Bird Work - Paintings & Drawings 1999 - 2001
In 1996 I found 29 skeletons of birds who had, years ago, flown into a chimney and died in the old cook stove of my parent's abandoned home. The discovery of these beautiful creatures along with personal losses have compelled me to investigate the brief and precarious nature of time.
The bones have a memory, beautiful and mysterious, powerful yet fragile and vulnerable. Searching for the essence of the bird, I painted, drew and photographed these creatures. I saw each life as a worthwhile thing, and its death worthy of our respect. These are works in and of themselves but served as source material for further work as the project developed. This imagery allowed me to explore my strong fascination with unexpected disaster.