Who knew fat cats would be so fun to make. I even want to make them fatter
What do you think … In or Out
Fat Cats
2
Tag Archives: whimsey
Fortune Bowl
Image
Imaginaries
I’ve been busy in my clay studio making Imaginaries. They are little fine porcelain creatures that come right out from my imagination straight into being
Some are always ready to catch a ball or
ready to run and greet you at the door after your long day
Some are peaceful
(that little guy in the background is one of those always ready to chase a bird or is he just watching some one climbing a tree?)
They are little Connectors.
Each one has a story to tell. I quietly listen and search as they take shape and form through my fingers and understandings. They don’t leave my hands until I feel a connection with them, until I have found their story. This interaction assures the possibility of someone else making a connection and hearing a story too, of their own making.
That’s the plan anyway.
It might even be a small story like this one ~
“and … I’m just wondering if you you might perchance have a yummy delicious little sweet for me in your pocket? I do so love persimmons.”
See what I mean? They are always chatting me up.
Taking a Leap
Sometimes you just have to Leap
to land in a new place
Three Stops for Enchantment
So, I am driving along looking for a 2 hour free parking spot down town. This requires a lot of quick focus if you are alone. But something caught my eye.
Do I continue on with my parking drama? or do I stop for a better look?
I stop
because I need a closer look at this.
Clearly it is a fairy house, you can see her resting over to the left near her fire truck and her silver car. See her pink wings? Such a tidy little home she has.
* * *
So, I am walking along my sometimes usual path to shop for supper when I notice this ~
I’ve seen this tree trunk many many times, but this time I saw it … upside down
and I could see exactly what was missing
* * *
So, I am walking along a city block looking at all the amazing magnolia blossoms that are getting really serious about the coming Spring
and I wonder
will this bird be back?
Bits & Bites
Every had a scattered week? Well that was me this week, lots going on. And it is wet here in Vancouver. We don’t have to shovel but the endless grey takes it’s own toll.
Maybe some one just HAD it with their kids playing inside for days on end … I hate to think
… this was by the trash bin in the alley
as I mentioned, it’s been raining ….. lots
spotted by Bettina Matzkuhn on her bike ride home
but work I must, I am going to make some more of these guys, They will focus me
Pineapple Express
This is what Vancouver looks like in the rain…
Pots of flowering umbrellas by the doorway of every shop
Leaves and houses go all Bright & Shiny
and all the colours go deeper, clearer
then, Suddenly, it can go all foggy and blurry
and of course there are Puddles …
you can feel like a grown up and avoid them
or not
It goes like this ~
First there’s a mound of well kneaded clay.
and some tools. Then a little form begins to emerge. Who is there?
four legs and a body is a start.
Twisted horns are requested.
Ears and a Tail … I’m being bossed around.
a quick look out at the blue foggy late afternoon sky
This one is so proud of its horns it prances about …. but wait …. something isn’t quite right. What is it this time? A what? Really?!
A beard ~ I never would have guessed
Very Dapper!
A Journey
~ and into the New Year we go ~
A Collection of Silly
These caught my eye out there in the real world
funny place to put the serving spoon eh!?
this frosting job looks like a cartoon character.
I did a double take on this one
Would you go here?!?
look closer …
I see, screaming green apple
waiting at a bus stop, I felt like I missed my ride!
Five Confessions
I am glad I do not live in Buffalo NY … but I think it would be Amazing!
These signs make me want to hop across the street like a cartoon in this frozen position
This looked like a dead man to me when I first saw it
Moments like these give me the shivers
I am grossed out and amused at the very same time
Signs from Here
doughnut & hole
James Dean was Here
Image
a little moment
It all happened so fast
The sun was in the right place, it was the right season, it was a clear morning
and an open curtain, it was the right placement of the bowl …
and I was lucky enough to witness this little light show
~ the end ~
a Sunday Bike Ride
First I saw a coyote as I headed down to the water
It was a breezy sunny day ~ so clear
Vancouver has gone gaga for Bike lanes
I appreciate them now …..
Everyone was out with their favourite mode of travel
People from all over the world full ~ so festive & colourful
The bike path cuts right by people eating fish and chips 
I made my deliveries, more Owls
and had to feast my eyes in my favourite shop
I can’t keep away
~ and this is for Lu ~
After such a long ride, I treated myself to a yummy coffee ice cream and watched the boats come and go. A sea gull came swooping down and stole someone’s sandwich right out of her hand near by, I know what that feels like!
Fresh peaches ready to go to market
and so much wild Salmon this year
I passed the huge driftwood sculptures on my way home
This old twisted log has many memories, I see a whale’s eye … it looks sad
After a long Sunday swim and stretch, he’ll be ready for work on Monday.
He will have this to remember all week
Half way up the long hill
I’m almost Home
a little owl talk
I tried to join in the conversation.
… excuse me please, I just want to…..
if I could just say a word ….
I was just thinking that ….
maybe if ….
Oh well … they don’t need another voice
summer eve city walk
we walked along green grass on this lovely balmy evening
and came to a long strip of shops and … manholes!
Like I’ve never seen before ~
One after another
each one beautiful in it’s own way
How could I have never noticed before!?
too many to post tonight
so
come back next Monday for more!
and there IS more!
ps ~ does anyone know why All manholes are always round?
I see 5
The saddest first.
This stopped me in my tracks as I was walking over to a weekend farmer’s market.
a thousand fallen cranes
a tree eye ~ lizard and elephant like ~ Looking right at me
morning dew
a great idea ~ lace graffiti
and who can’t fall in love with this sad spider
[chalk on concrete wall at the Trout Lake community centre]
Body Language
I was showing a friend a new piece, a Life Boat. She asked me if those were people …..
I thought she asked because she didn’t have her glasses on. But she said that
one never knows with me …
They could be animals or creatures
fair enough
It got me thinking though. Yes their faces are undefined.
I do that for a reason.
I am talking in Body Language
Gone Fishing
Gone Fishing … at least for this week
and if you are an inclined knitter or one who just wants more ….
you can go here
Laundry Day
look closely
what do you see?
Who says you can’t make a wish on Laundry Day?
Nine Little Stories
Little Story One
Why do we keep pulling up these masterpieces?
Little Story Two
This is a Mimosa Tree. So sensitive that when you touch its leaves, they fold inward …
until they get to know your touch.
Is there anything more beautiful?
Little Story Three
This little painted bird is painted on an carefully chosen antique dictionary page
Look closely, you can see the text through it’s heart.
Little Story Four
My friend who took in a rescue dog from Mexico a few years ago and Loves all animals, bought 3 of my porcelain Elephants. The little one in the middle is a rescue elephant, it can hardly stand up by itself. I can not sell it or gift it because of this. It needs to lean on another elephant for support. It went to her home, a good home and is happy and well cared for there as you can clearly see. This family of 4 was meant to be ~
Little Story Five
There was a strange halo around the sun yesterday
I felt like I was in a science fiction novel
Little Story Six
This was at my door the other morning
I would like a calling card like that ~
Little Story Seven
I used to get in trouble over and over and over again for drawing on my wall paper.
I would have liked to live where she lives.
Little and Last Story Nine
Don’t we All need hope?
StoryBook
This piece is off to a new home!
It is called StoryBook or Story Teller
It had been part of a show I had at Placewares in Gualala, California, right on the west coast. [the ‘Gu’ in Gualala is pronounced like “Wa’ not ‘Gu’ like in guacamole] My dear friends and owners of the most Amazing Shop/Gallery Placewares are two of the most creative people I know. They Inspire me.
Long time designers (DR in Cambridge, Mass in ’70’s etc) and innovators, inventors, artists, taste makers and partners, Maynard and Lu have kindly carried and shown my work. Check out their about page and follow some of their links, I assure you, you will be Most interested in these 2! Maynard makes these wonderful visually clever, complex and warm hearted “Looking Boxes“.
StoryBook has been reluctant to leave their shop, and you can understand why, it is such a creative playful, interesting place to be!
StoryBook is part of an on going series I have been working on called Elegant Turns. This piece is made up of 5 movable sections, each part has 3 different images so when you turn them (and yes, you can) you get different combinations that make up one image*. I never had one set story in mind when I made this piece but stories kept coming up, flooding me with imagery and that guided this piece.
Now StoryBook is off to make new ever changing stories. But the stories it collected during it’s stay at Placewares will part of it be forever.
* Elegant Corpse:
It is simply one drawing, usually of a person or animal, drawn by 3 different people. Onto a piece of paper folded three times, each person draws a head on the first 1/3 of the paper and folds it back and under leaving marks where the torso should begin on the second fold. This done, each person then passes their hidden ‘heads’ to their neighbor. Then everyone draws the torso leaving marks for the legs in the last 1/3 of the paper. This is then it is passed around again and everyone draws the legs and feet. What results is a usually very amusing and somewhat curious character containing the talents of three different wits. I have transformed this 2 Dimensional matrix into a 3 Dimensional form which enable the combinations to increase geometrically.
Wisdom Tooth ~ Sweet Tooth
now these are weird …
not for the faint of heart or squeemish…
these are Creepy Cool so hang on to your hats
Here we go
a bowl full of teeth!
now don’t fret because I made them myself
from porcelain clay, I’m a potter, remember?
They are knitting stitch markers, you can use them to mark where you are in your knitting pattern, they make knitting easy and enjoyable because they tell you when you need to change your pattern, they are kind of like being on cruise control … in knitting
I was just looking to make something a little EDGY
and these are …
look closely, there is a gold cap on one of them
one could even use them as a Brooch, which someone I know does
I’m selling these in my Etsy shop (my shameless plug) and they come in this cool tin box
Wisdom Tooth is the one with the gold Tooth
Sweet Tooth are, well, 6 sweet teeth!
~ Sometimes you gotta just stir things up a bit ~
VaRooooom
Lift Off
eerrrr, not quite …..
bigger post coming tomorrow afternoon
not that this isn’t the cutest rocket I’ve ever stumbled upon!
Squirrel !!! Squirrel !!!
~ an early morning idea that begged to be ~
Caught in the Act!
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
Inspiration
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 …
Unusual means of Transportation
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!
a little idea
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
Nancy Walker Studio 