Phalarope in process
I seem to be making a series of feather shadowboxes with the theme of reflection. There’s the real thing, the real bird—and then there is its reflection. Like shadows, I tend to pay less attention to reflections but when I do, it’s a whole different and interesting world. Then what I see is formed by the real bird and the little disturbances happening in its environment. It’s a story of wind and water and movement. It’s like my thought process, another kind of reflecting—it depends on the state of my mind—the recent disturbances that affect what I’m thinking. Anyway, it is fun to play around with this in my art.
When finished and mounted, this piece will be entitled "Two Phalaropes." Phalaropes are birds that swim in tight circles twisting the water below them into a funnel that sucks small edible creatures up toward their eager beaks. The materials are two large Capercaillie tail feathers.