13th Steet Studio

Bad Bird

Still making items for the Bizarre...

Here is one of several Bad Birds:

Tactile Fluency (a lotta birds for a lotta days)

I have three pieces in the "Tactile Fluency" exhibit at the World Trade Center in St. Louis. Susan Lumsden, the Rebel Quilter, was the driving force behind putting this exhibit together for the Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma members of SAQA. Susan has put a blog online with some pictures from the exhibit here. I've been stalling a bit on writing this post, hoping that a picture of my work would be added to the blog, but what the heck... I'm not getting anything new done these days, so here are some pictures of Paisley Bird Banners #2, #3 and #4.

A bird a day: ninety-eight (Songbird)

My piece for the Lawrence Percolator Dime Bag Show did not sell...but like I said, it was a bit less than fabulous. However, I was able to support the event with a purchase. I bought "Songbird" by Lora Jost. This beautiful bird is pieced out of bits of broken china and pottery from the Social Services Thrift Store. It is about 14 inches square, and definitely fabulous!

A bird a day: Ninety-seven (Loony)

So, it is not really a bird a day these days...but a bird here, a bird there. Anyway, here is one of my quilts that is in Kansas Art Quilters' current traveling exhibit "My World". This quilt was inspired by a friend of mine who once told me that if you could housebreak them, the best pet for companionship is a duck. (Much to my husband's dismay, I have long harbored a desire to have ducks and chickens and a place in the country... and he has been successful in blocking that move...not so successful in owning a bird-free house in town, though.) I named this quilt "Loony", and that is a pretty good description of My World. The artist's statement for "Loony" is:
For entertainment, I watch birds.
For companionship, I own birds.
For escape, I imagine being able to fly.

A bird a day: Ninety-six

One of my favorite artists is Rob Ryan. To quote his book blurb on Amazon-"Artful, eye-catching and full of heart, renowned screen printer and artist Rob Ryan's papercuts have graced book covers, album covers, and the fashion collections of Paul Smith." He sells some of his prints at his Etsy store here.
The most recent image on his blog almost made me cry...

A Bird A Day: Ninety-five (Paisley Bird Banner #1)

August 8th is the opening of the Lawrence Art Guild's newest show at 1109 Gallery. The theme is "Animals and Nature", and it is a fund raiser for the local humane society. For more information, click here. I put the remaining "Uncommon Birds" in this show, along with this Paisley Bird Banner:

A bird a day: Ninety-four

Did I tell you that I have work up in the local food co-op? No? And the local library, and the arts center? It has been a busy summer for me, full of opportunities to exhibit my quilts around town. I've even sold a couple of pieces, which is always nice. Unfortunately, I seem to be unable to remember to photograph stuff before it goes out the door! Case in point... here is a photo of the work in the food co-op, taken over the heads of a group of people trying to have a meeting:

These quilts come down Friday, though, so you'll have to hurry to see them. The ones at the library do, too. Oh well, I'll post some pictures of most of it soon, I promise.

A bird a day: Ninety-two (Bronze-Chested Fashion Hawk)

Gosh, this blog seems to have slipped into some kind of summer hibernation! Time to finish up on the Uncommon Bird Series. I have a few more in my head, but no time to work on them just now. My mom's health is requiring daily attention and I have been lucky enough to have some commission work come along...so the daily birds have been neglected. More soon, though...  Today's bird is the
Bronze-Chested Fashion Hawk
Field Identification: One of the most easily found of the raptor family, the Fashion Hawk seems to almost throw itself at observers. Identification can be confirmed by the hawk's sequined feathers and metallic highlighted chest. In rare situations where the hawk cannot be seen, it can be identified by its harsh call of "In-out-out".
Habitat and Distribution: This stunningly beautiful raptor is most commonly found in areas of dense bird population, and often near red carpet in urban settings.
Field Notes: The Bronze-Chested Fashion Hawk spends most of its day preening. There is some concern that the Fashion Hawk's habit of becoming distracted by reflective surfaces to the exclusion of all other activities will cause a drop in Fashion Hawk numbers. But so far, there is no evidence of any population decrease.

A bird a day: Ninety-one (Blue-eyed Shore Shadow)

This bird is the fifth in my Uncommon Bird series...
The Blue-eyed Shore Shadow
Field Identification: As expected, this bird is reported to have blue eyes and dark plumage, although clear observations of this bird are rare.
Habitat and Distribution: This bird is most often found in wetlands and shallow shore lines. Large groups of Shore Shadows congregate just beyond the easily visible distance and nearly always in front of a rising or setting sun.
Field Notes: Limited field work on Shore Shadows has been recorded due to the birds uncanny ability to constantly move just out of the limits of observation.

A bird a day: Ninety (Sharp-billed Recluse)

Here is another resident in my Uncommon Birds collection:
The Sharp-billed Recluse
Field Identification: Very little is known about this elusive bird. Reports of habits and plumage color are inconsistent and contradictory. Observers tend to report sightings that are questionable at best, and generally label any missed glimpse of a bird as a Recluse.
Habitat and Distribution: The preferred habitat for this bird is anywhere it can not be seen. As such, distribution remains a matter of debate.
Field Notes: None available at this time.