Sunday, January 22, 2012

Feathers

The Feathers series is inspired by my appreciation of the inherently profound beauty of a bird's plumage. These found & gifted feathers are part of my small collection that I have on display, in vintage vases & on shelves in my antique cabinets at home. Plumes in my collection come from my travels north, east & west, found along trails in the forests or in dunes along the shore of the ocean. Some were even discovered in the backyard of my childhood home while gifted feathers come to me from friends who live near & far. 

Various birds & their plumages, historically, have been valued for their utilitarian, cultural & religious uses throughout the world. Eagle & hawk feathers have immense spiritual value to the Native Indian tribes as religious objects, while the bald eagle & the turkey serve as cultural icons to the United States. Ancient Egyptians chose the hawk as their sacred mythological icon because of its swift flight across the sky.