The bird as a symbol has appeared in other works in this series. Like a young girl, birds are fragile. Their footing can seem tenuous. And, as in folk tales and stories, the bird can be a messenger and guide. I placed this bird in the branches with the girl and then partially hid her through subtle coloring. . Like messages themselves: sometimes hidden. But present if you are quiet. And patient. And open.
TBT – Fledgling: It’s Time to…
I remember sitting on the porch on a vacation in Maine, watching birds on a wire across the street. Their simple shape, so easily identifiable. And I envisioned this art quilt all at once at that moment. What if someone other than a bird was on the wire? What kind of story would that tell? Since beginning my artmaking with printing techniques and fabric collage in 2010, I have incorporated an image of a little girl in various pieces. I am emotionally travelling her journey. And I have also printed birds. Here, they come together. I transferred the photographic image of the nest onto fabric and did a lot of detailed stitching to enhance its texture. But, in the space around the girl there is little detail. She is out there on her own. Are the birds observers? Messengers?
It’s time to fly, little girl.
Imagining the In-Between Stages
On every journey, there are in-between-stages…
Two books I just finished reading dealt with young people who are in-between, drifting, looking for meaning and the next step. I am drawn to the feeling of being unsettled. Something is changing. Circumstances are new. There are myriad possible answers to the question, “What happens next?” Have you felt this way? I have. As a child I did not like for things to be unsettled. The experience is the source of a recent work “Neither Here nor There.”
I like this girl. I find myself wondering about her—where she has been, what she is feeling. I want the loose drawing style to let her speak to many possible stages. She is not one particular girl. She is the heart of all girls’ journeys. Including the stages in-between.
(See this work on my web site HERE )