation, Collage © Diane Clancy

To thank you for your interest and participation in the give-away of these cards, I am giving you a sale price of $12.99 which includes shipping and handling for these 6 cards. If you would like to purchase this pack of 6 cards (4.25 x 6), please use this PayPal button. PayPal accepts lots of credit cards - you do not have to have a PayPal account to purchase. Anyone can buy - you didn’t have to participate - you just got lucky!! ~ Thank you!!

Late update … I found myself in a Valentine Treasury … here is the post in my other blog that showcases this Treasury.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: One World, One Heart, PayPal, Treasury

First of all, Chris O’Byrne and I have a project we have been working on .. he wrote a post about it today … I hope you will read his post and check out our new project!!

Kara Jones of Mother Henna had a post a few days ago about the One World, One Heart GiveAway. I had never heard of it … I think thi sis the second year. Lisa Oceandreamer OWOH has a blog here which lists all the blogs involved and gives the details.

Conundrum I, Collage © Diane Clancy

Lots and lots of blogs are giving away items - to show love and build the blogosphere. So once I knew, how can I resist? My give-away will be one set of the cards that I had been telling you about in the marketing story - and we will get back to it.

Reflections in Blue I, Pastel © Diane Clancy

You have until February 13 (at least at most blogs) to leave your name and join in each blog’s give-away. If you want to win the give-away, leave enough information for me in a comment to this post so I can get a hold of you.

Reflections in Blue II, Pastel © Diane Clancy

Make sure your email address is a valid one and not one of the no-reply ones. Please do not leave sensitive info like your address or phone .. I can get your address when you win!

Mother Watching All, Oil © Diane Clancy

I will accept all entries until 9 pm eastern time on February 13and then the winner will be announced on February 14 … and then your gift will be coming your way!

Sight, Collage © Diane Clancy

Here are more details if you would like to participate. There are tons of blogs participating … so gone on over and check them out! I know I plan to!!

Anticipation, Collage © Diane Clancy

The prize is one 6 pack of these cards. The size is 4.25 x 6″ and they are professionally printed. I look forward to seeing who wins!!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Chris O’Byrne, Kara Jones, One World, One Heart GiveAway, Lisa Oceandreamer, blogosphere, marketing

I have been sharing my story about the process of exploring marketing my artwork through selling cards to get to licensing my paintings so that many people can enjoy my vibrant and uplifting work. You can read about other parts of this journey in recent posts starting here. This is one of the cards from this printing that I did. I have many left if you would like to own some of them.

Reflections in Blue I, Pastel © Diane Clancy

So I now have 6,000 cards arriving at my home (which also doubles as my office) … or should I say, my office which doubles as my home. They are not nearly as overwhelming as I was afraid … whew!! And one of the cards was not printed well color-wise. It was too far off the color of the painting … and more importantly, the color of the file that I sent them. If you prepare your file wrong, it is your problem.

But they promise printing within a certain color tolerance. So I called them up. One that felt was very much within tolerance (and I could live with that). But the other one was clearly out of the tolerance range. So they very quickly and efficiently reprinted that one card. Of course, I now (and still do) have 1,000 cards with the wrong color and I am still not sure what to do with them. Modern Postcard was great about reprinting - very respectful and the replacement cards came out GREAT!

So now what? I gave Vision Works the cards they ordered and figured out how to make up an invoice. Now what? I got ready to get in my little car and start to go out and beat the pavement to see who else would like to have the opportunity to have my beautiful paintings in their stores and homes.

The journey continues …

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: marketing, cards, licensing, color tolerance, Modern Postcard

I have some news that is exciting for me!! And I think it will be great fun for you to look at - whether or not you purchase anything. I have finally gotten the CafePress Shop (www.cafepress.com/dianeclancy) set up and open at last!! I would love if you would stroll over and look at what I have done. This is one of the paintings that is on tiles, totes, mugs and more. I just am so excited!

The Hideaway, Pastel © Diane Clancy

Thank you for the great feedback I have gotten today … I appreciate it greatly! I am sorting through what people have said … as I will be making decisions soon.

What are you up to?

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: CafePress, feedback

The last few days I have been talking about my balance between the creative process and marketing. The two most important pieces of all this are - my creating because I love making art and - my collectors (this means you) acquiring my art. I need to remember that all the other parts of the processes are focused on these two goals - creating and collecting.

Bottlescape II, Pastel © Diane Clancy

Besides my site, I now have two online stores Etsy and ArtFlock. I think I will probably start an eBay store too, but I haven’t done that yet. I am still checking out to see if it makes sense. (Comments are welcome - please share your experience with me and others who read this blog.)

The next big step for me to take is licensing my work to various companies who would like to use my images on their products. I have a friend with experience who was going to help me sort through which places would be most appropriate for me, but unfortunately life has sent her some twists and turns that make her temporarily unavailable.

I have quite a long list of companies who look for artists in order to license artists’ work. I have also done a lot of looking on the web researching different licensing companies. The licensing process has actually changed greatly over the last several years. In some ways it is a little simpler now.

It is getting toward time to figure out which ones to target. You can see that the place interested in “Bottlescape II” and “Flowers IV” (yesterday’s image) may well be different. But they are not the companies who are going to want my Goddess series. This is the stuff I have to sort out.

It feels more concrete and manageable telling you about it and allowing you to share in this process. Thank you for being part of my progression.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: balance, creative process, marketing, collector, Etsy, ArtFlock, eBay, licensing, Goddess

A couple of days ago I showcased a pastel version of this painting in the post The Empty Chair - Pastel. The original pastel was created in the slide room - see the post Creating Inside and Out if you want to read about this creative process. I thought it would be fun to create the same image in different mediums - so I did.

The Empty Chair - Acrylic © Diane Clancy

It is interesting to me to see the differences. The blues give dissimilar feels - the blue in this acrylic painting lets light into the picture. I see a distinct time of day in this image … there is a lot of light flooding into the space of the empty chair. The emptiness doesn’t feel forlorn to me as the other one does.

The use of color rather than just the mediums themselves give them some of their variety. This woman looks more seamless to me instead of shadowy. Remember, the other painting was created in the slideroom so I didn’t have as much control over the materials. Chance played a much bigger part.

But, to me, it looks like the same artist painted these even though the color and feel is distinctive. (Yes, I know I did.) I know which of these two worlds I would prefer to enter into …

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: pastel, creative process, acrylic, color, translation of mediums

“The Empty Chair” is another pastel that was created in the slide room. You can read about the details of this creative process in the post Creating Inside and Out. I also have an acrylic version of this painting that I will showcase in the next couple of days.

The Empty Chair - Pastel © Diane Clancy

It is interesting to me to see the difference in images when I put them into different mediums. My teacher, Michael Coblyn, used to talk about how each time one takes an image and translates it to another medium, it is important to see it as a new painting.

He encouraged us to not get caught up in trying to duplicate the image but instead to look at it as a new creation. This thinking has been incredibly helpful to me as I have taken my paintings created in traditional mediums and translated them into digital paintings.

After I created this pastel, I took a good hard look at it - and it was very striking to me. That empty chair in the window is very poignant to me - it feels very lonesome. I was caught in just creating and then stepped back and feel that there is a lot of power in this image.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: pastel, creative process, Michael Coblyn, digital painting, translation of mediums

I was thinking about Matisse when I was creating this pastel painting. Many people have asked me where I have gotten my (they say) unusual sense of color. At one point my mom and I pulled out all the artwork we 4 children had made to sort out whose was whose.

Woman and the Sea, Pastel © Diane Clancy

I was amazed to see that my color sense was already fully developed as a child. I remember painting a pink bunny in a pink field in the 4th grade. The pinks were intense and many different variations closely related. But I was surprised to see that the rest of the pictures I created were also true to my future sense of color.

Each of us as children had a very disctinctive flavor to our creative process. Mine was easier to tell apart from the others, but we were each individual. What fun my mom and I had as we went through these memories. How I wish she were alive and healthy today!

Matisse’s paintings inspired my spiraly and curlycue things … I used to make afghans and quilts with these kind of color combinations. Afghans are one place I could play and explore color with freedom. Thank you for joining me down Memory Lane.

- Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Matisse, pastel, color, creative process, quilting, inspiration

I love the aqua color in this pastel painting. Especially the light, bright aqua arches behind the figures. They always look like angels to me. Many people have wanted to buy this particular painting. “Reflections in Blue I” is what started me thinking about licensing my art work.

Reflections in Blues I, Pastel © Diane Clancy

I figure that if so many people feel that this image is uplifting, then I want lots of folks to be able to be inspired. Right now I make this image available in cards and prints that I sell to stores and to individuals.

Licensing is allowing someone else to use one’s images for a particular purpose. I have licensed some of my images for music CD’s, yoga CD’s and publicity. People have paid me a reasonable flat fee for using my images.

I want to find a business that would want to produce cards, calendars, mugs or such with this painting. Then I would receive royalties for their usage. The amount I receive would depend on how much of their product sells.

In the research I have done about licensing, companies tend to want a related series of 4 images. This is the first of this set of 4 “Reflections in Blue.” I am in the process of researching which licensing companies would be the best matches for this particular painting. I hope YOU are inspired!

- Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: color, pastel, licensing, uplifting, inspiration, marketing, online gift shop

Today has been a day of loose ends. I have been completing several projects and trying to figure out how to put a calendar into this page without dominating the blog. But I did get outside and take my walk.

Inside and Out, Pastel © Diane Clancy

I was just going to share the above, but then I realized this is too good an opportunity to miss for talking about the creation of this image. I can tell a whole lot of people at once - if I am lucky!

I painted this while I was in school. Our teacher, Michael Coblyn, had us go into a dark room with our pastels, a slide projector and a model. Michael Coblyn shined a slide on the wall with the model standing in front. In the dark we had 2 - 3 minuters to paint with pastel.

Then he flashed a second slide on the model for 2 - 3 minutes. We went back and forth between the 2 slides many times. We had to pick and choose between the different views we saw with the 2 slides to create one coherent image.

Since then I have been meaning to try the technique using a 3D computer model and figuring out how to shine slides onto the 3D model. But it hasn’t reached the top of the list yet … will it ever?

But, in the meantime, I am delighted to have this image. Thank you for looking at it with me and learimg about my creative process.

- Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Michael Coblyn, pastel, creative process