Framing things

I’m working on framing my fine art for upcoming exhibitions via the Caplan Art Designs Gallery this year. I’ve finished 13 new artworks to be shown, via the gallery, at the winery Burnt Bridge Cellars in June and July 2025 and these new ones along with more new art will be included in another exhibit later in October at the gallery location.

As I’ve worked on the framing I’ve been thinking: the ankle injury I had back in January 2024 has really slowed me down. For example the art framing process is taking multiple weeks whereas in pre-injury times it would have taken a few days.

I’m currently in physical therapy for my ankle and there’s a whole “routine” related to my daily efforts towards ankle rehabilitation that takes quite a chunk of time each day. At this moment I’m very aware that while my ankle issue is temporary – I am recovering and will probably fully recover eventually – one’s physical health affects everything. Work changes. Social life changes. All of it changes.

It takes a lot of daily time and attention to recover from something while also trying to maintain one’s work and personal life.

I’ve heard recently that within the U.S. government budget reconciliation bill, aka “the big beautiful  bill”, the Republicans are proposing new minimum work or volunteer requirements – something like 80 hours a month or somesuch – for anyone getting government assistance for anything health related. That’s quite a lot of time especially when considering how many hours are already consumed with doctors appointments, therapy appointments not to mention the usual life and work time.

I’m betting the Republicans don’t have any similar work/volunteer requirements for the billionaires who are getting government assistance; tax breaks, bailouts etc.

Within the budget bill the Republicans are closing or minimizing hours for government offices like the Social Security Administration, adding more work and more paperwork requirements to access programs while also proposing kicking people off of Medicaid and Medicare and destroying the Affordable Care Act. Some 13 million Americans or more could lose their healthcare.

Yes, I’ve contacted Congress about this – and will continue to do so. Here’s some contact info so you can add your voice: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/ and https://5calls.org/

To me all of this sounds like the Republicans are deliberately making a cruel nightmarish catch-22 situation for regular people trying to live life and also cope with an illness, injury or disability, however temporary or permanent, while navigating the medical and/or government systems.

While I do not personally have to navigate the government systems regarding my injury I can empathize completely with people who do. 

Managing my own ankle recovery, with the help of my wife, friends and good physical therapists and doctors, has required a lot of effort. My injury by itself has quadrupled the time it takes within a day for me to do stuff: medical stuff, life stuff and then also to do work related stuff like framing my art.

Still, like so many people, I’m persistent. And I can’t help but think that for many of us who are persisting at healing while also dealing with the healthcare system that healing is enough to do without having to fight a government system at the same time.

Yes, I’m envious of other countries who have universal healthcare and don’t have one entire party in the government acting against the well-being of the whole country!

Anyway, here’s a look at one of my just-framed paintings.

A sneak peek of my entire upcoming exhibition is here (free preview)
https://www.blurb.com/b/12431156-the-owl-and-the-pussycat-art-album

So as excited and proud as I am about my new art and upcoming exhibition I’m full of empathy right now for everyone who is recovering from or coping with a physical issue while navigating life in these crazy Republican nightmare times. I hear you, I see you and I raise my coffee cup in solidarity with you.

Some Republicans say that having empathy is sinful – but I strongly disagree.  I am empathetic and will continue to be so. In my opinion to make art is to empathize and to empathize is to make art.

Empathy and art are infinitely interlinked.

I’ll share more about my new artwork whenever I have the time and energy.

P.S. you can see my sketchbook drawings weekly here https://sueclancy.substack.com/

And here’s a link tree for more Clancy https://linktr.ee/artistclancy