Friday, August 5, 2011

les oiseaux




i.
i discovered that the reason a female canyon towhee had been giving me the stink-eye whenever i sat on the new, plush cushions of my back porch to enjoy my morning-time was a fresh nest she'd built inside of the wall sconce just above my head. i suddenly thought of all the times i'd flicked the light on at night, and hoped the mini-towhees weren't over-heating.




ii.
i started thinking about birds differently the summer of 2006, when i was working at shidoni bronze foundry in the village of tesuque, new mexico. a baby bird flew into the big room where i was working, and after hours of trying to coax it out, it remained. the next morning i arrived early, and found it on the ground just outside of the studio doors, flat on it's back.
it was one of the most beautiful things i've seen.
i pulled out some clay, and sculpted it on the spot. now it's cast in bronze and aluminum.
i continued to sketch, etch and sculpt bird-like figures, wondering why i had such a sudden attraction.




iii.
i asked my mama-in-law to read my animal "totem" during one of her visits, using the medicine cards, which are based on a collected knowledge and symbolism of the animal kingdom. "each person has nine power or totem animals that...emulate each person's abilities, talents, and challenges." of the nine cards that i pulled for my complete "totem", four were birds:
crow= keeper of sacred law
raven= bringer of magic
eagle= ability to live in the realm of spirit
blue heron= self-reflection

-Cameron: Santa Fe, NM

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