Diane Clancy's Art Blog

How many of you have applied for grants? Some of you may remember that I am applying for a local grant to coordinate the AWE project – Artists Windows Exhibit. It was quite a long process putting together a resume (that I should have done years ago). I was surprised that it didn’t sound half-bad. And then writing my very first grant application.

Bryant Stewart at Opus, Photography © Susan Elkin

I have put together quite a but of supporting materials including my own Artist Statement and Artist Biography. But also other artists were generous enough to let me include their bios – thank you!. I am going to be getting a letter of support from someone who works at building the creative economy. That is the last piece I need to put together.

Luckily, I have the press release from the current AWE project. And the maps that they have given out to show stores that were involved in the downtown celebration. And, last but not least, BEAUTIFUL photographs by Susan of 8 of the stores windows!! Susan is wanting to blog again and may respond to a nudge or two.

I thought you would enjoy seeing another window from our local exhibits. I would love to hear about your experiences – whether exhibits or the rest of life!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: grant, AWE, resume, Bryant Stewart, Artist Statement, Artist Biography, creative economy, Susan

You asked for it – you got it!! Here is the window of my work in the last AWE (Artists Window Exhibit). Susan will probably take pictures of the 2 places I am currently up at. Those are my images in the windows with lots of street reflections.

Diane AWE Window 7/07 © Susan Elkin

Luckily I had most of this written already a few days ago before the great Thoughtful Blogger Award came. Right now it is thundering and lightening and my connection is not working. But the downstairs connection is so I am doing this quick post.

Hate to post and run but .. don’t want to impose on my neighbors! Please let me know how you are!!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: AWE, Thoughtful Blogger Award

You guys have pushed me over the edge to do different things and this is coming out … who IS this person? Although I am concerned that I may need to change my slogan and whole business plan and orientation, actually I am pretty excited about these last several digital paintings I have done. I am having mucho fun playing!  Are these uplifting at all?

Bad Day at the Office, Digital © Diane Clancy

Who knows – these may be the images that some licensing company want to produce. That would be an irony – no? Sigh … “they” say that you are supposed to choose a style and stick with it to succeed. But I like to do different things – even if it means I am not as financially successful. Maybe posthumously my daughter will get rich from my work – that’s good enough. Or maybe they will all go in the trash heap!

Needed to work today on paperwork – you know the offline kind – physical paper and pen – remember the old days? Also, trying to get things finalized for the AWE (Artist Window Exhibit) that is happening this week and formalized for the next and hopefully periodic AWE’s that will be coming up. It has all been fun – and a lot of work!

Tomorrow I am hoping to make a decision about whether to set up a pro shop at CafePress. I so prefer to keep things low-budget .. but sometimes I think one just has to spring for things. I think this might be one of those times. I will let you know.

Thank you for stopping by and/or reading … hope your summer (winter in the southern hemisphere) is going extremely well!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: digital paintings, licensing, AWE, CafePress

I am going through my email box today to try to deal with stuff or file it away. It is boiling hot and sticky. But I am making progress. I just signed up with My Space to be able to download a file on how to effectively use My Space. I can’t figure out much yet, but here is the adress …. I know it will shock you … http://myspace.com/dianeclancy. One step at a time for learning these new things!

The Scream, Digital © Diane Clancy

I have been working the last couple of days on making the pdf file for the Studio Artist Demo. I naively thought I could just copy and paste it from the post to a pdf file. Many hours later, I know think it is not so simple.

I asked for help on the technical details from the local Hidden-Tech group and the number of responses and suggestions has been amazing! It is a local email (probably offline group too) of people working in small businesses for ourselves. I think almost (if not all) everyone is in the Creative Economy. It is so great the way people help each other. I know when a question whizzes by my eye that I think I can answer, I jump right in there to be part of the solutions. Very cool what we are all doing to help each other in this new interconnected world.

Of course, after I get this ready, then I need to figure out how to use the newsletter function at my host. All the marketing advice talks about giving away something in exchange for someone’s email address. I think I am going to have a nice product to give away.

Any thoughts would be welcome!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: My Space, Hidden-Tech, Creative Economy, marketing advice

Looking down on London Square with all the traffic whizzing by … You can see the theaters off to one side, and all the traffic swirling around. What do you think and feel about this digital painting ~ or any of the other topics we have been discussing … or raise a new topic.

The Square from Above, Digital © Diane Clancy

I have been very busy with the local Artists Group of Franklin County as we prepare for our next AWE – Artists Window Exhibit. My window has been taken down since that business wanted only a short exhibit. Hopefully, Susan will find some more windows so I can get my work up too.

The talk around town is that even this couple of weeks with the work of some artists in a handful of store windows has picked up the mood of the town. There is a lot of evidence that building the creative economy helps build the whole economy.

Susan has posted tonight on her blog! I wonder where Soul Fish has disappeared to? I think a lot of regular commenters must be on summer vacation. I hope it is that and not that I have gotten way too boring.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: creative economy

The colors of this digital painting look like Beyond I and Beyond II to me. But the structure of the painting reminds me of Beyond IV, which Sue called a portal. Or perhaps a double portal. I guess it looks a little like Beyond VI also. I think most of paintings deserve better names … and they will get them. Some of them anyway.

Beyond IX, Digital © Diane Clancy

Have you noticed that these digital images are listed in both the acrylic and digital sections of “Diane’s Sketch Book”? hmmm … there might be a reason for that. I don’t remember seeing that ever before we got to this Beyond series. hmmm … Studio Artist is also a category this is listed in … I see the wheels spinning in your minds already!

Right now both Susan and I have window displays in local downtown stores. The local Artists Group of Franklin County has been working with the Greenfield Business Association to get the town ready. There is a progressive dinner tonight where 60 people (in groups of 20) are going to 6 different restaurants for one course after another. It is a pretty exciting example of artists and business people working together to build the creative economy in our county.

Who knows … maybe I will … dear I say it … sell a piece!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: digital painting, Studio Artist, Artists Group of Franklin County, creative economy

I am behind on just about everything – sorry about not reading your blogs the last few days – I will catch up!! Been mainly getting all set up with the technical changes and learning how to set up and use a discussion list.

Journey, Digital © Diane Clancy

I am a chair and also do the minutes for the local Artists Group that is working to develop ourselves as artists and also develop the Creative Economy in Franklin County in western Massachusetts, U.S. Yesterday we had a fantastic meeting with several people who *really* want to make things happen and get going! I am thrilled. So there was a lot of set-up work today.

But I am learning so much in all this – very exciting to me! I am truly enjoying having access to lots of tools from the new host I am not hosting with (DreamHost). Setting up new things always (for me anyway) takes lots of time. Then I will get the hang of it and can help others.

Today I took time to post tips that Chris O’Byrne in WordPress help forums to keep the help moving through the Blogosphere. I am going to reorganize things here to make them easier for you and me. But I need breathing space first. Good journeying to us all!!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: discussion list, Artists Group, Chris O’Byrne, WordPress, creative economy

I am sure that all these animals are journeying somewhere important. Clearly, there is a specific place they are going – even though the path is winding … do you know where they are traveling?

Animals III, Digital © Diane Clancy

This is a digital painting that  will be very good for licensing. I think these animals are incredibly fun and fanciful. The curves of the animals follow the curves of the paths they are following. Unlike much of my work, the colors are a little muted. Again,  these designs would be great cards and wrapping paper.

I am so hopeful that this weekend I can make some progress at getting my work more widely available at Etsy and ArtFlock. I am so excited – I think this is the right timing for me – and hopefully for the market! A new, important step for me.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: animals, digital painting, licensing, color, wrapping paper, Etsy, ArtFlock

Yesterday I told you that my fine art cards are being sold at the local Visitors Center. One local resident who saw my enhanced animal images at the Center, gave me a call to see if I would create her a unique portrait of her own animal companion. Of course, I was delighted!

Irie in Butterflies, Digital © Diane Clancy

I took an image she already had and put her Irie into a flower environment for a print for my client. She gave me written permission to also put her companion into a field of butterflies and then make cards to sell.

Being a micro-business, I need to figure out which niches are working well and which will work for me. I find that creating animal portraits is a service that there is a demand for. Then when I am able to use these images for my cards, it helps me build my business. As an artist, I need to find creative ways to expand my market.

I also offer graphic design and website design as another service. There is a lot of research now showing that every dollar invested in the local economy and the creative economy shows far greater return than most other investments into the economy. I am working to help create the creative economy in Franklin County!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: enhanced animal images, micro-business, local economy, the creative economy, tourism, marketing

I sell my cards at the local Visitors Center – we are a tourist area. This area is geographically gorgeous and full of artists. People from Boston and New York City come and look at the prices that artists are selling our artwork for and they pull out their check books.

Bambi in Flowers II, Digital © Diane Clancy

The going price for artwork is much higher in the cities and often the people who travel can afford to take home beautiful paintings and quilts and sculptures and photographs. There are a lot of beautiful items that almost anyone can afford also! We in the area are working on building the creative economy in Franklin County.

The staff at the Visitors Center told me that the tourists want cards with deer and bears on them. So, I thought I would give it a try to see if my version of Bambi would be enjoyed enough by people to take Bambi home with them.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: the creative economy, marketing, tourism