Swimming to the Sound of that Song - from Nancy Bell Scott

[Marie Wintzer]

Nancy has been spoiling (in a good way) my mailbox quite a bit last week. First with this ink drawing on thick paper of my favorite swimming aquatic creatures :-)) People tend to see all kinds of things in those drawings of hers, including things that are not in the dictionary. I have always seen them as aquatic creatures, but all of a sudden it stroke me that they look very much like neurons, those drawings done from the microscope by scientists a hundred years ago (see below, there are better examples but I couldn't find them). So elegant!

Next came a fantastic transparent envelope that looked so perfectly arranged that I first didn't dare opening it.

But the envelope did reveal its Deluxe content. Those who are are acquainted with Nancy's page know that bookcovers can be pieces of art in their own right. And this one certainly is. It's just wonderful to hold a page from a vintage book in your hands, feel the texture, and know that a lot of other hands have done so in the past.

The "neurons" were also part of the trip, quite an elaborate version of them with touches of gold and petrol blue, drawn on a dictionary page. I haven't figured out what kind of dictionary it is, it seems to bring together several languages in the world of music and singing (as an echo to the title on the book cover?).

The envelope also contained a very sweet note on one of Nancy's hand painted papers, with one of her favorite quotes:
"Strange, that some of us, with quick alternate vision, 
see beyond our infatuations, and even while we rave on the heights, 
behold the wide plain where our persistent self pauses and awaits us."
(George Eliot)

This is quite a difficult quote for me to interpret. Keeping our feet grounded when our head is way above the clouds? Maybe you native english speakers can help me out here...
Regardless, this is a fantastic package and card from Nancy, showing once again all her artistic talent, and given with such generosity. Lucky me! Thank you Nancy...

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Almost missed this blog,gets buried quickly, very nice pics, Marie, of Nancy's amazing "strings"! 

Just letting the ink flow is so fascinating...all that can be read into such imagery! Beautiful, Nancy!

[Nancy Bell Scott]

That was the very first one! Now whole villages (or "schools") get involved. Apparently. This makes me miss the simplicity ...

[Marie Wintzer]

Thank you R, DVS, CP-SA, NBS, SW, Dw. 

@#$re9r8s are far from extinction. In fact, they are reproducing. A few months ago they were only 2. And they were kissing:

[De Villo Sloan]

They are bunny neurons. A bunny has a very fast metabolism.

[Svenja Wahl]

I love Nancys work, the "stringy creatures", like DVS said, are great, and in this case they really seem to dance (or fight?)... And the book cover looks amazing. Greatgreatgreat... :-))

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Neurons! Amazing. Both comparisons/labels--neurons and @#$re9r8 (!)--have me thinking. Thanks, and thank you, Marie, for your well-presented blog. Such a gift you have.

[cheryl penn]

Great blog :-) - FAB work - I nearly didn't see it. Those old neuron drawings are very interesting. Especially the way they have managed to make them almost 3-d.  Careful Cullings. With Nancy's thoughtful documentation of these @#$re9r8 at least we can enjoy them before extinction :-) X

[De Villo Sloan]

I like this direction Nancy has taken with the stringy creatures. I also like how you see neurons, CB. Could we have circled back to that interesting idea of bio-poetry?

[PIRO]

WOW, what a treat....