I am fascinated by nests,

fascinated by the process of gathering bits of the world

to create a space,

intricate and protected,

in which new life can be incubated, nurtured, taught to fly.

Our human form, physical and emotional, resembles a nest. 

What are we but bits of mud and fibers,

gathered over time, carefully layered,

as we continually take shape in the world?

And how is it that we create a space for new life to be born within us?

What makes it possible for us to cultivate new perspectives?

How do we piece together a shelter for the imaginative, 

experimental, vulnerable

to develop slowly deep within us?

It is a skill we must learn and practice, 

again and again, 

in every season of life.

The materials used for a nest depend on the bird and the environment.

Each nest referenced in this series belongs to a particular bird who builds primarily with mud.

Swallow. Red Ovenbird. Apostlebird.

Each nest can easily take a month for a pair of birds to build.

Similarly, each work in this series is made of clay slip and paper, 

built up piece by piece, layer by layer.

All while I was asking myself, 

If we create this sacred space, what surfaces and resurfaces?