An Artist's Wife

Most of Clancy's drawings are done with him using a black Paper Mate pen, but sometimes he picks up a pencil. I loved this drawing, I asked him to make me a painting. Some of the details changed along the way. He did not like this painting much initially, but in the end this is one of our favourites.

Aces and eights, the date I gave birth to my daughter. Today she turned 21. It is funny, before she was born when I celebrated my birthday it was always about me. Now I also think about my Mom, and all Moms. Yes, I know that it is her day, but I cannot help thinking about how on this day 21 years ago, about this time in the morning that the pain started. I knew it was finally here. I remember that first year, up in the middle of the night, more tired then I knew a person could possibly be, crying, thinking "some miracle baby". But in the end she was. I remember is all so clearly, as I reminisce this morning over my coffee. So yes her birthday is also about me, about us both. This is the day I gave birth to a beautiful soul that I am very proud of and love very much.

The Hindu god Shiva (Sanskrit: Auspicious One) is one of the main Deities of Hinduism. Shiva is one of the most complex gods of India, embodying seemingly contradictory qualities. Shiva is the destroyer and the restorer, the great ascetic and the symbol of sensuality, the benevolent herdsman of souls and the wrathful avenger. Shiva is the favourite God of the man that married us, so a painting of Shiva seemed the perfect gift for us to give him. Painting Shiva was different than Clancy has ever done before, for one, it was very detailed. And the details matter with this subject matter. For instance Shiva wears a snake coiled around his upper arms and neck symbolizing the power he has over the most deadly of creatures. Snakes are also used to symbolize the Hindu dogma of reincarnation. Their natural process of molting or shedding their skin is symbolic of the human souls transmigration of bodies from one life to another. Shiva's female consort and wife is Parvati; because of his gen...