Coffee, Table, Book
Collected Sketches, Art and Thoughts by Sue Clancy
Published by This Artist Studio
All images and words copyright Sue Clancy – 2015 except where attributed.
All rights are reserved
Coffee, Table, Book ISBN: 9781483553566
Sue is also the author/illustrator of the ebook “Dr Bob’s Emotional Repair Program – First Aid Kit” ISBN: 9781624886140.
I am often asked “where does your art come from?” So this artist monograph is a visual story of my mind - a collection of sketches, fine art and thoughts that reflect what goes on inside there. On the outside of my mind you’ll see a lot of coffee, tables and books. Any resemblance between this artist monograph and a cookbook, a book of quotations, a book of humorous art, a book about art history or any other sort of slick glossy coffee table book is purely accidental.
How it goes: As I live life I jot notes and drawings in blank-books. Very soon the books are no longer blank. They are filled with something I call “raw data”. Those notes and drawings (raw data) get thought about and allowed to freely associate with my sense of humor. Sometimes my sketchbook pages directly relate to a fine art piece. In the following pages you can find some of these. Sometimes they relate in a roundabout way. At any rate an idea for fine art is formed from watching the steam rise off a coffee mug, the smell of soup cooking or from something I’ve read. A finished design is made. Then handmade paper is saturated with color and pattern. Those papers get cut into shapes. The shapes get glued together. A bit of acrylic detail is added here or there. Then that finished artwork goes to the client who commissioned it, or to an art gallery for exhibit or to a publisher for publication.
But before any art happens there is coffee. There are also tables, and books.
Coffee: Without coffee nothing in life gets done. Without life there is no art. Without art there is no life. Ergo from coffee comes art!
Table: Food, drink and other stuff that goes on tables feeds my muse. A well- fed muse is amusing (unless she runs out of coffee).
Book: From books I learned to look at life, to see and appreciate the coffee in front of me. In order to remember and think about what I see I write and draw in a book. Sometimes this book is resting on a table. The drawings and writings become the “beans” for the coffee mentioned above.
Soup Moon - 36 x 24 x 2 inches - hand dyed paper, handmade paste paper and acrylic collage on cradled board
Dam Book - 8 x 8 inches – hand dyed paper, found paper and acrylic on board
About Sue Clancy
Sue Clancy has a serious paper habit; she creates handmade paper, marbles it or uses other techniques to create patterns and texture on the paper. Using the finished paper she cuts out shapes and collages them into bold, carefully designed, visual stories. Sue’s inspired by daily life: food, drink, literature, science, culture, pets and people. Imaginative word play is her glue. Upon receiving her BFA in Art from The University of Oklahoma, she embarked on a lifelong educational program of reading, traveling, listening to people and passing what she experiences through her imagination and putting it all on paper.
Her artwork has been exhibited and purchased by institutions such as the Curtis Children’s Justice Center in Vancouver Washington, the Northwest Surrogacy Center in Portland Oregon, the Wexford Ireland Arts Center in Wexford Ireland, The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art in Boulder Colorado, The John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan Wisconsin, The Wisconsin Historical Society, The Empty Space Gallery in Bakersfield California, CARF International in Arizona, Infant Crisis Services in Oklahoma City, Youth and Family Services of El Reno Oklahoma, The Oklahoma School of Science and Math and many others.
Her art resides in numerous private collections which include the Kennedy family in Washington D.C. and the private collection of New York Times bestselling author Billie Letts.
Her fine art is represented by Caplan Art Designs in Portland Oregon www.caplanartdesigns.com, the 23 Sandy Gallery in Portland Oregon www.23sandygallery.com , the Joseph Gierek Fine Art Gallery in Tulsa Oklahoma www.gierek.com and Downtown Art and Frame in Norman Oklahoma.
Her art/illustrations (both color and black and white) have been published by Lark Books, Ten Speed Press and Allyn and Bacon, Village Books Press, Syracuse Cultural Workers, Microcosm Publishing, The Buckmaster Institute and many other places.
She is also the coauthor/illustrator of the ebook “Dr. Bob’s Emotional Repair Program – First Aid Kit”
Sue is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Her website, where you can see more of her sketchbook pages, recipes, thoughts, books and art, is www.sueclancy.com