Unlikely Connections

Posted on January 13, 2014 by nancywalker

Now what does a Fox have to say that’s so important to tell a Mouse and why would a mouse stop to talk to a Fox? Have they nothing in common except for the inevitable food chain?

And would Rabbit judge this unlikely conversation or be intrigued enough to stop to eavesdrop?

And what about the birds? Would they fly off to spread the word of this scandalous act or would they stop to witness this while pretending to not be interested?

Maybe the birds are the mediators of this grand occasion ~

~ this new conversation

Is Fox asking for an understanding of it’s very nature? Or is Fox just up to his wiley tricks again? How would one know when to trust or not to? When do you walk past an old story and step into a new paradigm? It’s a dangerous risk. But wouldn’t allowing one the possibility of change a better move than expecting the same old same old? Or is it wise to respect the way it’s always been? Sometimes you just have to fly into the unknown.

Maybe it’s about containing all these unlikely conversations and connections all together in one circle.

I’m out for a walk

Posted on January 6, 2014 by nancywalker

I think I’ll go out for walk…

I’ll leave a note ….

“I’m walking down the hill to the water then on to visit the ducks at Jericho, then after a coffee, I’ll head back up the hill to home.”

I saw a few pieces of wood and just had to make this reindeer horse ~

my signature

the bigger picture

… and the sun is going down

I see others were inspired to make beach creations

Oh My! is that real??? It DID make me pause for a moment and picked it up with a stick … it was plastic! Lots of plastic on the beach but this was unusual!

moving along ….

maybe I had squirming on my mind

but these are just water marks in the sand

Willows, so colourful!

looks like ‘Zoe and Wave’ made a driftwood boat on New Years Day

lastly, a loop

Time to head back up the hill to my warm home

crescent moon and a plane flying west ….

Context ~

Posted on December 30, 2013 by nancywalker

When something is taken out of its context it can sometimes have a better chance of being seen. looked at, re-seen. It’s raw and unimpeded by what we have come to know when we know the big picture. Context gives the part of a whole piece meaning. Once we know and understand it, we cannot not see that smaller part as it stands alone. To look at just a piece of the whole can inspire a re-framing. It’s interesting to observe how we build narrative of our experience.

I can wonder a lot about what this is, I can muse on different perspectives ~ I have questions. Is this a close up or am I looking at something far away, who did this, how did this happen, what am I seeing? And on and on and delightfully on… It gets me wondering and isn’t that the great thing?

I’m going to post several images for you to see and mind-play with. At the bottom of the page I have posted a gallery of where I found each image. See what happens to your stories when you see them in context.

~ It’s just a game ~ Now here they are in context

the questions are more enlivening and engaging ~ don’t you think?

Caught in the Act!

Posted on December 23, 2013 by nancywalker

I went down stairs to my studio to close it up for the night when I spotted a little scurrying movement in my periphery vision, I couldn’t be sure so I stopped and waited and listened …. Sure enough! There they were, 1, 2. 3 … Four of them!

and one of them looking especially guilty ~

look at them! they could care less that I am there watching them

well, they are kind of cute ….

but Really! …. Mice are Mice!

so naughty

Gathering Bowl

Posted on December 16, 2013 by nancywalker

I am compelled to make what I call Gathering Bowls. They are simple white porcelain bowls that have a flurry of conversation and connection between all sorts of different animals. They are all Talking and Listening on the Edge. That’s it isn’t it … Talking discussing, debating, and Listening which is probably more important than talking (but someone does have to be talking to be able to listen) and on the Edge because as we can all feel in our bones, we are on the edge.
I always start with the owl. Owl grounds the conversation to come.

This one is thinking, listening.

and now there is the beginning of a discussion. A between.

The Finished bowl is ready for the kiln. I had many more figures to place on the rim but these 5 little owls whispered “enough now, all we really need is a window”

Listen closely, can you almost hear what they are saying?

Shadows ~ a light that is not

Posted on December 9, 2013 by nancywalker

Sometimes shadow adds a whole new dimension to a piece it is cast from. A shadow creates a passing moment, dependent on a particular angle of light and the surface that catches that light or lack of light. It defines a solid in new, albeit fleeting, terms. And, there needs to be a witness to that moment.

It’s odd that the formation of a shadow, which is totally illusive, can cause so much delight, it’s practically theatrical! It’s real but it’s a distortion of real. Evening light is like going to the circus and you are the tall man. Mid day you are standing in your own dark puddle of yourself. Be observant and you can tell time by it. Shadows enchant, they are in-the-moment light shows. Blink and they are changed then … gone, you just cannot hold on to them. They are there then they are not. Maybe that is what is so compelling about them.

The bird-like image looming over the boat is one of those taped black paper cut out birds that caution real birds from flying into the window. It is about 15′ away from the boat.
The boat with all the figures that is casting that shadow is a porcelain clay boat from the series called Life Boats.

I was enchanted …. And then it was gone.

Road Cracks and Marks

Posted on December 2, 2013 by nancywalker

I read in one of my favorite books “Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe” that the way something cracks reveal its age. Square cracks are younger than triangle cracks which makes sense because when you crack a square, you get a triangle, road roughly speaking. It’s interesting that cracks follow all these lines. So on this note, here are some gorgeous cracks ~ I am intrigued by their strong graphic natural design. I see animals and birds in some of them.

this one looks like a comet streaming across the sky

It’s almost like it is it’s own language.. Probably saying ” I’m getting old” ……

Modeling

Posted on December 2, 2013 by nancywalker

I have mentioned this before but I don’t like posing for and modeling the things I knit on Ravelry or modeling the shawl pins I’ve been making. Maybe I am camera shy …..I have recently made a new line of coloured pins and …. ya … here we go again. I have to show them in play.

Last time dear Matilda came to my rescue and I will hire her again, but I thought there should be a new look.

Years ago I was made a series of female clay vases. They could hold flowers that looked like colourful ideas and creativity coming out of their heads, I saw them as putting forth new ideas, not as containers for a flower arrangement, and that is a big difference.

Well, they I suddenly saw them again as I was dreading going before the camera. Yes! They could model for me! They would be delighted! So with a little playing around with photoshop/photoshopping… not only did they model for me, they could go anywhere, I could play with the backgrounds.

So without further adieu … my new working partners.

Standing by the sea on a Northern Gulf Island.

Mermaid Pin ~ Imagine

in my neighbourhood when we were in a thick fog for a week. It was quiet and mysterious, the fog horns called out for days on end.

Trusting Owl Pin

This is on the coast of Massachusetts

Sheep Pin

and it’s Snowing!

Owl ~ knit wise

Canada’s Ice Cap seen from a weather baloon

Posted on November 25, 2013 by nancywalker

Arctic Icebergs breaking up Whale breathing holeswhale breathing hole enlarging

Chipped paint exposing Rust on the outside deck of BC Ferry Queen of Nanaimo

Textures and Text

Posted on November 18, 2013 by nancywalker

: White shell beach seen under water

: wading

: sea weed marking sea shore water movement

: water flow in sea weed

: rocky shore

: rocky shore

: rocky shore

: pictogram in sand stone, you can barely see it

: pictogram in limestone of bird and her egg

: sea weed

: lichen

: lichen

: empty plastic white clay bag

: Fall leaves

: frogging ~ a knitter’s term meaning undoing stitches. Takes so long to knit, takes a second to frog.

: Fall trees

: Old Arbutus bark

: Old Arbutus bark

Points of Views

Posted on November 11, 2013 by nancywalker

Stunning Satellite view of the brilliant blue waters deep in the Canadian north.

Just kidding ~ I’m just mixing brilliant blue pigment into a white clay slip to use in my pottery.

and every time I stirred this mixture, it would separate a bit and make another pattern. It’s wonderful stuff and constantly entertaining.

Inspiration

Posted on November 4, 2013 by nancywalker

I collected a few images from the web that inspired me. I don’t know how they will work their way into my ideas and creations but they spoke to me so I collected them. We see so much these days, we are inundated with imagery and it is our “Normal” now. I can hardly imagine what it might have been like not too long ago where folks didn’t see much in the way of new imagery past their little town. Maybe they saw things in a deeper way since our minds seem to want to be refreshed with something new to look at. Maybe they saw more nuance in nature and the ordinary, or not …

Oh and …. BOO!

Posted on October 31, 2013 by nancywalker

Inspired by …..

Early Halloween Observations

Posted on October 28, 2013 by nancywalker

This week, in my travels I spotted several more, ahem, Brooms and I must say, not as carelessly left as the one in last weeks posting, but still their placement is a bit conspicuous I feel. Here it is again for those who might have missed it..

these below are a few well placed Brooms, shall I presume to say, incognito?

my friends, there are thousands out there! And personally, that gives me great comfort because these souls are working hard for Mother Earth. They get it.

So, on another note … but still singing of Halloween ….
I give you these

and a little humour.

can you see what this actually is? It was in the recording studio! If you don’t see a pumpkin face here, well then what can I say? And I leave you with this. A little more brashly said than I would have, but it has my sentiments.

Sorry to be a little early, it was beyond my powers to make Halloween fall on a Monday this year
Have Broom, Will Fly

Unusual means of Transportation

Posted on October 21, 2013 by nancywalker

Here is Absolute Veritable PROOF that we do indeed have witches right here in River City! Look very carefully and you will see what I mean. Is that a good parking job? or a careless blunder?

and Talk about Parking Jobs!

almost invisible beauty

Posted on October 14, 2013 by nancywalker

Gym Floors and Recording Studio Floors ~

the Order and the Chaos in this almost Invisible Beauty is so obvious and so taken for granted it is almost invisible to our consciousness ~

a little idea

Posted on October 7, 2013 by nancywalker

I knit

and I make shawl pins made out of porcelain and copper. So I am part of an ENORMOUS Knitting community … and ….my goodness,

if every knitter got the same bee under under their bonnet, we could move the earth!

There is a great website where we all meet called Ravelry. Knitters from around the globe post their projects and join groups, share ideas and information, it’s really quite amazing. Over the years I have listed 21 projects, I just uploaded a few more today. It’s easy to procrastinate, and I’ll get to that. The idea is to photograph one’s project as it progresses and it helps to have a few images of the finished piece so other knitters can see what a particular pattern might look in a different yarn etc…. But I don’t like photographing myself in these knitted wear, so I crop the

photos of me them off at the neck, which I don’t really like either ….. what to do?? … What to do????

Well today I came up with a solution that pleases me greatly!

~ May I present Matilda ~

I made this mask as a stage piece in my stage/costume designing days for the

Robert Minden Ensemble

Delight of Absurdism

Posted on September 30, 2013 by nancywalker

Out on a Sunday walk, going my usual route, I noticed this long chalk arrow pointing Left to the road into the woods. It is one of the 2 roads near the “Why Not” sign (see last week’s post). So, this week I took the road into the cool woods as the arrow suggested, I was curious.

I carried on wondering if there would be another arrow pointing left at the end of this road. … Maybe it was directing some folks to a party or something?

There Was another arrow! So I took that route, following Arrow #2.

This was a short jaunt up the hill then one could go either right or left.

Would there be another arrow?

Yes! there would be and it was another left turn.. Where is this thing taking me? It’s Got to be some gathering, maybe a birthday party? So this road I am about to debark on is a long one and if I took it, I would be making a big long loop home, so off I go looking for one more arrow that would be pointing into someone’s driveway. But there was nothing … and when I came to the end of This road, sure enough … Another Left turn arrow!

So now my curiosity is on fire. Surely there will be something these arrows are guiding me to! I take the sharp Left turn, which is still on the route circling towards home. Again on the look out for and end to this treasure hunt, what the treasure would be I had no idea, but I thought Surely there had to be one. At the end of this road would be an answer. A right turn Arrow would continue the game, but another Left hand arrow would mean something entirely different. Follow me here.

It’s a Left turn!!!

It’s another Left turn!!!

Which means …. that this series of arrows just takes one around one big long circle. 5 Left turns that repeats on and on and on. There is no party, no gathering, no … Nothing! Just a journey in itself. It made me laugh to myself, it was absurd and it surprised and delighted me. In a way, I found that I was actually relieved that it had no purpose other than itself.
I had been Looped!

Why Not

Posted on September 23, 2013 by nancywalker

I was out for a walk on one of the last beautiful sunny crisp days of summer and I was quickly approaching a fork in the road where I could see a sign in a curious shape nailed to a tree.

Before I was close enough to read the sign I had to make a decision whether to take the road through the shady cool woods or to take the open sunny road.

I chose the sunny route

Ya … Why Not

Visual Surprise

Posted on September 16, 2013 by nancywalker

I was just walking down to my car after a lovely sunny ferry ride to my studio when I just happen to look down to see this. I can’t imagine the BC Ferries folks having the whimsy and sense of play to be the authors of this. Who ever painted this, it’s a gem!

It’s a positive sign that says- Smoke Here, or maybe …it could be read as … ‘Drop your lit cigarettes here’

A Few Things that Caught my Eye

Posted on September 9, 2013 by nancywalker

These are some things that caught my eye this week while I was out and about..

Fall colors are coming! I was out on a walk near the shore with my friend and we came upon this little opening in the woods. All the colours were So Vivid but this green on this moss was just off the charts!

And who isn’t completely charmed when you encounter a little leaf just hovering in mid air, like magic … Can you see it? It’s that very green leaf in the middle of the rust coloured cedar foliage, It is really just dangling right in front of me, swaying in the breeze. Sure, we know the mechanics of it, that it has been caught on a fine spider strand but the chances of that strand catching that little leaf as it floated by ….. Pretty slim I’d say. Pretty magic, even in the scientific department..

And then there are the endless circles around this city, all sizes and colours. They do catch my eye and I think they are just so … Neat! This blue one reminded me of the Chinese IChing hexagram: In tai chi, we refer to it as Peng meaning Ward Off. It is one of the most basic energies, many others follow from Peng.

And for something completely different ~ As my daughter and I were knitting at a picnic table, she looked down and saw this Dragon at our feet!
See? You just never know what you’ll encounter around the next corner.

Graffiti on a Sunday Walk

Posted on September 9, 2013 by nancywalker

Ok, to see one set of these neon lines kind of makes sense, but 4? I always wonder what they mean, I know they are crystal clear to the city worker that put them there…

This got me thinking about Graffiti and the beauty in there intentional city markings

A little Hall Table fun

Posted on September 2, 2013 by nancywalker

Last Fall we had this little visual conversation going on our front hall table. Each one of us would add, move or remove something on a whim, It lasted about a month, here is a little taste of our Hall Table Conversation

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Life Boats

Posted on August 28, 2013 by nancywalker

These are 2 pieces from my series ‘Life Boats’ were in a group show down at the Pendulum Gallery. It was their premiere showing.

I have been working on this series for almost 3 years now, making 3-4 Life Boats a year. The concept has been growing and morphing. It feels like it might be time for us to be building Life Boats at the same time we are trying to save our planet.. These are not hopeless pieces, they are the coming together of inter species minds and hearts, they are acknowledging the fact that we are all connected and share one home planet, they beg the question; who are we waiting for to help us?

Simple Pleasure

Posted on August 19, 2013 by nancywalker

I don’t know why or rather I simply wonder about myself… But I have been enjoying, really enjoying, this simple piece of crumpled paper. It is something one, including me, would and did easily dismiss as something to be recycled, in fact it was lying on the floor under a table on the way to the recycling bin. But I hesitated each time I walked by it, slowly coming to terms with the fact that I was falling in love with the beautiful folds and rhythms and swirls of this humbled bit of packing paper.
So I leave these images for you to decide. Do you see the beauty in it, does it draw you in as it did me?

A Quiet Walk Home

Posted on August 5, 2013 by nancywalker

There is always so much to see, and it’s new every time. So many stories

Now what is this dot for?

And who might this be? Who drew it?

What’s this half circle all about!?

How many bees on this little piece id lavender heaven?
I never tire of it all ~

Talking Pin Giveaway Today!!!

Posted on August 2, 2013 by nancywalker

Talking Pin Big Giveaway!!! Today TALKING SHEEP She says “Knit Me”
Go to Susan B Anderson’s Blog Now to Enter. Good Luck!
http://susanbanderson.blogspot.ca/

Pictograms

Posted on July 28, 2013 by nancywalker

> I went in a beach side walk on Hornby Island. It’s a rocky shoreline full of the most unusual sandstone sculpture forms, some places were flat, other places it was like standing inside art sculpture. It’s clear that all this stone was once liquid swirling and moving and then just stopped, and now the water and waves are working on it.

> I had seen a few pictograms years ago with my daughter. But this time I saw a lot. Fish, fish gaining on another fish, a bird with her egg, people.

: image2

: image3

: image4

nancywalkerstudio.com

Big Giveaway coming up

Posted on July 25, 2013 by nancywalker

Big Giveaway coming this week! Go to Susan B Anderson’s blog to enter

http://susanbanderson.blogspot.ca

Win my brand new Talking Sheep Pin. You can see what it loos like here- Etsy.com/shop/talkingclay

Talking Sheep says ~ Knit Me

nancywalkerstudio.com

Modern Art

Posted on July 22, 2013 by nancywalker

I walk among great pieces as if in a famous museum…. Where am I? Walking home through the back ally in my neighborhood where I see this great piece on someone’s garage doors.

Nancy Walker Studio

Ideas in Clay

Author Archives: nancywalker

Unlikely Connections

I’m out for a walk

Context ~

Caught in the Act!

Gathering Bowl

Shadows ~ a light that is not

Road Cracks and Marks

Modeling

Canada’s Ice Cap seen from a weather baloon

Textures and Text

Points of Views

Inspiration

Oh and …. BOO!

Early Halloween Observations

Unusual means of Transportation

almost invisible beauty

a little idea

Delight of Absurdism

Why Not

Visual Surprise

A Few Things that Caught my Eye

Graffiti on a Sunday Walk

A little Hall Table fun

Life Boats

Simple Pleasure

A Quiet Walk Home

Talking Pin Giveaway Today!!!

Talking Pin Big Giveaway!!! Today TALKING SHEEP She says “Knit Me”
Go to Susan B Anderson’s Blog Now to Enter. Good Luck!
http://susanbanderson.blogspot.ca/

Pictograms

Big Giveaway coming up

Modern Art

Talking Pin Big Giveaway!!! Today TALKING SHEEP She says “Knit Me” Go to Susan B Anderson’s Blog Now to Enter. Good Luck! http://susanbanderson.blogspot.ca/

Talking Pin Big Giveaway!!! Today TALKING SHEEP She says “Knit Me”
Go to Susan B Anderson’s Blog Now to Enter. Good Luck!
http://susanbanderson.blogspot.ca/