Molly's Tea Collection

                            Molly's Tea w/Lilacs

    Molly's Tea: 1

                            Molly's Tea: 2

with more to come...

Still Life Collection

                           Blanket Chest

    Succulent

                             Vase w/Feathers

& more is coming...

Paradise Collection

    Surf Boards

    Hammocks

                     Shells


more on the way...

Vintage Collection

    Sundance Aqua

    Sundance Blue

                            Sundance Vintage

Collages: Purple/Pink/Blue

In Purple

 In Pink

In Blue

Collage Collection

 I started making collages in the spring of 2009.  I wish I could say that my inspiration to do so originated from a sheer creative burst of energy but that wasn't the case.  I started collaging because I had a dilemma: I was collecting & I was simply out of room. period.  My 4 years of saving 3 subscriptions to my favorite home decor magazines was up.  They had filled every nook of my corner space, they took over my bedside bookshelf & had over run (in/under & atop) my bedside table.  Something had to give.       

As I sifted through each stack, reviewing every magazine, I realized that the bulk of the book wasn't what I was interested in or wanted.  What inspired me was printed on, at most, 10 pages, the rest were advertisements.  I could work with 10 pages per copy, better yet I could save up to 10 pages per book!  So I emptied 2 ringed binders, opened a box of clear sleeves & began my tear sheets.  Some of the time I didn't even keep the whole page, I just tore out the smaller image & slipped it in the sleeve.  That was when I saw the collages take form, the clutter disappear, the space open up & my new creative adventure set in motion.

I sort each tear sheet by color, and as I create a collage color is what dictates the mood, color is the energy of each piece.  Since home decor magazines were what I collected all my collages have that as the theme: the dream home, the cabin home, the cottage home, the downtown home, the garden home, the farm home, the craftsman home, the town home. your home. my home.  Lighting set the spirit: bright & cheerful or deep & dark.  Personal objects set the soul: antiques, artwork, books, photos, collections, plants, persians or rag rugs, quilts or duvets...or none of the above!  Which ever is your style it tells your story.

I love my home here in the city of New York yet I often dream of what my true space would look like (if I had a studio or a cabin of my own) and because of my arts&crafts~meets~western spirit I know it would evoke a wilder, creative..."compendium of curiosity" style!

I am woodsy & warm.  I am a field of wildflowers.  I am mountains & pines.  I am open to the desert hills & as fluid as the sea.  I like texture & contrast, curves & organic shapes. I prefer pottery over crystal, white walls over dark colors.  I toss exotic handwoven pillows & throws over leather club chairs, and tuck adirondack twig tables in lonely corners.  I am rustic chic, not uptown chi`chi...yet sometimes i like it all!  That's the beauty of these dream homes in these collages, you can share in the fantasy & enjoy each one & have it all!

Green Watering Cans

Green Pillows

Espresso

Ode to The Noisy Plume

Cabinet L'Orange

Bicycle

Tea Blue Collection

so much more coming...

Tea Collection

I started my first blog (tea & a little photography) only 2 years ago. at the time, none of my friends or coworkers were blogging.  quite frankly, i had never even heard of blogspot until one night, in January of 2009,  after my husband & i left a movie theater.  we walked into our local bookstore & on the front feature table was displayed a book, titled The Daily Coyote.  having read the first chapter voraciously, i was smitten with this remarkable story & the author's photography!  my husband gladly made the purchase & we walked home hand in hand.  what's this got to do with tea you ask???  long story short, the book lead to the website, the website lead to the readers, which lead to their comments, all of which grabbed me & changed my world!  i saw some very talented writers & artists, this one in particular, that kept me entranced with their stories, their art, their ups & sometimes their downs.  and so, i felt compelled to participate!

my story took shape in the desire to just create a simple photo journal.  my plan was to post a photo every week.  my blog was created out of a desire to inspire my heart creatively & rest my soul photographically with a signature passion of mine...tea!         i love tea. i enjoy selecting, collecting, displaying, preparing, brewing, sipping & tasting tea! oh yes i do. i find it so refreshing. it quenches my thirst & picks me up or calms me down when i need it to.  don't get me wrong, i DO have a cup of jo (hot & on ice) now & again...but tea is me!

Tea Series:

Canton was inspired by my desire to photograph the color blue which was, at the time,  pretty challenging for me. my home decor features an Arts&Crafts color palette w/shades of green, orange,  brown & black!  but, i did have a small collection of Canton china that my mother-in-law had given us (which i didn't quite appreciate until now...it didn't suit my style like Roseville or McCoy!)  once we found a lovely glass cabinet to store it in i was able to display it properly & simply make it work!  and it does!  bit by bit my "blue collection" grew.  next came a GORGEOUS table runner i found on Etsy, handmade in Amsterdam by Dana, & a teacup/saucer from Anthropology! and so, one of my all time favorite photographs came together out my love of tea & the color blue.

Lily of the Valley was shot one morning in May when i had received a bouquet as a gift.  i was thinking of creating a photo for my mother's june birthday & the color green came to mind.  green was easy as i already had a small collection of Arthur Wood teapots to use.  i'm thrilled with how this shot turned out.  it is up close & personal.  the decal patterns on the teapot are beautiful but here you can only see a touch of it @ the top of the pot...in a slow blue, gold drip...the movement in that drip keeps pulling your eye in.  it's that simple yet powerful detail that i love!

Blackbird was taken one cold, grey morning when i needed a mood lifter.  i was in the mood to shoot but since i only do so in natural light, overcast days are such a drag.  i had just discovered a local artist here, Stepanka, in nyc & the ceramic mugs she had made arrived & it was time to celebrate!  i purposefully placed the cake in the background, almost hiding it, while i played with depth of field & focus.  i really enjoy the tension created in this photo by the placement of the fork.  it's closer to the eye than the mug.  it entices you to grab hold of it & dig in!  the mug sets the mood, with it's pattern, color & whimsy, but the hidden details create a subtle story.
btw, the cake was from my local health food store & was a raw almond "faux cheesecake" topped with blueberry jam...mmmm gooood!

You can find these & more of my limited edition photography in mon petite ETSY shop now!
i will continue to make donations throughout the month of April to The American Red Cross: Japan & Pacific Tsunami, for every cartes postal postcard set purchased!
AND thank you!

                     Blue Canton Tea

    Blackbird

                      Lily of the Valley

Tapawingo Collection

Tapawingo is a very special place.
It's located in the Adirondack Mountains, which from NYC as the Vintage Volvo flies, is a 5.75 hr trip door to door.  It is a private, family residence and, until recently, had been a 3 season camp.  Camp is a term associated with craftsman styled buildings situated in remote locations, characterized by the use of logs and indigenous stone, shingled roofs with broad overhangs & large view~capturing porches. 
Tapawingo started out as a parcel of land along the shores of a beautiful mountain lake.  Over the course of 50 years it has been beautifully built, all by hand, and masterfully crafted into a magical wonderland...where mosaic tiled stones, with the words peace. be. with. you, lead to hidden rooms decorated with a victorian~meets~bohemian camp style & comfort.  Tapawingo is where my husband & I were married.  It is a place of peace and as the Native American Indians describe it is a place of joy.

***

Tapawingo: Doors

I tried to capture the unique style & magical mood of Tapawingo in my photos.  As a student of photography, a friend of mine by the name of Keith Dart, once told me that in order to make an interior shot more interesting, open a door, pull out a chair, adjust a curtain, create an angle...well, I have never forgotten that advice. In my Tapawingo photos you will see an open door, such as the one in Mac's study, introducing a view of one of the many stone footpaths winding through the the forest trees...or inviting you to step out onto a hardwood deck while the morning sun glistens through the webbing of antique snow shoes hung in the window...or catch a glimpse of a solitary chair sitting at an angle in the corner of the room.  Herein lies the spirit of Tapawingo.

                      The Door is Open

                      Snow Shoes

                      Chair in the Corner

in my Etsy shop now...

for a limited time only...
& please note that i will continue to make donations to The American Red Cross: Japan Earthquake & Pacific Tsunami for every card set sold throughout the month of April! 
 thank you for your support!

Cheval Collection

Koele Stables

Saddle Blanket

Appaloosa*Moon


Cheval Series:
I love horses.
I love spotted horses & especially, i love the painted ones.
the first two photos were taken while visiting The Koele Stables on the island of Lanai.  the deep rusty, red dirt of Lanai was as annoying as it was beautiful.  It got in & on everything...forget wearing white... making it a challenge to pull out anything but the point&shoot camera.  After I saw these spotted beauties I just had to take their shots with my digital slr.  I immediately focused on the horses & saw a connection in their dotted beauty to that of the mottled terrain in the distance.  Smooth, dark, glistening horse hair against the saddle/fence post tans caught my eye, but it's the angle and the color of the patterned blanket that make the statement in the 2nd shot.  The final photo is the one I chose for my banner & Etsy shop.  This horse was at the stables in New River Cove, Belize. It's the photo I fell in love with from the beginning.  It's the one I couldn't get out of my mind when I struggled with a shop name: nancymckayphotography, nMcphotos, nmckayphotographs...those are the most logical business names for me, right?
but no...and so, this is my Appaloosa*Moon.

This set/3 photos is a series of Cartes Postales Postcards available in my
 ETSY shop now, for a limited time only...& please note that i will be making donations to The American Red Cross: Japan Earthquake & Pacific Tsunami for every card set sold!  thank you for your support!

New Beginnings!

Greetings everyone!

I'm so excited to share my new blog space with you & to officially announce that I have opened an ETSY shop!!! It's just the start, a simple new beginning, featuring my collection of Cartes Postales/Postcards! I have selected specific photos from my body of work that represent me for a limited time only...in all my photographic moods...and reproduced them into postcard sets! They are beautifully printed on premium paper & each comes with a mailing envelope should you choose to enclose them.

I would also like to mention that it gives me great pleasure to participate in the relief effort for the people of Japan. I am committed to donating $1.00 to 

The American Red Cross: Japanese Relief   for every Cartes Postales/Postcard set you purchase! If you care to give & can, please visit me & make a difference! If you care to give & you can't, please visit & leave your written gift of love right here...it won't go unnoticed! I will be adding new sets continually, so keep visiting! Thank you!

APPALOOSA*MOON

Photos

On Sale Now!