Birds

My birds are made on a wire frame, wrapped with wool and twine over fabric remnants. I choose birds which are familiar to me and often species which need a bit of profle raising, especially if their populations are in decline. Sadly this is most birds nowadays, with habit loss being one of the main issues for birds. There are many simple things that can be done to support bird life. Planting bird friendly gardens is one of them. Birdlife Australia is a fantastic resource for more on birds.

Gang Gang Cockatoo

​Gang gangs are the quieter ones when it comes to cockatoos. Often seen on the Surfcoast passively working their way around any flowering gum. Alarmingly the species however is set to be listed as endangered having suffered a massive drop since the Black summer fires. Luckily the Otways population is comparatively stable. They’re on our watch now.

Emu Wren

Fairy Wren

Latham's Snipe

Kookaburra

Hooded Plover

Forest Raven

Eastern Spinebill

Rufous Bristlebird

Ground Parrot

Shearwater

Spotted Pardalote

Butcher Bird

Tawny Frogmouth

Spotted Pardalote

Eastern Spinebill

Rufous Bristlebird

Blue Winged Parrot

Scarlet Robin

My birds are made on a wire frame, wrapped with wool and twine over fabric remnants.
Thats the short description, the process though starts with selecting a particular bird to make, studying it, sketching it and choosing materials that best suit its character and colouring. Birds that are on the conservation list as endangered are a favourite, as there is an opportunity then to link with raising awareness of a species in decline.
A perecentage of any sale of a bird allows me to make a donation to Birdlife Australia to support their work.
I am grateful to the Californian based artist Bryant Holsenbeck for introducing me to this method of making birds in one of her inspirational workshops. Her techniques are related to random weave basketry, which for me have evolved over time as I refine my skills into a style of my own.

Making a Hooded Plover

These birds are considered 'vulnerable', so it was a special moment being able to observe a pair bobbing and pecking on the shoreline. 
An internet search for hooded plover images,  provided further opportunity for study and sketching their shapes, proportions and colouring.
Suitable fabrics were decided on; a white linen for the chest and some eco dyed fabric for the wings. 
This one made the grade to be featured on a greetings card.

Text for the back of the card, tells the story​
The tide is out, but the waves are still rough on the ocean side of the point. A pair of hoodies bob and peck, foraging the crevices for newly exposed tiny morsels. Edging ever nearer to the sea as a wave recedes, fluttering on as the next wave crashes in. Just beyond the shoreline an imperceptible dip in the sand, adorned with just a few strands, cradles three speckled eggs. Nearby, but not too near, sits their guardian, a ‘Friends of the Hooded Plover’ volunteer. www.savethehoodie.com.au