I will make pots

ombligo

the centre

la centre 

the dance

the flame

the corpse

those who are left behind 

the light

la luz

lumiere

                                                sunrise, daylight

morning, motion

movement, turning

the world

keeps turning

                                                magic

                       continues

time unfolds

the moon

the stars

the night sky

quiet

  

                         shadows cast as the

sun

sets

                         dramatic colors as the day

unwinds

cools down

  

descent of sun

rise of moon

                        nocturne

                         creatures are about

birds sleep

owls and bats

keep each other company

The seasons are changing again

Nostalgia is all about

The stars are brighter

Colors sharper

I’m hungry

J’ai fiaim

Tengo hambre

No se por qué

Don’t know anything

The world keeps stopping

                                          I only notice at the pauses

In between

love continues

fire

feu

feugo

                                                    sharpness

                                        brightness

                              separation

                                           of vapour and container

pots

I dream                            of pots

                              of clay

                                           of earth

                                                      of glass

                                                                           of holding

I dream of holding

                                                                  I am hungry

                                                           for holding

                                                                    my arms long

                                                            for holding

I will make pots

the joy of stepping

moss, stones, mud, ruts, water, branches in the way; not so much walking here - rather stepping
so carefully
at a pace to accommodate the path's intrinsic nature
the view becomes close, the volatile nature of earth and plants become obvious; the nose delights in spring
friends lead the way
they are part of the stepping, part of the land here
the volatile nature of enthusiasm becomes contagious
in the wildness we slow down; we accommodate ourselves

we slow down
begin to see, begin to smell, begin to feel
landscape
differently

begin to see, begin to smell, begin to feel
ourselves
differently

an arm
holding branches

a leg

stepping over trunks 

feet 

jumping puddles and brooks

words heard

words lost in the trail

the comfort of being with friends

with guides

details

wonder

delight

the enjoyment of 

a shared nature

to be carried home

and beyond

traces

softness

shadows are soft at certain times of days
at certain times of certain years


songs are soft when love comes calling


when love comes calling
songs are soft and smooth and strong


sentimental journeys sometimes
take me just where I want to go
sentimental journeys can be
soft and strong and slow


light and line
love and song
shadows sometimes take me there

weeds in winter

weeds in the dead of winter remind of another time
days of growth 
of competition for view
of riots of color


of bare feet
tangled life 
everywhere around


the earth so full
of invitation to play


and now only testament to that vitality
but such graphic line
such tribute to space
and sky


fit for quiet meditation
for song
for light

fallen wings

a fallen or torn off wing
we give advice like this - here this will help -
but how is one supposed to fly with that; pray tell ?

when we look at the details of the wing
the construction
the study of the connection
to what it once belonged
the flight that once was
we can remember flying too

we can hold the vision
together
and see each other once again in flight

stones

like stones , washed and tossed

we walked the shoreline

sun,

     shade,

            wind,

                      trees

we gathered stones

laughing,

           and sighing

world silent

              waking to us there

in spring

we walked thru shadows

of storms to come

like stones, washed and tossed

we walked

             and melted away

                                               days

we waited for sunshine

caught in wind

          and dark company of clouds

snow,

      then rain

we sat

        like

stones

washing away

in the mist

we walked and talked

                                             sitting

we walked up to the veil

slim

sheer

fabric of dream,

of life,

of lost relatives

                        of seas

                              never crossed in this imagining

we washed ourselves away

like stones

             washed by sea

and storm

                 tossed

to the edge of something real

and pure

we walked in the giant

roar of surf

              of stones

                       tossed, chattering back

down slopes

waves retreated

                in foamy stealth

apologizing,

           denying the next wave coming,

crashing

              against the

                             shoreline

we walked

gathering stones

                  tossed in storm surf,

the shoreline here

               the storms

                         from far away

we gathered stones

keepers of secrets

living,       

        silent

we wished

for their stony,      

                 secret         

                      stillness

in pockets

      in hands

              on shelves

                      in drawers

and shoes

we learned the weight of

stones

the stillness of

stones

stolen from

the rocky shoreline

               sparkling wet

at

high tide

                            stones

Jay on CTV

CTV interview of Jay "in our back yard" on "Live at Five"

Blink and the world changes

It does seem to be the case that we blink and the world has changed by the time we open our eyes - the world has dramatic shifts that we are given notice about on a regular basis: earthquakes, floods, famine, war ...

A friend once told me that what seemed to be a dramatic change in my life, was instead, the next logical step. It had been coming slowly and surely, similar to a child learning to walk. The other end of a person's life had been coming, and "suddenly" she was bed ridden.

The person was my mom, and my friend had acquired the wisdom through her own similar experience years earlier.

Seems to be a human trait to keep going, and to allow ourselves only to see what will allow us to do the work we feel we need to do. Everyone is different , and so probably I am only speaking for myself.

It seems the only way I can do the work in front of me is to do just that and only that. There is no way in language to describe what I am trying to say, and what I am trying to say changes all the time.

People speak of singing their own song, doing the dance, being empty, being enlightened.

While we are singing, dancing, emptying, attaining enlightenment, change keeps happening. "Try not to judge the changes" some say.

People, infrastructure, material goods, abundance, all come and go.  What is a good way for this to happen? What is a bad way for this to happen?

How many factors are involved? How can we make things better? How can I make things better?

HOW CAN WE SEE WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING?

HOW CAN   I    SEE WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING?

Is everything perfect? Does everything suck big time?

We can really get going in loops ... try not to think, use your mind, use your imagination, listen, think, open your eyes, use your ears ...

Ah, so what is it indeed to be human? to be you? to be me? to suffer loss with enormous changes? to continue to live? to suffer? to be content or happy beyond enormous loss?

I have on occasion, for no known reason, at times when I felt tremendous stress and sorrow, for moments felt a sensation of great inner peace. At other times it was as if a pair of hands were held against my shoulder blades in a most comforting manner.

It has been my experience to see some physical and emotional changes happen while practicing healing with energy. More questions than answers again. 

So what I guess I am trying to help myself deal with is how I see and feel these tremendous shifts in the world, and with the suffering I feel in the world. I have been sitting with it a lot over the years, and I have been changing, growing older, coming to ground.

More questions than answers.

But I think of those hands on my shoulders. I think of my friends. I think of their friends. I think of friends all the way out, and all the ancestors, down to the last microbe.

I wonder, and I have less pain. I hope that my wondering helps somehow; that a pause in belief can open vision, can open those figurative gateways to a way of less suffering for more than me.

Where to find my art

links for more info:

my home studio, Little Brook, NS

Swoon Fine Art, Halifax, NS

Northern Sun, Mahone Bay, NS

The Flight of Fancy, Bear River, NS

La Bella Mona Lisa Gallery, St. Joseph du Moine, NS Cabot Trail

Bluefin Pottery, Digby, NS

"Just Browsing", 33 Government Wharf Rd, Eastern Passage, NS (not linked)

Cafe Aberdeen, Moncton, NB

When push comes to shove

There are times in my life (most of my life really) when I have no idea why I am doing what I am doing and this does indeed seem to be one of them.
I don't feel left out, left behind, ignored or under rated; so why have I started a blog?
Well, only time may tell, and then again, I may never know.


But the good thing is that life is good right now.
Galleries are asking for my art, and I have art for them.




A CTV crew of three showed up yesterday to do a feature called "in our back yard" for "Live at 5" to be aired on the 14th of March.


They were professional, friendly, and worked like a real team; consulting each other throughout the process.
A wonderful friend had referred them to me.
It was fun. I am hopeful that life can be more like this - cooperative and fun.

It does seem that we are linked in so many ways to so many people that we can never be sure what started where.
Best to try to be open and love life.


Sounds corny, but seems it's the only thing that works for me, so I'm OK with corny...

All I know is I got up from a nap and it seemed like time to start a blog, so here goes !


I will be attempting to say what is new as far as projects go, current news of where my art can be found, and some links to some great people and their projects .....


for now, the link to my site
Jay's art