Lady Birds

These are my Lady Bird plaques. These were created in an attempt to represent aspects of human/albeit female nature of one vein or another. The Cassowary (on the right) has been sculpted on a pregnant torso and this fits as the Cassowary is renown for leaving her egg with the male and promptly heading out to find a new mate, with whom she will leave that egg with as well. The budgerigar (on the left) is a comment about the perfect little "pet" of a girl. This budgie resides, a bit ackwardly, on the body of a very lean female torso and she is a pretty little thing.
I am curious what others see in these figures. I have had people love them, feel moved by them, positively and even be disturbed by them. How do they make you feel?

The Budgerigar Lady Bird plaque handpainted in vibrant colors:

What is your story?

What are your fears?

What are your secrets?

With the Lady Birds I hope to reveal women from every angle.

Cute, innocent, angry, abused, motherly, abandoned, friend, respected, forgotten.

Which bird tells your story?

Birds of a Feather

My love affair with birds goes back as far as I can remember, well, maybe not quite that far. Anyone who has met me knows before too long that birds and I are pretty inseparable. I don't mean physical birds, like pets, as I do not have any right now. I mean the presence of birds in my mind and in my work. I possess quite a few bird-themed items, however, I am particular about exactly what kinds of bird work appeals to me. For one, I care that a bird is labeled correctly. For the record, the term "seagulls" is not accurate. Look them up in any bird identification book and these birds will be found under "gulls". There is a distinct difference between crows and ravens, no, we do not have Blue Jays on the West Coast (unless they are really, really, really lost). We proudly boast Steller's Jays and Scrub Jays. And my biggest soap-box topic is that birds are protected. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 more than 800 birds on this continent are protected, meaning they are illegal to possess in whole or in part. This includes feathers, birds found from natural death, nests that are still in a tree or building, etc. I had this conversation with a woman earlier today, she wanted to know if crows were protected, yes, were gulls protected, yes... yes... yes... yes... Game birds are exceptions when permits and other laws are abided by, also is collection for research purposes or rehabilitation (all of these for which there are special permits). If you find an injured bird please contact a rehabilitation center. A couple of local organizations include Willamette Wildlife Rehabilitation and the Cascades Raptor Center.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox, for now...

My point was to introduce some bird work that I did more than ten years ago (as proof that my bird infatuation now is not a phase, and will not pass quickly. *grin*)

Fischer's Love Bird - 1999

pastel

From a photo I took at the Fort Worth Zoo

Scarlet Macaw - 1999

graphite

Nymphicus hollandicus: Cockatiel -2000

graphite

Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo - 1999

watercolor pencils

Barred Owl - 1999

watercolor

(Before I knew it was a barred owl, and before I knew how to tell barreds apart from spotted owls)