HOME
During this past year, the pandemic has infiltrated our lives and changed the landscape of our everyday movements and surroundings forever. As I spent most of last year in my home, I felt fortunate that I live in a house surrounded by trees and nature of all kinds. As my routines slowed down during the year, I began to pause to take in small details about my home environment more than I ever had before. Out my window I focused on the lime green moss on the oak trees, the lemon tree bursting of fruit, the cutting garden full of roses, the budding of my magnolias and dogwoods, and primarily the songbirds that entertained me daily. I’d wake in the morning to their chatter and watched them as they flirt and fight around the bird feeders. I marveled at their freedom to come and go as they pleased, whereas I felt isolated from my community. This gave me pause to think about my home, what that means, and how our home is uniquely ours.
Turning the structure over your head from a house into a home is essential for a healthy foundation for security, family, affection, and memories. No matter if your home is a house, an apartment, or a tent under the freeway, we use whatever resources we have, to make it distinctly our own. Using vintage birdcages for this project, I collected tree branches, and flowers from my yard to create unique homes for illustrated birds that in real life, became my friendly community. Being confined either by choice or by design, the birds are a metaphor for how I felt at times over this past year and a half. I was surrounded by natural splendor but had not fully appreciated the joy that came from the beauty, colors, and music surrounding my home.
Wherever you are, you make it your home.
For this series I have used the alternative processes Cyanotype over Platinum Palladium printing. There is a limited series of 5 each printed at 6” x 6”.