Connecting with Nature
Observing and embracing nature
To embrace nature in the local environment I sit and observe, listening and reflecting on my surroundings, looking for the ecological friends that inhabit the same space as I. The inspiration for Vanishing Birds came from one such observational experience, a family of sparrows live in a hedge by my window, they are very amusing, they fly in a group, moving around different areas, they squabble and have squawky arguments with one another, they also look out for each other, especially when the young are just starting to fledge. I wanted to respond and decided to position the work in one of the sparrow family's favourite locations, the cherry tree.
I also ask questions, ‘Is there anything I can do to care for or support this place?’, ‘How can I improve the environment of this place?’
Painting the Red Birds
During the making of the project, I experienced a range of unexpected emotions, the birds whispered to me during the creative process and spoke of their plight, the red paint process was particularly gruelling and emotional. The making of each bird invited contemplation, my hands on the clay, shaping and responding, the energy somehow supporting the cause. I wept for the birds, for all birds and their treatment at the hands of humans.
