Animals I

Recently Neda emailed me saying, “I love the whimsical and poetic quality of your work. A true inspiration!” (This is the first we knew of each other!) What a smile that put on my face. That is exactly how I would like to be seen. I am not sure how Neda found my blog (or site), but I appreciate her taking the time to let me know that my work touched her!

Animals I, Digital © Diane Clancy

Today was also a productive day for me for the business! I am now able to accept visa and other credit cards through PayPal. That has been on my list of things to do for a long time. It took me quite a while to read all the fine print and make sure I chose the right type of account and that I understand all fees.

I also got my Etsy shop set up! If you want to visit Diane’s Etsy Shop to check it out, please feel free! I listed only a few items to start to get in the rhythm. Again, it took me a long time to read all the fine print to make sure I understood what I was getting into. I need to “talk” with the guy at ArtFlock to get some advice before I post my first items there.

I am so excited because I have been wanting my work online for sale besides at my website for a long time! I can also put in a PayPal shopping cart and people can buy from my site with PayPal. I hadn’t realized that selling through PayPal on your site was totally secure.

~ Diane Clancy

Emma in Butterflies

Emma looks like she is having fun … walking through the butterflies with her dainty little paw gracefully poised. What fun to have these beautiful, colorful butterflies all around. This is part of “Fanciful Animal Images” that are so popular with many people. Emma doesn’t have to worry about prioritizing in her life. Well, that may not be true, she probably has to decide which butterfly to chase.

Emma in Butterflies, Digital © Diane Clancy

But I bet you are like me – often not sure how to prioritize the many tasks that lie strewn over my life (and house.) Actually, I too have many beautiful butterflies to chase … marketing these animal images (making the site, creating more images), online stores (posting more items in my stores, setting up CafePress, starting eBay), reworking my business card as suggested, work for clients, catching up on reading, researching and email, and, oh yes, painting – that’s right, I am an artist. I am sure you know the drill.

Today I worked in the physical world (you know, off the computer). I actually have moved the stacks of business related folders from my bureau and from the table in the living room. Now it almost looks like a house instead of a business (at least that part of the house). Hopefully my new, revised system will work.

Organizing the house, studio, office (same thing) often falls through the cracks. It is very satisfying that it is feeling more spacious here. I think the openness will help me with my other work – be less distracting. Then tomorrow I have to start prioritizing all over again!

~ Diane Clancy

Outer Flow III

Now this image makes my heart sing! I love the bright bursts of aqua floating through the painting and the purples in the background – or is it deep space? My soul is fed very deeply by this image.

Outer Flow III, Digital © Diane Clancy

A few days ago in the post Beginning Life III I said that I would play with the color in that image to make the colors more in harmony with my inner color sense. This is the result of that play. I feel so much more uplifted when I look at this digital painting. I like the other one, but I love this one!

I am open to another name than “Outer Flow.” In the post Inner Flow III, there is a related image. This morning when I was reaching for a name, I thought of the Inner Flow series. You can find many technical details about creating these paintings in that post.

The Beginning Life series feels like the inside of cells …. The Inner Flow series … I think of them as being inside and on the micro-level. So far, I think this Outer Flow series reminds me more of the universe flowing around – the planets and such – the macro-level.

You begin to see my process of naming my paintings. I plan to make videos in transforming the image from Beginning Life III to Outer Flow III. Perhaps it is interesting that all 3 images mentioned in this post are “III” – a mystical number.

~ Diane Clancy

Outer Flow V

Several years ago I had my first exhibit that had room to hang about 40 pieces of my original artwork in a variety of traditional mediums. After hanging all this work, my artist friend said, “I didn’t think all your work would go together – but it does! Your work is all about color. I never realized that until I saw it all at once. I thought the differences in mediums would make it feel fragmented.”

Outer Flow XV, Digital © Diane Clancy

This experience helped me realize that the unifying theme of my artwork is color. I play with color in most of my work. I often create series with similar subject matter and different colors.

It is part of my method to explore variations in form and color – often subtle. This technique particularly interests me. The “Inner Flow” series explores small changes in form. Going from “Inner Flow” to “Outer Flow” delves into transformations of color. Sue O’Kieffe of Sacred Circles Mandalas said, “this image has a much more celestial feeling to it ” than the “Inner Flow” series. So, I think this name of “Outer Flow” is a winner.

~ Diane Clancy

Arriving

As you can tell if you have been following these posts, I dearly love this little kitty. I have plans to paint more pictures of him. I enjoy doing this kind of spontaneous painting.

Speaking of traveling (a post another day), this little kitty did some traveling … that is how he was “Arriving.” He went on the journey to the next plane and this painting was part of my grieving process. I see his arriving to a place where he is celebrated as the cool kitty he is … this is his arrival where everyone is delighted to see him!

Arriving, Tempera © Diane Clancy

A friend of mine was training with Michele Cassou to teach “The Magic of Painting as Spontaneous Expression.” I had already found a book and video of Michele’s work and technique before I knew my friend was taking classes. I had been using the techniques on my own, so I jumped at the chance to be a test student for my friend.

Two of the paintings I created in this class, “Arriving” and “Underground,” are very popular for me in cards. Hopefully tomorrow I will get to CafePress besides Etsy and ArtFlock. Perhaps this will be one of the paintings that I sell at those online stores.

~ Diane Clancy

Beginning Life III

To me this looks deep – life being created right before our eyes … Again it is 3D – I can go right inside this image and floating around with the rest of the pieces of matter and life. We are now at the beginning of this season’s cycle of life (in the northern hemisphere). Time to start afresh!

Beginning Life III, Digital © Diane Clancy

I created 17 different images in the Beginning Life series. Once I got going playing with this set of digital paintings, I couldn’t stop. They are so similar yet so different. Years ago, someone suggested they would be fantastic in a video. I think I know how to do that now and it is on my list of things to do.

This was created entirely in the computer program Painter with KPT filters. As with many of my other digital images, extensive layering is involved to create the translucent properties of this painting.

I think I will translate this image into a different color scheme. Those of you who follow my work know that green is not my usual choice. I wonder what this would look like in my pink/purple/aqua. I will get back to you on that.

~ Diane Clancy

Violet in Flowers

I want to share with you some of how I make these “Fanciful Animal Images.” Here is the family companion of my sister’s family – she has her own sitting post at the window.

Violet III, Digital © Diane Clancy

I thought it might be helpful if you could see what I do. Here is a picture I took of Violet. The second image is what I did with the image to make it into an “Fanciful Animal Image.” I cut Violet out of her picture and created a field of flowers for her to play in. This is how I enhance animals.

Violet in Flowers, Digital © Diane Clancy

I am very excited to have my name of “Fanciful Animal Images.” I am now going to figure out how to make it possible for more people to know about them and be able to have their own print. Thank you for stopping by!

~ Diane Clancy

Abby in Butterflies

These butterflies are created from nozzles that I made myself from clipart that I have rights to use. I used Illustrator and Photoshop in creating this image while working with the nozzles and layers. I enjoy the almost 3D quality of this painting.

Abby in Butterflies, Digital © Diane Clancy

These images I have created using companion animals are some of my most popular images for cards. Many times when someone sees “their” kitty or puppy, they immediately want the card or print. It is fun to feel like I bring happiness to people as they see a touching image of their special friend.

Some people have asked me to make these paintings from photographs of their own animals. Because I use layering, I am able to keep the cost more affordable. I have also created specific backgrounds for people’s companions. I am happy that so many people like these paintings so much!

~ Diane Clancy

Freckles in Flowers I

Welcome to my new WordPress Blog that is hosted right at WordPress. I have a blog, Diane Clancy’s Blog that I have been posting on every day for two and a half months and I have met some wonderful people! Some friends have been asking if I would set up blogs for them, so I figured I should find out how to do it this way … I like it!

Freckles in Flowers I, © Diane Clancy

This kitty was my kitty companion for 18 years – we were best buddies! Now he is still with my with his portrait. I created this digital painting of him in Painter and Photoshop, working from a photo my aunt photographed.

I hope you will look at my website, Diane Clancy’s Art. I have several different kinds of paintings and I haven’t decided yet if I am going to focus on one kind on each of the blogs – or not. I also have been asked to write about setting up blogs … so I am not sure which way to go.

Thank you for stopping by!

~ Diane Clancy