Wabi Sabi Birds
Guittard baking chocolate wrapper
Chinese takeout rice container
Stained glass kit box
Beauty from Adversity
At first I wanted to call these Problem Children, but I realize that may not appeal to some. Besides, while they presented problems in the making, it wasn’t their fault, really. The issue lay in the meeting of materials, and that discovery is a large part of why I make these birds. They embody the journey, with the struggles and triumphs along the way.
Most of the outer coverings on these birds were frustrating to work with - they curled and buckled when the adhesive was wet and then shrunk or cracked when they dried. Some of them have thin plastic coatings that resisted the adhesive. Others were brittle or were decorated with inks that reacted with the adhesive or bled into each other. These birds made it through a difficult phase and have distinctive beauty born of the expression of their materials and their struggle with the process I put them through. In my eyes, they are just as worthy as others. They represent what I learned as I made them and persevere in my efforts to show value in ephemeral or overlooked materials.
All are sealed to stabilize and strengthen the finish. I hope you love them as much as I do.
This bird has an outer covering from takeout rice containers; body made from reused cardboard and postcards; legs made from reused wire from a deconstructed sculpture.
Wabi Sabi Bird! The plastic coating on the paper (peeled off of the original cardstock paper) keeps the outer papers from lying flat on each other, so this bird has a less refined and somewhat more fragile surface finish than most of my other birds. I still love it for its cheerful colors and strong graphic quality.
Included in LVA/Kentucky Opera Songbird exhibition through February. If sold, delivery will be after February 26.
Recycled bird with outer covering of labels from Gordon’s gin and Fever Tree tonic labels and metallic wrapping tissue with lime produce stickers on ear coverts; bird body made from reclaimed materials (cardboard, postcards, packing newsprint); legs made from reclaimed wire from reclaimed wire from spiral notebook spines.
I was originally planning to make this into a pair - one gin, one tonic - but all the labels ended up on one bird. Mixology!
Also - Wabi Sabi! Foil papers do not play well with others. The end result is quite fun and dramatic, but some of the edges on this beauty took a beating to adhere. The final sealant stabilized the surface, but close scrutiny will reveal some cracks in the foil and curled edges.
This bird has an outer covering of paper from a Guittard Bittersweet Chocolate wrapper; body of reused cardboard and postcards; legs made from wire reclaimed from a spiral notebook spine.
Wabi Sabi! This paper rejected the adhesive like crazy, and when I added pressure to try to keep it in place as it dried, the color on the surface rubbed off and then the paper cracked as it shrank. But I love this color and the fluid script in the logo. The fact the the biggest crack disrupted the word “bittersweet” was just an added bonus. So be it. The final sealant makes the surface more durable, despite loose edges.