Month: November 2022

My book, My ASL Dictionary, was published by Tellwell Talent on December 3, 2021. Yesterday I received my first payment for the books sold. To celebrate this event, I had my Clown for Amazing show the first cheque and sign WOW.
Thank you to everyone who picked up the book and those still interested in trying it. I put my love of American Sign Language into every piece of this dictionary. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did to create it. Thanks to you all!
#ASL #signlanguage #clown #wow #myasldictionary

After seeing my post for the hand sign for ANGRY, my brother, Matthew Hurlbut suggested it might be useful in fingerspelling to put the letters above each hand sign. After experimenting with the ASL hand sign for Satisfied, I went back to Angry, this time placing the English letters above instead of beside, also using the colour red to make them look more furious.
#ASL #signlanguage #angry #rage #furious #clown #cartoon #myasldictionary

To be happy in achieved wants, desires, or needs.
With a rainbow wig and polka top this left-handed clown illustrates the ASL hand sign for Satisfied. With a content facial expression, the flat hands palm down touch the torso (frowning would mean the opposite).
A visual showing settled feelings or the completion of a good meal.
As an experiment, I added English letters to the fingerspelling. (my brother Matthew Hurlbut’s suggestion).
#ASL #signlanguage #satisfied #satisfaction #appease #content #clown #myasldictionary

All emotions are strong, but the feeling of Anger is often the most intense, the most hostile. The facial expression of this annoyed jester could be why some people are afraid of clowns, but it makes him perfect to illustrate the ASL hand sign for Angry. The clawed hands on the stomach are forcefully swept up and outward, like a visual of explosive rage coming from the belly. The wild hair on the clown coloured to look like a burning fire is just an extra touch.
#ASL #signlanguage #angry #rage #furious #clown #cartoon #myasldictionary

The state of general unhappiness, low spirits, and feeling down.
Dressed in shades of the primary colour attributed to sorrow and tears, this clown illustrates the ASL hand sign for Depressed. For the visual of pulling down hope and spirits, the bent middle fingers drop down the chest in a single straight movement with a sad facial expression. I would add tears, but this clown already has them painted on his face.
#ASL #signlanguage #clown #depressed #discouraged #despair #depression #cartoon #myasldictionary

Shaking free from the sorrow of yesterday’s loneliness is the ASL hand sign for having a good time. My content clown in pink, swept up by her delight, circles both palms over her body for the ASL hand sign for ENJOY. With one hand over the chest and the other hand over the belly, the rotation is like signing Please with both hands. Adding animation also allowed me to play with her giant glasses and better illustrate the letter J.
#ASL #signlanguage #enjoy #clown #enjoyment #appreciate #like #pleasure #please #leisure #cartoon #myasldictionary

To be lost without company or alone in a crowd, loneliness is another part of the human condition. Not all clowns have happy smiles, so to fit this bleak emotion, I went with the uniform and face paint of the Sad Clown. The index finger drags down in front of the lips twice to show the visual of living alone is silence.
#ASL #signlanguage #lonely #loneliness #clown #cartoon #myasldicitonary

Rubbing hands together can be a zealous anticipation of something positive or a desperate attempt to generate heat in the cold. ASL uses this gesture in the hand sign for Enthusiastic. With Enthusiasm belonging to the emotion category of Joy, I chose another happy clown to illustrate this hand sign. His giddy grin reaching up to painted dimples matches his rubbing hands showing excitement and active interest in what he enjoys.
#ASL #signlanguage #clown #enthusiastic #eager #aspire #aspiration #motive #motivation #zeal #cartoon #myasldictionary

Nervous has several definitions; worried, anxious, fearful, apprehensive, and uneasy. Likewise, ASL has several hand signs for this very excitable and sensitive emotion. In my dictionary, this clown’s face had a pained smile, but I updated his entire facial expression to a more worried grimace for the hand sign’s animation.
In the hand signs for Stand, Sit, Dance, Jump, Fall, and Lie Down, the V hand sign touches the opposite palm as a visual reference to legs. With the bent V hand sign jiggling on the back of the opposite hand, I can remember this visual as not being able stand still or nervously shaking in your boots.
#ASL #signlanguage #nervous #anxiety #anxious #clown #cartoon #myasldictionary