Category Archives: Culture

My Diva Touch of Irish

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Diva Touch of Irish Challenge

Diva Touch of Irish

Diva Touch of Irish Challenge Entry, Pen, Colored Pen, Digital Color © Diane Clancy

Diva Touch of Irish: Knightsbridge, Spearl, Zinger, Poke Root, Poke Leaf, Flos, Upholstered, Floral Net, Patena, Drobbles, Florz

Diva Touch of Irish Challenge

Each week the Diva puts out a challenge for folks to make their representation of her idea. This week is the Weekly Challenge #259: “Touch of Irish”. So here is what the Diva says this week “This week is Saint Patrick’s Day. … This week, bring a touch of Irish to your tile. Whatever that means to you. Green pens, green washes, green paper, or maybe gold, a pot of it, or a touch. Maybe a rainbow? A shamrock string? or maybe you just want to drink a McDonald’s Shamrock Shake or better yet, some Irish Whiskey as you tangle. ” So this is a little ZIA (Zentangle Inspired Art) Diva Touch of Irish.

SORRY SITE HAS BEEN DOWN!!!

I am extremely sorry (you have no idea how sorry!!) that my website has been down – for most of the past month. I have spent countless hours dealing with issues … hopefully all is smooth now!! Thank you for your understanding and please bear with me!!  (I even had my DuoTangle Boo-Kee and Artoo already to go!!)  :)  🙂

Zentangle Enticed Me

Zentangle has become popular the last several years and I have been intrigued and putting my attention to it. I put my name with a © more prominently to protect my work. Here is my Diva Touch of Irish 🙂 :)  Moment of truth … I made this ZIA and absolutely loved it.  It is one of my very favorites. As soon as I saw the Diva challenge, I went YES!!! And went off and found this. This was created in black ink on white paper – with red-orange color.  Here is the original Pop of Color if you would like to see it.  All I could think of was making that pop of red into a pop of green. I played on the computer and I liked inverting the color rather than changing the red to green in the white paper version.  I tried it both ways.  This one is where my heart is so .. being Irish heritage, I decided to do it my way  🙂 🙂 Thank you to everyone who made comments on my posts these last weeks. I might get caught up again – but I want to be caught up from here on out  🙂 🙂 🙂

Which Tangle is Which?

All the black and white stripes are Knightsbridge. The circles that are at the end of the stems as flowers – and also floating around – are Drobbles.  The pod on the left is filled with Patena.  Moving to the right, the next pod is filled with Floral Net (new to me and I love it).  The pod that is partly hidden, next to the right, is Florz.  The right pod is filled with Upholstered.  Zinger is the vegetation on the left bottom.  Spearl is the middle bottom vegetation.  Poke Root and Poke Leaf are on the right bottom.  Poke Root is the rounded ones and Poke Leaf is the pointed ones.  🙂 🙂 There you have it!! 🙂

Diane & Carolien’s Weekly Zentangle Challenge

My friend Carolien and myself felt the need for having an extra Zentangle Challenge each week. Come join us in the fun!! Details at Diane & Carolien’s Weekly Zentangle Challenge.

Diane & Carolien's Weekly Zentangle Challenge
My Studio NEWS and Thank You!

The studio is going to get painted .. most of the other stuff dumped in there is OUT!! So within another month I think I will have a functional studio again!!! The painting is stalled again but it looks great!!  Thank you for stopping by!! 🙂 I LOVE comments!! Thank you!! ~ Diane Clancy

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My Diva Closed Eyes String Challenge Entry

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My Diva Closed Eyes String Challenge Entry Challenge Entry

Closed Eyes String

Closed Eyes String Challenge Entry, Pen, © Diane Clancy

Closed Eyes String: Yinx, Bumper, Xircus, Zander, Raddox, Scarabou, Scoodle, Umble, Dribbetz, Orlique, PokeLeaf

Closed Eyes String Challenge

Each week the Diva puts out a challenge for folks to make their representation of her idea. This week is the Weekly Challenge #187: “String Theory – Blind String”. So here is what the Diva says this week “A lot of new tanglers i talk to say the same thing: They get stumped by the string.  But you don’t need to be stumped. Every once in a while i like to come back to this challenge.  It’s pretty fun, because it takes your brain out of the equation when drawing your string. To begin, draw your dots and your border. Then put your pencil somewhere on the tile (i put mine by the edge of the tile) and close your eyes and draw a string…blind.” So this is a little ZIA (Zentangle Inspired Art) using Closed Eyes String!!

Why “Closed Eyes” and Not “Blind”?

You might wonder why I say “Closed Eyes” and when the Diva says “Blind.”  Over the years I have been a disability rights activist to some degree – having several invisible disabilities myself.  Well, I guess I actually have a visible disability now too since I have to use a walker due to dead bone.  Back in the 1970’s I was very active as folks were struggling a lot about language and meaning within the Disability movement. We struggled a lot about self-identification, being labeled by the rest of society and how society used words related to disability in ways that are not helpful and end up being insulting to those of us with various disabilities.

I have been only loosely connected for years but I still strive to be very conscious about the meanings of words and what impact they have on the human psyche.  People often use “blind” when they really mean unaware.  So put yourself in someone else’s shoes (unless you happen to be blind yourself!) … someone says that someone is blind to the situation when they really mean unaware.  So in a subconscious and unconscious way, that person is then telling you (as a blind person) that you are unaware.

Of course I am not saying that the Diva is using “blind” to mean “unaware” … but I strive to make sure I am literal when it comes to words associated with disability.  Thus my use of “closed eyes.” We all know the Diva is very active in advocating for her son!!!!

Can You Think Of Words Associated with Disability?

Think about it …. deaf to mean not listening and not paying attention. What other commonly used words can you think of that are really mis-used words that equate certain disabilities with “less than” behavior?  It is amazing how words can enforce stereotypes with unconscious usage.  So I work hard to notice any usage I have (inside or out) that might not be helpful and work to transform then inside of myself.

Zentangle Enticed Me

Zentangle has become popular the last couple of years and I have been intrigued and just starting put my attention to it. This is one of those tiles that I cringe a little seeing blown up – with how splotchy the solid black looks.  I am putting one foot in front of the other at times still! And for those of you who really read this … my partner is recovering from an expected surgery right at this moment. So above is my Closed Eyes String Zentangle Tangle ZIA. This – of course – went in a very different direction than expected! More than usual … my original plan didn’t work.

Which Tangle is Which?

There are a lot of spaces in this tiny tile with this “Closed Eyes String.”  So I tried various tangles I had wanted to try – some more successfully than others!!  :)  Yinx is the sort of wheat looking tangle on the far left.  Bumper is those little fingers waving at the top.  Dribbetz are the broken parallel lines to the top right of Yinx.  Orlique is the net at the bottom right to Yinx.  Scarabou is supposed to be the big space to the right of Dribbetz and Orlique – it is mostly unsuccessful!  Raddox is under Bumper.  Between Scarabou and Raddox is Scoodle (sort of at least).  Xircus is to the top right with all those mostly parallel lines.  Zander is like those sheaves of wheat to the bottom right.  Umble is the black straps between Xircus and Zander.  PokeLeaf is to the far middle right.  Whew!! There you have it!! 🙂

I am always a little shocked when I see my ZIA blown up … but I wanted to get it into the Diva’s challenge. I am still creating these ZIAs lying down while working on an Art Card size (2.5×3.5″). So perhaps not too bad given that.  It is very busy for such a small card!!!  I have been slowly sharing my other ones on Facebook. I changed to using Art Card size (2.5×3.5″) since I have a bunch cut out already from good quality paper. It might not be as smooth as it should be. But I am learning!

And my studio is getting more organized so maybe I can cut some new paper!! I can’t wait to find my black paper and do some cutting! One thing after enough keeps getting in the way of that. But stuff has started to clear out of my studio again so maybe there is hope!! (My studio always gets filled up when there are projects in the house that need a place to dump a bunch of stuff for awhile!! LOL!!) Thank you for stopping by!! I LOVE comments!! ~ Diane Clancy

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Tribute to Woodstock 40 Years Later

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It is hard to believe that Woodstock was already 40 years ago.  I am one of the people who was really there – not just feeling like I was there from the movies.  I still have my tickets … and the little ceramic animals someone threw from the stage.  It was a wonderful experience … it was amazing as we drove toward the festival, the traffic just stopped … the whole highway was clogged by abandoned cars .. abandoned on the way to Woodstock.  So we got out of the car with whatever we had … and started walking …

Woodstock Tribute I

Woodstock Tribute I, Digital  © Diane Clancy

Much has been said about the Woodstock experience … each person had a different thread of being and yet we all wove together an incredible tapestry …  the details of my own individual time seem so unimportant … it the beauty of the whole that truly matters .. and there are plenty of stories all around.

Woodstock Tribute II

Woodstock Tribute II, Digital © Diane Clancy

Woodstock is an important milestone on the journey of creating a better world.  In my opinion the Civil Rights Movement, then the anti-Vietnam war (anti the war, NOT anti the soldiers – my friends and I was always very clear about that!) moved us toward Woodstock.  Music has been such a vehicle to inspire and transform people (like art can be too) .. and there was already very powerful music from both of those movements.

To me, much of the explosion of movements for various social justice issues were supported by Woodstock.  Woodstock was part of their foundation, just like the Civil Rights and anti-war movements were foundations of Woodstock.  Of course, these are only snapshots of movements through history … lots happened before the lifetime of the Flower Children.

Clamshell Alliance brought together large groups of people, committed to a common purpose (supporting alternative energy that was good for the environment – now, of course, most people realize we need sustainable energy). Of course, there were no drugs or alcohol allowed there … and much of the good will and all working together were formalized into affinity groups where people knew they were responsible for and to each other.  Every participant was trained in non-violence theory and practice and needed to make a commitment to non-violence  – that was a continuation of Woodstock, among other influences (like Ghandi).

Many other groups came together in the 1970’s to create the world of peace, love and social justice.  I do not see Woodstock as separate from this at all … but as part of a continuum.  In the movie I watched last night -  “Woodstock: Now and Then” – it suggested that Woodstock was an incredible stand alone phenomenon.  (At least that was my understanding of what was said by some of the organizers.) There were lots of interviews including Michael Lang, Artie Cornfeld, Richie Havens, Graham Nash and others….

Wonderful as Woodstock was (as an idea even more than the actual experience …), it’s impact is multiplied by understanding it in the context of the history of the wondrous journey of people coming together to create a better world.  Ghandi in India, union organizers in the US, the Freedom Train to help escaped slaves and the Suffrage Movement for women to get the vote – all these movements are part of the foundation that made Woodstock the fantastic time, memory and inspiration that it remains.

Thank you for listening to my thoughts and thank you for coming by!!

~ Diane Clancy

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Remembering 2009

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Today is a Day of Remembrance in the US.  Remembering all those who have served to protect people and to bring peace to the world – who have served in the military – and who have often paid the price with their lives.  Thank you for your service that you have given over the years – that service which has protected many people. This vibrant, colorful painting seemed particularly appropriate to honor these brave men and women.  There are others I would also like to Remember today.

Remember all those peace and justice activists who dedicated their lives, and sometimes also died, in the service of creating peace and social justice, here and the rest of the world.

Underground

Underground, Tempera © Diane Clancy

Remember those who have dedicated their lives to protecting the earth and the environment – they are blessed for striving to live in harmony with the planet that allows us to live.

Remember those who protect, educate, and inspire children – those who work so tirelessly to make sure our wonderful resource of the next generations have a good foundation.

Remember those in the military who have stepped outside their official roles to touch others’ lives at the deepest level and build human, emotional bridges across differences and pain.

Remember those who dedicate their lives to providing health care to others, who assist those who are suffering from illness and pain.  Remember those who strive to make sure all receive good health care.

Remember those who grow our food – the farmers who plant and care for the food, the workers who harvest the food so that we may all eat.  Thank you for allowing us to live.

Remember those around the earth who are working to create their vision of peace and social justice wherever they are.  Remember those who struggle against tyranny and oppression and work to create freedom.

Remember those who create art, music, theater and more – to inspire us and remind us that there is more to life than living.

Remember those who heal and bring spiritual nourishment into the earth and humankind – they give us vision and help create this dream.

Remember each of those that touch our lives, each day, in so many ways.  Thank you to those who touch my life by reflecting to me that I make a difference to you with my art, writing and vision.  Thank you!

~ Diane Clancy

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Free Cloth & Featured at One Pebble

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Amanda Makepeace featured me on One Pebble: An Art Exchange today.  Amanda LOVES pebbles and she has a great offer of gifting someone an original Art Card, ACEO each time someone sends her a pebble.  WOW – that is some trade.  Awhile ago I walked around the block and picked up a variety of pebbles of different colors, textures and sizes to thrill Amanda … she gets such a kick out of them!  She wrote a great post right here about my pebbles (and the ACEO I gave her)!!  You can see one of my vibrant, colorful paintings in the image below and much more clearly in Amanda’s post!  Thank you, Amanda!

I LOVE the name of her post – Beauty in Diversity!!  Please go over and check out her blog about this pebble exchange!  Also I want to show you some of the ACEOs that she has traded for pebbles … right here … and from there, you can go check The Artist and other parts of this site.  She also have a link to her regular website.  Amanda is a very creative artist and very active in online activities.  Plus she is kind and generous – a great combo!

Featured by Amanda's Pebbles

Featured by Amanda’s Pebbles

At the Westerm Mass Etsy gathering on Sunday, someone had mentioned that a local shop was giving away tons of cloth (for free – really giving away).  RepoDepot is a shop in Easthampton, MA that carries vintage and reproduced fabric.  It is about 45 minutes away from Greenfield where I live.  We heard it was quite impressive. As we drove up, there were 4 pickup trucks driving odd with cloth piled up 5′ up over the sides of the trucks. Just amazing!

There was a room – maybe 50 x 60′ – that had been full of cloth that was totally being given away.  Before there were stacks 7′ high of cloth throughout the whole room – it must have been quite the sight!!  Today was the second to last day so it was down to perhaps 400 rolls of free cloth by the time we got there.  It was amazing!! We took 5 rolls to use for fairs and also for window displays.  I also might be able to figure out how to use some of it in my art.  I am not sure if this was a one time thing or periodic – but wow – it is amazing!!

People had piles they werre sitting on while they waited to use the cart to take their cloth home.  One person must have had 250 rolls of cloth that she was sitting on while her partner got the truck or van ready.  There was one part of the room that had cloth being saved for someone – that stack of cloth was about 8′ high, 6′ deep and 20′ long.  It was covered and ready for someone to pick up. Just wild!!

Most of the 400 rolls left were variations of off-white and neutral colors in many different weaves – but I could see from the piles that were being protected that lots of bright colored fabric had already been chosen.  There was one roll that I would have liked to take but the roll was at least a foot deep when it was rolled (and very long) and we could never have carried it. In the hallway there were others sitting on their stacks while they too waited to use the carts.

What a wonderful service to the earth and to the community!!  Instead of this going to the dump or landfill, it went to theater companies, schools and artists who will put it all to great use.  Thank you so much – for me and for us all.  Thanks for stopping by!

~ Diane Clancy

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Earth Day – 2009

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This Earth Day vibrant, colorful painting shows humanity taking a leap into our next level of awareness so that we may live more in harmony with our environment.  Today is Earth Day – let’s all do what we can to make this planet and ourselves healthy for humanity and all living beings!!  Each step we make helps ourselves and all others!   Many of us are in the process of being more aware, concerned and thoughtful about multiple issues.  It is amazing all the wonderful groups and concerns that come into my InBox at Facebook.  Pretty incredible and inspiring.  Many of us are working to make our foot print on the earth smaller … and looking for more ways to reduce our impact.  Yay for all of us participating in this consciousness!  And there is so much left that we still need to do.

Hopefully with the new leadership in the US taking a role in leading the way with these environmental realizations, there will be lots more progress.  It is so important that we do this at the micro and macro levels!!  Thank you to everyone who contributes to caring for the earth!  What do you do to contribute to caring for the Earth?  What do you want to do in the future?  What would you like to do but just can’t imagine doing?  Any thoughts are appreciated!

Earth Day

Earth Day, Digital © Diane Clancy

Today most of the day has been spent resolving the stressful situation.  I think now it is clear what the issues and outcome are – I don’t like them but they are set.  Some things could get changed and some not.  After knowing, it becomes necessary to accept what cannot be changed and move on to creating and living a life of joy as much as possible!  Thank you for stopping by!!  I would love to hear how YOU are!

~ Diane Clancy

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SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now)

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Today is SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now) – today, March 28, 2009 is the second year of this “new international holiday that celebrates women artists.  It is an annual event taking place on the last Saturday of Women’s History Month (March).” The executive director, Martha Richards says  “Together we will build a world where women artists get the respect they deserve!” There is a website SWAN Day (http://swanday.org) which lists 160 SWAN Day 2009 events in 11 countries!  WOW this is quite something to see all these people, women, working together together to make this world a better place for all us women artists!

Buying something from your favorite woman artists is a great place to start!  I am very active and involved in networking and supporting other artists online and at least 90% of the people in the artist teams and groups I am active with are women.  We are all working and searching for good ways to get our great work out there to YOU in a way that is affordable to you and gives us decent payment for what we have created.

SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now)

SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now)

At this website, there are some very cool resources.  Many of them are focused on raising money and publicity for SWAN Day … but they can be useful for us as women artists as we promote ourselves, our artwork and our art businesses.  We are starting to write press releases for the next AWE Project (Artists Window Exhibit) (Greenfield, Franklin County, MA, US) and I think we will be using these resources to improve what we send out to promote this event that features mostly women artists.

I am going to share some of the other resources that were shared with me.  I am quoting here from an email sent to me by Julie Forbes, Associate Director, SWAN Day.  Here is a very extended excerpt from her email.

Explore www.womenarts.org. Here’s some of what you’ll find:

**Grants/Resources Information**

Search our well-researched, annotated lists of arts funders, categorized by art form, at www.WomenArts.org/fund/fundlists.html. For answers to many of your funding questions, see our Funding FAQs page at www.womenarts.org/fund/FAQ.htm.

**Funding and Resource Newsletters for Film/Video and Theatre Artists**

These free, bi-monthly newsletters are chock full of current calls for entries from competitions and festivals and requests for proposals from funding organizations. Read recent issues or sign up for free subscriptions at www.WomenArts.org/fund/EmailNewsletterSign-Up.htm.

**The WomenArts Network**

A one-of-a-kind showcase of the diversity and creativity of women artists in all the artistic disciplines, the WomenArts Network is a webspace where woman artists or women-run arts organizations may post free profiles about themselves and their work. With over 1000 profiles of artists living in every state in the U.S. and 23 countries around the world, the WomenArts Network is helping women artists connect to each other and acting as a clearinghouse for those looking to hire a woman artist. Go to www.WomenArts.org and click on WomenArts Network to search the profiles or to get started creating one of your own.  End of the quote – and there was more … check out these resources and you will find them!

I hope you have enjoyed finding out about this, as I have.  And remember, today is SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now), but EVERY day is a great day to Support Women Artists!!  I hope you read this today and also keep this for yourself and woman artists in your life! Thank you for stopping by!

~ Diane Clancy

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The Butterfly Project

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Butterfly Project

Quoting from the site “In an effort to remember them, Holocaust Museum Houston is collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies. The butterflies will eventually comprise a breath-taking exhibition, currently scheduled for Spring 2012, for all to remember. As of Summer 2008, we have already collected an estimated 400,000 butterflies.”

You can read about and participate in this incredibly powerful and important project.  You can read the details on the site or at the site of Staci Rose of Staci Rose Designs. Staci is a creative artist and she is coordinating the contributions to the Butterfly Project from WWAO (Worldwide Women Artists Online).  Here is her post where she shares details that any individual or group can send their creations to.  Anyone, anywhere in the world is welcome to contribute … and the guidelines are simple and clear.

Butterflies I

Butterflies I, Digital © Diane Clancy

These are 2 of the contributions I am making.  I have 5 digital paintings of butteflies that I am giving and 4 little ones in traditional mediums.  They are all ACEOs.  I felt pretty clumsy using the watercolors, markers, pastels, ink and crayons that I did use, but I figure that what really counts in something like this is the intent.  And I wanted to really contribute to this Butterfly Project.  Sometimes I do create in a naive style I guess … but that is often what comes out.

Butterfly Project IV

Butterfly Project IV, Sketch © Diane Clancy

As I mentioned, we of WWAO are going to make a contribution toward the Butterfly Project.  Here is some information about us: WWAO on the site says “Worldwide Women Artists is an international collective of women artists showing and selling our work through the worldwide web. As women artists, we give birth to our ideas in a variety of styles and media. We embrace the diversity of each other’s work, celebrating the joy of creating our art and sharing it with the world. We welcome female visual artists from all over the world who create and sell their own original art.”

I would love to hear your thoughts about how you might honor this process of acknowledging this event to recognize all these children perishing.  Such pain to the soul of this earth and humanity! The deadline isn’t until June 30, 2011 … so you have plenty of time to get involved.  I want to thank the museum and people for giving us all this opportunity.  I would love to hear from you!

~ Diane Clancy

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Wood, Stress and Names

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It has been a real treat to hear the similarity … and differences from around the  world about “knock on wood.”  Here are a couple of examples …  Irene (Netherlands) says, “‘touch wood’ … and look around for some wood to knock on.”

Deb (Australia) says, “I remember reading somewhere that the concept of touching wood is based on the cross of Jesus and goes back in ancient Norse mythology to Odin’s (Woden’s) tree, which some say preceded both the crucifix, and Druidism which worshipped the tree-gods, in concept. ”  One cool thing about this is that is goes well with yesterday’s image also.

Name V

Name V, Digital © Diane Clancy

Max (Portugal) says, “But for us knocking on wood is to chase bad luck, or to ask the Higher Forces to prevent something bad from happening. And it makes sense, become when you do it you will stir the energies and bad spirits (that many times help bad things to happen) are chased away (just like clapping in Tibete).”

Thank you everyone who shared about this … it is worth reading the comments from yesterday!  Also, the comments are incredible about naming that image … (I am still processing them and loved them all!! – I will choose a name … I do go back and change them in the post when I have decided.) I am having so much fun hearing your comments about what you see in my paintings and the names you are drawn to share, that I am going to ask you for more thoughts and ideas!

Name VI

Name VI, Digital © Diane Clancy

Thank you also to everyone who reminded me that it is my response to the events going on, not the events themselves that are the problem.  I know that in my head … and usually also do a pretty good job of putting it into action … it is just during the last 7 weeks the accumulated effects of the circumstances have broken through my usual good habits. Especially with 2 delays in the process.

I keep telling myself that this is a spiritual growth spurt  .. and I will be stronger out of it all … I know that is true, it is just very unpleasant and the stress (or my reaction to the stress) has wrecked havoc on my body.  My back is a little better (went for a short walk outside) … but tomorrow will be here soon and then it will be over.  And then I will look at myself and say, “how silly, how human, let’s do better next time … and let’s hope this particular next time never happens again!!”

I am thrilled to be featured at SlogBite this week … I will write more tomorrow about that.  Here is the link to see what Mel said about me!! Wow and thank you!

I would love to hear how you are doing and also hear more on how you deal with circumstances that are less than ideal.  Thank you for stopping by!

~ Diane Clancy

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Day of Rest and a Name

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My back is better today than the wild pain I was in yesterday.  I am lucky that I have a little back massage machine that has been helping too.  In several more days the issue that is greatly aggravating my stress level will (hopefully, knock on wood) be over.  (In English, in the US, the comment “knock on wood” is a way of not tempting fate by being overly confident … it means “let’s hope anyway, and I am not taking any chances!”  I would love to hear if you have ever heard of this before (from people outside the US) and if it makes any sense to you. Do you have your own phrases with a similar intent?  I would love it if you have ideas of a name for this vibrant, colorful painting.  I think it is cool.

Name I

Name I, Digital © Diane Clancy

I would love to hear how you are doing and also how you deal with circumstances that are less than ideal.  Thank you for stopping by!

~ Diane Clancy

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6 Billion Others

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Today I made some progress on catching up on some things that I to put aside the last 5 weeks as I have dealt with this stressful family issue.  It felt great to get some of my own work done today!  And I talked with my friend who is in Paris now – we talked for almost an hour and a half.  It is amazing to me that regular people can do that now … really talk with people around the world.  Fantastic!! Speaking of which … she went to this incredible exhibit in Paris that has just closed .. to then move on to other parts of the world.  This is .. 6 Billion Others by Yann Arthus-Bertrand.  It was housed in a 4 story glass conservatory and it had huts inside … ok that was the least important part – but even that sounds so perfect! Micro View, Digital © Diane Clancy They interviewed over 5,000 people and asked them to each talk about the same issues and then shared what people said.  It was one person sharing after another and very powerful!  There is also an online version that you will probably want to go check out  – 6 Billion Others (http://6billionothers.org).  I have had a chance to only glance at this so far … but it is very exciting! Such a powerful tool to show how we are all human .. everywhere on this earth. Here is one of my vibrant, colorful paintings! Thank you for … [CLICK TO READ MORE]

1,000 Faces of Mother Henna by Kara L.C. Jones

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1,000 Faces of Mother Henna is a powerful project that Kara L.C. Jones has undertaken. These 1,000 pieces of art have been inspired by “Joseph Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces and the Jizos for Peace art at Great Vow Monastery.” Kara is also participating in the One World, One HeART GiveAway – you can find her giveaway here and you can see mine right here  One World, One HeART GiveAway. I am going to show you some images … with links to these specific pages where you can see more. When several images link to the same page, I put a link only on the name of the first image. Shape Your Life, © Mother Henna, Kara Jones Mother Henna by artist Kara L.C. Jones has been working on an incredible project of making 1,000 Faces of Mother Henna. I have wanted to write about her work for over a year … her handling of color in these vibrant, colorful paintings remind me of how I handle color too .. but then I always love others work too … and wish I could create like Kara! Love Lady, © Mother Henna, Kara Jones This is one of the many variations where she talks the same basic structure and plays with color.  I am sure many of my readers will recognize this method with my bubblescapes.  It is amazing to me what the change of color does! Love Lady, © Mother Henna, Kara Jones And this is yet another variation … [CLICK TO READ MORE]

One World, One HeART GiveAway

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Win 2 free cards!! It’s that time of year again! For the worldwide One World, One HeART GiveAway – I am pretty excited!!  There are already over 400 blogs giving away gifts to people who enter their giveaways!!  You need to leave a comment to participate – of course with a way to contact you. Details for you to join in your own blog are here. Lisa Oceandreamer started OWOH 2 years ago and she has a blog here which lists all the blogs involved and gives the details. If you are thinking of joining in and having your own giveaway, please go there and get 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 two of any of these cards of my vibrant, colorful paintings. You choose which ones and I will send them to you – for FREE. (and yes, you can choose 2 of the same). Reflections in Blue I, Pastel © Diane Clancy You have until February 11 (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. Remember your email is hidden so it is safe with me. Reflections in Blue II, Pastel © Diane Clancy … [CLICK TO READ MORE]

Celebrating HeART

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The festival of Get to the heART of it!!!! asks everyone to share your HeART by words, art, video – whatever speaks to you around love of art or love of life! Mother Henna by artist Kara L.C. Jones has been working on an incredible project of making 1,000 Faces of Mother Henna. I am going to write more about that on Friday … it is quite a project!! But she is also sponsoring a Blog Festival: Get to the heART of it!!!! You can see the details in her post. So I am getting to the HeART of it also … hence the badge that celebrates her Festival. Mother Henna – Get to the HeART of it!! I am joining into this celebration and I encourage you to join in also!  The gist of joining to is to “post an entry on your own blog before Valentines Day 2009. Share your love of art or love of life or host a heART themed party or tell us about the heART of yourself. Tell us what is at the heART of you! Words, art, video, anything you wish. Write a poem, share a short story, all formats welcome.“ Conundrum I, Collage © Diane Clancy After thinking about what really represents the “the heART of myself,” I realized that this particular image is the visual representation of myself and my soul.  This vibrant, colorful painting was one that took me dozens of hours to complete. It is also very precious to … [CLICK TO READ MORE]

The Uplifting Story I Promised

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I have been tagged by 3 people over the last couple of months … and I will be doing my blog tomorrow (Wed at the latest) to respond (and thank) to the tags and to tag some of you!! In the meantime I will share this story I have promised you – a story that inspired me greatly!  This was something I read (years ago).  I forget the source and some the of the details may be somewhat inaccurate but sticking with the essential truth of the story.  (I am better on broad strokes than details around remembering things  … oh, that can be one of my things to tell you the tagged items tomorrow <grin>.)  If you want to skip my prologue and epilogue, go right to the story in bold red. Slipping, Digital © Diane Clancy These first paragraphs are giving background information for those unfamilar with these issues. In the United States issues around welfare are seen as a big deal.  In this country, we give some people a monthly stipend and health care for themselves (and often they have children also) so that they may live. This happens when people apply for help because they cannot do it themselves. In this country there is often a negative stigma to asking for this kind of aid.  Also many of us who have disabilities have also had to ask for help (disability payments) to survive. Unfortunately, there is a lot of judging by many toward those needing help. … [CLICK TO READ MORE]

HIV/AIDS Community Organizing

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Monday, December 1, was Worlds AIDS Day and I wrote quite a long post about my 15 years as an HIV/AIDS activist.  This odd little image is sometimes what it was like to be so engrossed in the world of HIV/AIDS – all encompassing and disorienting.   I told you I wanted to share one more part about the organizing we did during those years …  So I will. Floating, Digital © Diane Clancy I am very tired because we just prepared everything for the fair on Saturday and Sunday …. but I promised you I would tell you about this piece … so I am going to dive in … we’ll see how far we get today. We called our group the AIDS Community Group of Franklin County (Mass).  This shows the focus we had on empowering the community – both people with HIV/AIDS, those affected by HIV/AIDS, and the rest of the community too.  We felt (and still do) that it is in everyone’s best interest that all people get treated with respect and also have their needs met.  We wanted to live in a community where everyone was seen as having something to contribute … and gaining from being part of a larger community. We had no idea that this was a novel or unusual way of thinking about things … it just seemed the correct way to go about approaching solutions to this issue.  We ran into some issues with social service agencies that thought we … [CLICK TO READ MORE]