Nancy Susan Nelson Gordon

Where It All Began

At the age three I daydreamed of making enormous pots and being a potter someday. I would sit on the banks of a 100,000 acre lake and fashion the clay I pulled from the banks into small clay objects.

There was a store in our hometown in the 1960's when I was young, called World Bazaar. I frequented it with my mother. I became interested in the blue and white large Japanese porcelain vases I saw, as well as other pottery.

When I was in grade school my older sister acquired two Japanese pen pals through a school program. I enjoyed looking at the foreign hand writing as well as the gifts they sent my sister. 

We moved into a Japanese style home in my teens. The home was equipped with sliding panels throughout the house, a few Japanese gardens and two komainu loin dogs guarded the front entrance. 

My older sister went one to major in foreign language studies specializing in Japanese and frequented Japan annually bringing us back all sorts of foods and snacks. 

I went on to study ceramics until I moved out west. Ceramics went on a 35 year hold as I raised my family. 

I was fully reunited to ceramics after after I entered KCAI. When I heard that KCAI had an Asian studies program too, I was quick to sign up.

I'm drawn to the master crafted porcelain pottery in Japan,   I've also been drawn to the beautiful writing that looks more like artwork than a language. I would like to incorporate it into my ceramics. I have always wanted to study under a master potter in Japan, maybe someday I can. I know now that pottery is only a small part of Japans culture. If I learn all I can about Japan, it's language and its culture I'll be able to communicate better with others. Someday I would like to take some trips with my sister to Japan with all I've learned in Japanese class.