Small Nests

Acrylic on paper, framed, image is 4 1/2" x 5"

Acrylic on paper, framed, image is 6" x 6"

Acrylic on paper, framed, image is 4 1/2" x 6"

Acrylic on paper, framed, image is 5"x 7"

Acrylic , crayon and ink on paper framed, image approx 5 1/2"x7 1/2"

These area few examples to give you a sense of the style of small nests that I do. I have many more--some very soft and abstract, others more detailed and realistic. Colors range from deep brown to light green as a general rule. Most of them are empty, but occasionally I will add a hatched egg.

A nest to me is all about hope. Everything alive in this world builds some form of nest, however spare, to birth its young. We humans have taken that one step further. We also build them in our hearts to birth our dreams.

"Winter Nest"

acrylic, metallic, on canvas, unframed, 20" x 20"

What many people don't realize is that nests continue to be used by birds and other small animals during the winter. When temperatures drop, clusters of wintering over birds have been found packed into the nests they used over the summer, or requisitioned from now absent migratory owners. This nest has been painted by the ice and snow of deep winter creating a beautiful frozen sculpture.

"Hornet Nest"

acrylic on canvas, framed, image is 30" x 30"

This is the nest of a bald faced hornet. They are the famous 'paper wasps'. Their nests are constructed from wood which they chew and use to create these amazing hives for their young. From a distance they appear a uniform gray, but when you look at them up close you can see they are striations of every color in the range from beige and cream to black and brown. Hives are just one of the millions of other worlds we share on this earth. Wouldn't it be something if we built ours as carefully?

"Leap!"

acrylic on canvas, framed, image is 30" x 30"

There comes a time in everyone's life when it is time to leave the safety of what we know. In the bird world this is never more crucial than the moment when fledglings make their first solo flight. It's the same for us isn't it? And it happens over and over, all through our lives. Circumstances change and we are called to reach down for a deep breath, spread our wings and fly...