Birds have interested me since I was a kid – their shapes, movements, feathers, behaviors, adaptations and delicate bones all fascinate me. 

I pay particular attention to birds’ intangible qualities in my work.  To explore these qualities, I've been using wire as a 3-dimensional line to 'draw' their outlines and build body mass.  The pieces are installed in a way that the wire drawing casts several more 'shadow lines' on the wall.  These pieces capture the birds in a clear, quiet way, describing their shapes, while remaining vulnerable to air movement and directional light.  

I make most of my work with re-purposed materials.  This piece is no exception.  I've worked this way long before it was cool. It has, however, always been important to me that the previous life of the material isn't necessarily evident.  The materials transcend their previous lives.

Working with re-purposed materials like this requires a lot of problem solving – my favorite part of making art.  Practicing problem solving in art pieces gets the mind working, thinking and open to solutions not before considered. If I can think about an 'art problem' in new ways, then I not only build skills for the art studio, but I train my mind to think in a problem solving mode. 'Practicing problem solving' is the key phrase for my art making.

How does this piece fit into the Invasive Species theme?  When I started this piece, my goal was to install 200 birds.  That became less important as the installation plan took form.  140 birds seemed enough for the viewer to take in.  I didn’t want it to be overwhelming to see.  The farther viewers had to stand back, the less details they could take in.  The farther we get from the outdoors, the less we realize our impact on nature.