Sue Clancy's Blog, page 60

the art of making time

I’ve been thinking lately about time … and cats.

Making Time
By Sue Clancy
12 x 9 x 2 inches
hand dyed paper, handmade paste paper, found paper and acrylic on cradled board

watery sketchbook page

Draw every day even if it’s only a glass of water. – Sue Clancy

Today’s sketchbook page and an attempt to remember a quote by a famous writer/author I recently heard/read somewhere:

Sue Clancy’s sketchbook page with a drawing of a glass of water and a small puddle on the table. Plus some ruminations on writing/famous author’s…

time music art

Here is my first piece off my new easel: “Out Of The Blues” – it was easier to move my easel up and down as I needed to and even though this is a small piece (10 x 8 x 2 inches) the easel was unbelievably comfortable to work on! Watch out world – I’ll be popping my art out now like a creative eye-candy factory!

Out Of The Blues by Sue Clancy, 10 x 8 x 2 inches hand dyed paper, found paper and acrylic on cradled board

And yes, “Out Of The Blues” is yet another new artwork destined for exhibit via Caplan Art Designs www.caplanartdesigns.com in the coming months.  As you’ve probably already guessed “…Blues” is about surprising delightful musical melodies that arise from within creative constraints.

Alright, back to work; I’m going to do another art piece, write an exhibit statement… there’s a lot to do before an exhibit happens! Fun times!

If you’re just joining this regular programing – the last blog episode about my new easel is here: https://sueclancy.com/2016/05/05/the-easel-has-landed/

the easel has landed!

My new Sorg Super 8 Easel arrived today! http://www.studioeasel.com/ I live tweeted this momentous occasion via Twitter: @artistclancy – to sum up: it was difficult to be patient and wait for the truck, the truck finally came, discovered that the box was crushed and punctured – some fear and trepidation as to what would be found inside the box (Would ‘my precious’ be damaged?) but it turned out all was well!! There was a quick cold-pizza break for lunch while I watched the easel assembly video instructions.  Then I was all wrenches, hammer and ratchet set – and with valuable assistance from Judy – the easel was assembled! Here are the as-promised-on-Twitter photos:

A big box came! My new easel!

Oh no! The box is crushed and punctured in places! Will the easel inside be okay?

Whew! Everything looks okay! And all the easel parts seem to be here!

Sue Clancy posing with her new Sorg easel a’la a magazine model

Sue Clancy putting one of her recent artworks on the new easel “to see how it’d work”.

I’m thinking the Sorg easel is going to work out just fine – it does allow me to move my artwork up and down much more easily – which was what I’d hoped for in this post here https://sueclancy.com/2016/04/27/easy-easel-eagerness/

 

Art of Improvisation

I’ve been thinking about music, Jazz specifically, pondering where music comes from, what inspires it – especially when it’s improvised on the spot during live performance. Somebody has to hang onto the melody like a bulldog and yet allow something “new” to drop in… the art I did on this topic is below.

I’ve been busy creating artwork toward a one-person exhibit, facilitated by Caplan Art Designs, that will open in early June at the Burnt Bridge Cellars winery in Vancouver Washington. Without further ado – my new art:

Improvisation 

By Sue Clancy

10 x 8 x 2 inches

hand dyed paper, hand stenciled paper, handmade paste paper, found paper and acrylic on cradled board

Improvisation
By Sue Clancy
10 x 8 x 2 inches
hand dyed paper, hand stenciled paper, handmade paste paper, found paper and acrylic on cradled board

 

illustrating The Tishman Review

Today the Volume 2 Issue 2 April 2016 issue of The Tishman Review is launched! I have 3 (yes three) illustrations in this issue, but you should see what the other contributors have in it! I’m impressed with many of the poems, short fiction and essays here. Honored to have my art included! You can see it online, get an ebook version or a printed version here: http://tishmanreview.com/

Here’s a picture of me in my art studio being happy about this:

Photo of me laughing and drinking coffee while working in my studio.

coffee delivered

I took my artist book “Coffee Please” to the 23 Sandy Gallery today. Had an enlightening visit with the gallery owner Laura Russell talking about the role of the artist’s book in the world… Of course I’m aware of the role of the artist book in my personal life – but to talk about the artist book as it fits into a larger picture was inspiring!  I also got to see other book-artist’s artist book work. Wow!  All of this reminded me that I needed to define “artist book” as I see it here on this blog:  It is a work of fine art that has the form and feel of a traditional book.  It is fine art often in a sequential form that tells or demonstrates a narrative or concept. Sometimes an artist book can feel almost “sculptural”, showing ideas in dimensions over page-leaf spans of time.

Do you remember Pop-Up books from when you were a kid? Yeah, artist books are fun like that but are conceptually created for grown ups.

Here’s a link to pictures of my book “Coffee Please” which is about coffee and travel: https://sueclancy.com/2016/02/29/artist-book-coffee-please/

Information about the upcoming exhibit at the 23 Sandy Gallery is here: http://www.23sandy.com/Upcoming.html

And yes, Virginia, there will be an exhibit catalog available!

easy easel eagerness

I recently decided that I needed a new easel that would move up and down more easily. My current easel has two small “pins” that need to be unscrewed to allow the mast and the platform to move up or down.  As time has gone by those have gotten more and more difficult to work with – hard to unscrew, hard to keep level etc – and I don’t adjust the height of my work when I need to because it’s a pain to adjust things.  Which results in a pain in my neck, wrist or knees. So I eagerly looked for options and I’m happy to say that I’ve a new Sorg Easel ordered! http://www.studioeasel.com/ It was super easy to order this easel – David Sorg himself answered all my questions – and so I concluded that this easel is the one for me!  There’s an omg dream-worthy video of the Sorg Easel in operation on the studioeasel.com website.  I’m excited about the new easel and the possibility of being able to move my artwork up and down with a touch! Imagine that!?!  Here is a picture of me on my knees working at my old easel…

Sue Clancy working on a commission for the lobby of a children’s center – using her current easel.

thinking marbles

I’ve been reading “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and “Looking at Mindfulness” by Christophe André  both books on the topic of caring for and training one’s mind.  A friend also talked to me recently about her daughter’s childhood collection of glass marbles. So I’ve been contemplating both of the phrases “collecting one’s marbles” or “losing one’s marbles”. Isn’t it interesting that we use common toy marbles to make references about mental faculties?  On my blog you can see a recent sketchbook page (https://sueclancy.com/2016/04/14/pug-mindfulness-sketchbook-page/) where I’m ruminating on marbles and mindfulness. Needless to say all of this thinking has inspired a new artwork I’ve just finished titled “His Marbles” 8 x 8 inches, hand dyed paper, hand stenciled paper, and acrylic on cradled board.

His Marbles
By Sue Clancy
hand dyed paper, hand stenciled paper, and acrylic on cradled board

 

coffee accepted

Just found out that my artist book “Coffee Please?” was accepted for the upcoming Wanderlust exhibit at the 23 Sandy Gallery!! http://www.23sandy.com/  I’m excited! More info about, and pictures of, “Coffee Please?” here: https://sueclancy.com/category/artist-book/  Going to go do my happy dance now!!

side A of “Coffee Please?” by Sue Clancy – a unique handmade artist book