Diane Clancy's Art Blog

This is an incredibly busy week for both the Creative Economy and protecting the environment offline. In these 3 days I have 7 meetings at least … and my computer is being slow … so here is a painting to please your soul hopefully. I also have been developing some of my networking sites – as some of you know since we have connected there! I will catch up again!

Ice Mountain, Digital © Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Creative Economy, environment, networking

When I was a lot younger, I was delighted to be involved in things. I used to spend hours and hours embroidering mushrooms on denim jeans that had holes in them. It seemed enough to beautify. I was so happy to have a focus for creativity – though I didn’t use those words for it.

Autumn Imagination, Digital © Diane Clancy

When working for alternative energies and against energies that were destructive to the environment, I was so happy to have a focus to work with others to create a better world. Out of a school environment, it was hard to connect with others and find constructive projects to do. I thrived on finding myself in a community where we were working to better life.

Things have sure changed for me! I don’t know how much the world and culture has changed and how much it is me who has changed. Now there seems no shortage of ways to create beauty and to make the world a better place to live! Also, now I am a self-defined artist and working to create community and improve the artistic life in Franklin County, MA, US.

There seems to be a surge in possibilities and opportunities for all sorts of things … from new materials to use for creative projects to the hundreds and thousands of groups that need energy and money to thrive! Locally, in this rural area, we used to be lucky to have one play or one political rally to go to. Now you have to choose!

Of course, the blogosphere has mega-increased the choices too!! Now it is not just the local and regional happening to decide among, it is also the worldwide choices!! I am going to write more on this tomorrow … and would love to hear your thoughts!!

I have almost decided about my signature, I just need time to implement it.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: younger, environment, Franklin County, rural, blogosphere, choices

I am going to print some ACEO (Art Cards Editions and Originals) or ATC (Art Trading Cards) today. As I mentioned in this post, ACEOs or ATCs (the same thing, just different artists call them various names) are like baseball cards – except for artists. Actually, not just for artists any more than baseball cards are for baseball players! They are a relatively inexpensive way for people to collect artists work they like.

Emerald Matrix, Digital © Diane Clancy

I am going to print these 2.5 x 3.5″ prints on my printer with archival ink and archival paper and package them in 3×4″ sleeves for baseball cards and then in a protective holder made for baseball cards. The artists over at Etsy have been incredibly generous in helping me make decisions as they have shared how they do it. Thank you!!

My ACEOs probably won’t be listed until Saturday, but I am going to do them now. My shop is www.dianeclancy.etsy.com if you would like to check it out. It is such a balancing act to create art and market it. Also, a balancing act to pay attention to what people want and be true to myself and my artistic vision.

I attended a town meeting for Greening Greenfield yesterday to further environmental consciousness. Encouraging people, without guilting people, I think is important. And being inclusive!! I would love to hear how and what you are doing!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: ACEO, ATC, baseball cards, Etsy, environmental consciousness, marketing, balance, environment

Some of our most faithful readers and commenter’s are very active in the 2 Things Challenge. The deal is that anyone can participate and enter your own entry. This week the challenge is Elegant and Gaudy in one image. I think this is very bright, ok, ok, gaudy … and it also has an elegance that I love. I think it is classy. I have been wanting to join in on some of the different challenges that blogs sponsor to network and connect more with other artists. So this is another step – after my World Card Day entries.

In the Zone, Digital © Diane Clancy

Follow-up to Blog Action Day – there was a fantastic show last night on CNN – Planet at Peril. Very powerful viewing. It will be available for renting soon. The second part is tonight. I highly recommend it! A wild combination of very scary info about how fast things are degrading and very inspiring with success stories and what work people are doing. In other words – like life – in other words – life itself – what allows us to live!!

Thank you for your support of me as an artist in yesterday’s post. I would love to hear how you are doing!

Technorati Tags: challenges, network, connect, World Card Day, Blog Action Day, Planet at Peril, 2 Things Challenge, environment

Wednesday we talked about biodiversity of the species – while focusing on the human species. You can read about this here. A key point for humans is that there is actual strength in difference. Diversity of people are important for the stability and evolution of humans. Unfortunately, languages get lost every day! Unbelievable that there are that many!!

Beseeching, Digital © Diane Clancy

Then there is biodiversity (Wikipedia) of the rest of the species. Science actually echoes thought (or is it the other way around?), the idea that there is strength in difference. Variety in species is actually necessary for the continuation of life. It used to be thought that many animals were cool and a nice thing. The more it gets looked into, it becomes clearer that it is necessary for life.

We have all heard of how many medicines that are so helpful actually are found in plants and microorganisms – that has been an incredible breakthrough. But each of us, human, animal, plant, microorganism … is part of the web of life. Variety actually strengthens our resistance to problems.

The potato famine in Ireland (1850′s) is seen to have been caused by a lack of variety in crops. When things are too uniform, they are weakened so that they are more vulnerable to catastrophe and problems in general. Think about each of us. I know when I do things only one way, when my rhythm is broken, I have less resilience to make changes more easily. To some extent it is similar with nature.

When agriculture gets too uniform and we lose heritage varieties, the ecosystem is weakened. Right now, there is a strong movement in saving old varieties of plant seeds to have for the future. Unfortunately, at the same time, there is a movement by big agribusiness for uniformity so that they can grow, pack, move and sell more easily – that is, more uniformly. This is part of why buying locally is important.

It is disturbing that we are losing so many species every year at this point. It is greatly disturbing that so many species are getting destroyed – yes, I mean destroyed – with the rain forest destruction. The rain forests hold some of the keys to life in many ways – biodiversity, oxygen, indigenous peoples, natural medicines .. the list goes on.

There are some efforts to protect species that are endangered and bring them back. The bald eagle in Massachusetts, US has had some real success. But these plants and animals are another reason why we need to protect the environment and look at our ecological footprint – as so many of us are doing.

This is just a quick overview, but I hope I have given you food for thought about why variety and difference are important for our very survival as a human species. A bright point is that there are still some new species that are being found – particularly in Indonesia. It is amazing to me! Not that these species are new – but those people who keep track of such things are finding them for the first time. This gives some hope for biodiversity – this also means there is that much more land we need to protect – at the same time we respect the needs of the people who live there and depend on these areas.

I know I have given a very slight overview of this topic and welcome your own thoughts, experiences and ideas!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: biodiversity, microorganisms, potato famine, resilience, biodiversity, ecological footprint

Blog Action Day has a great wrap-up. Over 2o,6oo blogs participated with over 14,000,000 (yes, 14 millions) RSS readers – which translates into many more readers than that. I know from looking at my own stats, there are far more readers and visitors than the recorded rss feeds. Apparently the number of posts about the environment went through the roof on Oct 15. So ya!! for all of us … and the earth!

Baroque Pineapple, Digital © Diane Clancy

Neda created some beautiful awards for those of us who took part on the gallery exhibit at Maraya Galleries. You can see mine at the bottom of the sidebar. Thank you, Neda and they are great! I can also give them away – so let me know if you see a blog I should look at – thank you.

Another Artist for Peace ©Neda Doany

Tomorrow I am going to do the Biodiversity of Species Part #2. So hope to see you then. Of course, I would like to hear about you!

Global Artist ©Neda Doany

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Blog Action Day, stats, Maraya Galleries, Neda

This post got way too long so I am starting with biodiversity of humans and will share the rest of what I have written Friday. Tomorrow I want to reconnect with the Blog Action Day page wrap-up.

Consciousness, Digital © Diane Clancy

There is a lot of discussion … such as “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” And “in diversity there is strength” and the “web of life.” Often it is groups who are promoting difference and diversity among types of people. A fun, interesting world with a diversity of races, classes, attitudes, religions, ethnicity, sexual identity, physical looks, health, ability differences, genders (some people are breaking gender barriers) and more.

There is a lot of pressure for conformity of ideas, dress, looks, attitudes, values in the culture in the US. I know that that is also true elsewhere. Someone who is seen as different is often seen as a threat – to “our” way of life. And I am not just talking race and politics here. I am also meaning women who don’t wear make-up or dress fancy, men who are seen as feminine, people who wear their hair wild … the list goes on. Of course, there are many subcultures that have different values from the mainstream … but usually the pressure is still there.

I personally agree with the viewpoint that there is strength in multiplicity and I have actively worked toward supporting a diverse world since young adulthood. And I have worked to create acceptance of difference with much of my time. I strive to put my values of embracing divergence into action in my life. They also say “uniformity is the death of creativity.” This is the theoretical viewpoint I live with.

They also say “variety is the spice of life.” Appreciating and celebrating difference in the human race helps us appreciate diversity in the rest of the species on earth (more about that Friday.) Back to my painting tonight. Great consciousness is necessary as we dance our way through life, loving and supporting each other and the earth.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Blog Action Day, web of life, diversity, conformity, multiplicity, acceptance, consciousness

I have you all enjoyed … and learned something … from Blog Action Day. I know I did. Tomorrow I am going to do one more post on species biodiversity and why it is crucial to our survival. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this shield in honor of turtles … one of the many species we need to continue to protect. I am working on another image in this series I have been doing, but it hasn’t quite come out right yet. Tomorrow you should see it! Please let me know how you are doing!

Turtle Shield, Digital © Diane Clancy

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Blog Action Day, species biodiversity

Blog Action Day is here at last!! Blog Action Day (Monday, October 15, 2007) is to promote awareness and action around the environment. Rima and Neda are showcasing art on their gallery Maraya Galleries. My contribution can be seen in my post here. Here is another painting in honor of the earth. The face in the painting is from oil painting, Mother Watching All.

Compassion, Digital © Diane Clancy

I have been writing off and on all week about the environment on this blog. Tonight I want to talk about 3 more aspects of the environment …. awareness, consciousness and compassion. Obviously, if we pay more attention to our world around us, then we will behave in a more responsible way.

The earth, the environment is what allows us to live. Without the earth, we are not alive. Everything physical – and we are physical beings – comes from the earth. If you have an expensive, sporty car and you don’t take care of it, it won’t last. The earth is our vehicle for life. We have to take care of her to live – and for our children and grandchildren to live.

In some Native American cultures, there is a saying to “Weigh the effect of your every action on the next 7 generations.” So not just your grandchildren but their grandchildren and then some. This is the consciousness and awareness that I am speaking of. Thinking about our impact on the environment. Little actions can build on each other. Little actions can impact things to move toward protecting the earth.

At the same time compassion is important – and crucial!! Compassion for ourselves that we are far from perfect, compassion for our fellow people who also struggle to do what is right. The purpose is not to hold up some impossible standard and try to be pure. It is not about purity and being perfect – we are human and NOT perfect. But striving and working toward lessening our impact. As humans, I guarantee we will impact the earth and use resources.

Compassion is also for the other humans and for the animals and for nature itself. When we feel compassion and connection, then we will also naturally be more responsible toward others and the earth. Compassion and connection for ourselves (all parts of ourselves) and for others, including the earth is necessary.

Awareness, consciousness and compassion will go a far way toward helping us take better care of the earth our home. Please share your own stories.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: Blog Action Day, environment, awareness, consciousness, compassion, Native American, Maraya Galleries

Today was a day filled with green .. in terms of the environment, not money. Our town (some of friends really – not the town) set up a Greening Greenfield Group. This group has been working to raise money and consciousness around the environment to make this town better. Today was an ice cream social for people who have been helping.

Fantasy in Orange, Digital © Diane Clancy

It was utterly delightful to hear all the ideas for making this area more sustainable and having less impact on the environment. And they didn’t even know about Blog Action Day!! I am excited about the idea one local town is trying out. They are a test case of picking up compost at the curb!! I am so excited!

We used to compost and we started running a skunk cafe instead. The smell (skunk, not compost) was terrible so we had to stop. They chewed their way through the animal proof compost bin. One day one of the people who used to live her lifted off the bin and found a skunk in the bin … it was the beginning of the end.

Tomorrow is the big day – Blog Action Day! I know many of you have been writing (and creating) already in preparation for tomorrow. I am delighted that the Greening Greenfield ice cream social came just in time for our Blog Action Day … or else you probably never would have heard of it.

I will respond tomorrow to comments and your blogs … time to live in harmony with myself and rest! I would love to hear about you!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: consciousness, environment, sustainable, Blog Action Day, compost