This video is absolutely amazing!! If you loved that lion video I showed you before - and who didn’t? Then you will LOVE LOVE LOVE this video … it is utterly amazing … some of us have cried from the beauty. I know I could put the video here … but it slows things down more - so I wanted to link you to it. It will open in a new window.
Speaking of slowing things down, my blog is loading more slowly than it used to … I am not sure if it is from the java scripts for the shops and places where you come from, or all the little images I have in the sidebar … so when I have time - ha ha!!! - I am planning to put more pages on this blog and put some of my links and shops there and put all my fun awards on another page too.
Others involved in the issue a few days ago say that it is actually I whom is owed an apology - I think that is accurate … but not worth getting involved with. I apologized (way more than I should have - but it is done) … thank you for your support!!!
I received a very interesting email the other day. There is a group in Seattle that provides medical care for children - and they want to use my image for the invitation!! It was very exciting to be asked!! Her board all LOVE this digital painting!! How exciting to me that someone 3,000 miles away loves my work and wants to use it!! She was searching (I guess in Goggle images) and this came up. I will have more to show you later - a pdf - and a website to link to. I am delighted!!
I am back after being away for a few days and actually catching up on about 10 little joby things … some paid and some not (this job for the children’s expenses).
Jean Hood wrote this wonderful piece about me …. you can see the whole version here. Jean’s website is here and her blog is here. My Etsy Shop is here where you can buy these items!
The Design Style Guide is a wonderful new place that is bringing together thousands of items that are appropriate for Home Decor. Their main purpose is to promote the team and its members to Interior Designers (and like-minded consumers) through various promotions and advertising techniques.
This group is also known as the Interior Design Team at Etsy. This is part of the move to promote handmade items instead of mass produced things. Their focus is on marketing and branding “Handmade Home Decor” to professional Interior Designers.
Some good news on the environment - I have mentioned that we have been working to protect the wetlands where they want to build a 160,000 square foot store in our small county. The developer (who is developing this on speculation) says that the wetlands isn’t really a wetlands so shouldn’t be protected. An independent firm was hired … one that our mayor hand picked. Our mayor has run on a platform of promising a discount store - no matter the cost to the environment. Great news!! The independent firm said that Wetlands 4 IS a wetland!!! So very good!! We shall see what happens now.
Today is also another big day in our town. Today is election day and we shall see if we can get some people into town offices that can take some creative action to get our town back on track. We have some real work to do (as many places do) to get the finances balanced and the schools doing great again. Unfortunately this same mayor had slashed art, sports and music when she first came in to office and lots of students then “choiced out” to other towns … and took the tax money with them. This school choice started in Massachusetts awhile ago and is not working for our town. All in all I am hopeful that we can get some people in office who are not running on their personal agendas!!
My shop at Etsy is http://dianeclancy.etsy.com. If you ever see an image that you want as an ACEO or any other size, just let me know and I am glad to create it for you!!
Today I prepared and printed many ACEOs … it was a lot of work and a lot of fun!! I played with this image and made several other variations of these unusual birds. Please all US residents take the action suggested below to try to stop this irresponsible version of this well-meaning but mis-guided bill. Clearly my local US Representative, John Olver, does not understand the importance of this bill. He supports it for the museums. He doesn’t realize how much this will hurt all the artists in his district. So please, please write!
A quick update about this bill. It is poised for a final vote (date not yet announced) so please try to get your final “shots” in.
What illustrators and designers and photographers etc. are doing now is a postcard mailing blitz… (many of them are using their postcard mailers or printing off something quickly)
On the back they write: “Please vote NO on the Orphan Works bill– H.R. 5889 for the House; S-2913 for the Senate” and sign it with their name and contact information.
No explanation necessary just “VOTE NO TO THE ORPHAN WORKS ACT.”
**But here is the important part: **
**Any correspondence needs to be addressed to the DISTRICT OFFICE. **
Apparently, mail received at district offices, gets to the congressmen faster than it would if sent to their actual offices.
In the United States this is Memorial Day … to honor those who have served our country. No matter what you think of some of this countries policies and actions, I appreciate the service that people give this country … and the intent of them to serve peace in the world.
This makes it especially horrifying that the TV station that puts itself forward as THE real patriotic, fair and unbiased, news station … has gone way over the edge. There are many ways to give service to one’s country, and running for public office is one of them. Barack Obama is running for President of the US for service. It is not for gain or ego - it is for service.
I am horrified that that news station showed 2 people - laughing none the less - on the air saying something that is way, way over the deep end. (That means very, very extreme for those who might not know the slang.) I do not want to even repeat it here … but I am giving you 2 links where it shows it and gives people action to take.
I hope you will take the action that you feel moved it. Here is the Huffington Post and Daily Kos with some good information. This kind of behavior has no place in this (or any other in my opinion) country. You know I don’t talk about such things very often - but I felt the need to on this one.
Here is a portal into another reality … where you didn’t expect it … in the middle of the rain forest. On second thought, there is some pretty far out spirituality and views into other realities coming out of the tropics … so perhaps this is one of those gateways! Thank you for coming by!
This Orphan Acts Bill is still alive but not totally passed … so it is important that everyone (all US residents) take a moment’s time and send these letters again to Congress. I have been getting so much discouraged email from artists who are worried about out work and who can steal it. Please take the time and send the letters!! Thank you!
Last Thursday the Senate Judiciary Committee endorsed their Orphan Works Act.
It is now headed for the full Senate.
If you’ve written before, now’s the time to write again.
Urge your senator to oppose this bill.
Because it has been negotiated behind closed doors, introduced on short notice and fast-tracked for imminent passage without open hearings, ask that this bill not be passed until it can be exposed to an open, informed and transparent public debate.
We’ve drafted a special letter for this purpose.
You can deep link to it here:
2 minutes is all it takes to write your senator and representatives and fight for your copyrights. Over 68,000 e-mail messages have been sent so far.
Don’t Let Congress Orphan Your Work
Please forward this message to every artist you know.
If you received our mail as a forwarded message, and wish to be added to our mailing list, email us at: ipa@twcny.rr.com
Place “Add Name” in the subject line, and provide your name and the email address you want used in the message area.
It is so inspiring to have so many bloggers yesterday participate in Bloggers Unite for Human Rights Day. There are so so many issues that need attention and I am grateful to all who participated. If I had more time to read, I am sure that I would have learned about many more issues! Frances, yes, that was a bubblescape created in Bryce with the electricity thanks to a Photoshop filter - KTP Lightning. Nora, I am very very disappointed to hear that the Netherlands went back to private health care with your “pay(ing) three times the insurance fee for less coverage.” Very disappointing!
You can see that my feedreader problem is now fixed. Whew! One problem off the plate. It had been going on for quite awhile before I even caught it. Thank you again for stopping by and commenting.
Hope you are all doing well today!! This is my hospital day when I go and get Remicade for the Crohns. I plan to spend some time thinking about priorities and how I really need to spend my time. Since I feel on a treadmill, clearly something needs to change. I can’t work on the computer or paint there, so it is a good time to think. Thank you again!
Today is Bloggers Unite for Human Rights Day - May 15, 2008. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations. Click here to find out details and join.
Health care is a right not a privilege!! It is unconscionable that the United States does not have health care for everyone. Every other developed country has health care for all citizens. It used to be that South Africa and the US didn’t, but now it is only the US that doesn’t. Clearly people need to come together in government to make this happen! Too many people die every day and too many more families have all their savings and finances wiped out by paying for medical bills. People who are rich will still be able to buy extra health care, but we all need good health care. I would easily settle (ha, ha) for the kind of lifetime health coverage all our Congress people get. Health Care for ALL!!!
Illustration Friday has a challenge every week. This week is Electricity. I hope you like this Electricity!! Illustration Friday is a great way to showcase your work and a wonderful opportunity to meet lots of wonderful people! I encourage you to check it out! Lots of fun people and paintings! Next week I will write a poem but I wanted to keep this shorter today.
I listed this today in my Etsy Shop and it sold today! Now if we can only take Buddha’s teachings to heart and create peace - peace both within and without!! I played with this image to learn some techniques in Photoshop and am delighted that someone wants to take it home!!
I am sure it will not surprise some of my regular readers to learn that I know I need to create more peace in the way I am running my business. I think I have too many irons in the fire and I want to do them all. I did make more progress on 2 graphic design jobs the last 2 days. Well, 3, if you count the family job I am doing. So that is good. But marketing and networking are …. well, overwhelming!! And add to that, my posts have not been picked up by Feedblitz lately and they didn’t answer my email. I am not sure what to do! Take of yourself!!
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.
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.
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:
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.
First off, anyone who is willing, I would love if you would send thoughts of peace to Lebanon - I have friends with family at risk there. I know there are so many places that can use our kind thoughts and healing energy. Thank you! Lots of rainy weather here today … but I managed to get a walk in around the block before it started. Today (and the last few days) I was working on taking a client’s photo of her dog and getting the puppy - the gorgeous puppy! - into fields of butterflies and flowers. I don’t want to show you yet because she has not seen the images yet and that doesn’t seem right. At least today’s work was more successful than yesterdays!! That is, is will be successful assuming my client and friend likes at least one of them!
These birds are part of the series that I did awhile ago with a very pretty bird picture .. and then I made lots of transformations of it. Have you ever been playing with images and created several images you love, knowing, of course, that you will remember how you did it (ha ha famous last words!!) … Well, I wish I could remember how I did this. (At least I remember which program).
This week I missed the Illustrator Friday challenge … the very first time since I started to participate. Shucks … I meant to get it done. I want to make sure I at least do the 2 Things Challenge this week. I also have 2 other jobs (besides the ones I mentioned above) that I need to get done. And then all the other responsibilities I have taken on. A little too much on overload - but I am delighted to get this puppy into his field!! Thanks for stopping by!
Illustration Friday has a challenge every week. This week is Wrinkles. I hope you like this wrinkles in time and space painting! Illustration Friday is a great way to showcase your work and a wonderful opportunity to meet lots of wonderful people! I encourage you to check it out! Lots of fun people and paintings!
TO ALL ARTISTS AND ALL SUPPORTERS OF CREATIVE WORK: [tag]Orphan Works Act[/tag] Is a real problem - Please read and then write!! This legislation has been filed this week.
Details and lots of links are in my post. Our work is at risk of being stolen …. legally!! Here is the article with the details Mark SImon and Orphan Works Act. Quoting from the article … “This is not just about professionals…it will cover amateurs, hobbyists, your grandmother’s hand made quilts…even family photos posted on the internet will be fair game to be “orphan images” and swiped up and used by companies WITHOUT YOUR OKAY.”
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.)
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.”
Information: Crafts of Texture feels it so important, they put the article in today. (Just information that other artist groups are taking this seriously.
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)
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!!!
The Orphan Works Act is under consideration again and as artists and supporters of artists, I hope you will respond!! From different artists’ groups, we have heard that the new draft of Orphan Works Act of 2008 is going to be released next week. Artists and supporters who have seen it are horrified. Quote from the Illustrators’ Partnership “If these proposals are enacted into law, all the work you have ever done or will do could be orphaned and exposed to commercial infringement from the moment you create it. “ At least 12 artists groups are working together to help get the word out so people can get informed and then TAKE ACTION!!! Lots of links below to get informed and please at least sign the petition. Anyone anywhere in the world can sign.
Again, quoting from the Illustrators’ Partnership, “ forget the spin you’
ve heard from backers of this bill. This radical proposal, now pending before Congress, could cost you your past and future copyrights.” This includes those of you who are creating beautiful and fun works on your blogs - they can take and use them too. All of our work is fair game.
Here’s a link to a site where you can sign a petition against it. Why not sign and pass it on? This is so important to all of us!!! We MUST take action! Please sign … YOU can sign - it is international. No to Orphan Works Petition.
Mark Simon has a webcast interview with Brad Holland. Their webcast interview is here. They have given permission to for this audio file to be copied, transferred and replayed … they want this stopped!!
Again, quoting from the Illustrators’ Partnership, ”for additional information about Orphan Works developments, go to the IPA Orphan Works Resource Page for Artists,They go on to say “If you received our mail as a forwarded message, and wish to be added to our mailing list, email us at: illustratorspartnership@cnymail.com. Place “Add Name” in the subject line, and provide your name and the email address you want used in the message area.”
Here are more details about this Here is the article with the details Mark SImon and Orphan Works Act. Quoting from the article … “This is not just about professionals…it will cover amateurs, hobbyists, your grandmother’s hand made quilts…even family photos posted on the internet will be fair game to be “orphan images” and swiped up and used by companies WITHOUT YOUR OKAY.”
These are some more details from article by Mark Simon … Quoting “ TO ALL ARTISTS AND ALL SUPPORTERS OF CREATIVE WORK: Our work is at risk of being stolen …. legally!! Here is the article with the details Mark SImon and Orphan Works Act. Quoting from the article … “This is not just about professionals…it will cover amateurs, hobbyists, your grandmother’s hand made quilts…even family photos posted on the internet will be fair game to be “orphan images” and swiped up and used by companies WITHOUT YOUR OKAY.”
If you want more synopsis from a post on my blog, it is here. I hope you will take this seriously. I bet we can stop this if we all work together. You have my permission to use my wording if it is useful to you … to pass along.
Sue O’Kieffe, thank you for the link to that audio recording recourse also. I really appreciate that you let me know! Just to let you know, I walked all the way around the block today … definitely progress! Thank you!!
Diane Clancy creates vibrant paintings that feature color and vision to inspire and uplift people. Says Diane, "I feel very blessed to have this opportunity to express myself through painting. I love that people say my artwork enhances their lives."
Diane belongs to Worldwide Women Artists Online, an international collective of women artists showing and selling our work online. For more original art direct from the women who create it, search WWAO.
Diane Clancy creates vibrant paintings that feature color and vision to inspire and uplift people. Says Diane, "I feel very blessed to have this opportunity to express myself through painting. I love that people say my artwork enhances their lives."
