Description

This is the third design in my Backyard Bird series of paper sculptures with outside dimensions of approximately 14″ x 14″ x 2″ for wall display in your home or office.

In this layout I’m as interested in celebrating paper in the little bird as I am in the support it perches on. Look closely and you will see the curled flap projecting outward from the square it is cut from. I completed drawings and tested patterns to create an illusion of depth without being too deep to frame easily. The final result enhances the overall illusion of depth by adding more overlap and shadow effects. My attention was also drawn to the spaces left open. These “negative” spaces are a powerful layout tool especially when contrast is strong. Dramatic effects increase with contrast and I enjoyed the strength of these elements and how they interacted.

As for the nuthatch itself, I wanted to put on display its deliberate movements while forging. They are very confident and abrupt as they position themselves in upright and even inverted directions. These constant participants at our kitchen window feeder station provide a duisplay that I have enjoyed for decades. Their antics and calls provide a welcome backdrop in many areas of Ontario where I have spent my life hiking, camping, canoeing and photographing the landscape.

I should add that this piece won a prestigious Medal of Excellence at the Artists for Conservation show (Vancouver, British Columbia) in 2023.

Act now! There are only two left in this hand made edition of seven.