Recycled bird covered with layered found bald-faced hornet nest material and reused metallic wrapping tissue; reclaimed steel legs from deconstructed sculpture.

Like birds, bald-faced hornets build homes that echo the resources of their immediate surroundings, chewing bark from nearby trees to make their nests They build the layered walls in small strips of colored pulp that reflect the varied barks. These birds are a call to respect the intricate balance we all rely on to survive.

I collect empty nests when they are blown out of trees. The paper-like material is fragile and water repellent, making it fairly tricky to work with, but the results are so subtle and beautiful, I can't resist.