Mixed media acrylic and antique algebra textbook pages on 8”x 8” x 1.5” canvas.

My friend Melinda Hardin wrote a book and one of my favorite quotes in it is: “I’m a bird with a wide wingspan and I love to fly free, but I also need a nest.” Look up and buy her book. She is an inspiration to many and a strong woman! http://www.melindamhardin.com/

After reading her book I felt like we had just sat down and had a long talk over breakfast (ha, Mel, biscuits!) even though we haven’t seen each other in person for a few years. The quote resonated with my soul and it is like I needed to read those words that I have had in my own head for so long. This work and The Bird Cage came from reading her book.

Birds in cages rely on someone else - a human - for food, staying safe inside, entertainment and companionship… and it has no nest. In nature, birds are wild and free, but they must find their own food and companionship. And while they are free to fly, they run a risk of getting captured or even devoured. The two parallels so much of what humans go through in our souls. Also birds are mathematical geniuses, so I used an antique algebra textbook to create depth in the nest and leaves and as the cage.