Flight of Taxus
wood/cloth/metal/stone/found objects
60" x 60" x 48"

For weeks five unassembled bird bodies got pushed around my work bench as I finished up commissions and a dog. I was not sure what I was going to do with this small flock of birds.

After coming across a Calder mobile I thought about creating something with them, something that moved and 'flew' in the air. Once the birds were completed, I started doing sketches and got a rough idea of how a mobile might work.

It's all about the balance, as I soon learned. I made the mistake of assembling everything, before I added additions to the birds. Every time I added a small detail, I had to counter the added weight somewhere else in the piece. The addition of the two rocks threw everything out of balance but I love their shape and contrast.

It all came together, and when it is hanging, the flying birds have an amazing ability to feel like the 'real' thing.