Bird Series

Coffee and ink on antique ledger pages.

Growing up in East Tennessee I spent much of my childhood (and adulthood for that matter) in the woods hunting and enjoying nature. (Yes, I hunt, it is in my opinion the most ethical way in which to eat meat. I eat venison everyday. It’s the breakfast of champions) From these experiences I have come to find meaning in the simplest of things, and most significant in my art, birds. For example, when I received my first gun as a kid I was told not to kill any mockingbirds or song birds. However, I was told to specifically target blue jays as they destroy other bird’s nests. So from an early age I began to see meaning and significance in these animals that I spent so much time with. The importance of songbirds as beautiful creatures to be protected has been the dominant theme of this aviary series.