The wild just beyond the window glass captivates me. The closeness of their wilderness makes birds both blend in and stand out; they call us to lift our eyes to the sky from our earthly confinement. In the moment of simply noticing the untamed birds who dwell beside us, we are graced—we are chosen ones, we have had an experience. Icons are traditionally forms of veneration and mediums of instruction. They make us aware that we are in the presence of something greater. Acting as the church bells and icons of centuries ago, birds are our windows upward. They shake us from our routine and invite us to that place of reflection. Birds are our contemporary icons. My work investigates the hagiography of avian beings. It rejoices in the tremendous connection to nature, gifted to us by their presence, and the delight brought by the simple act of noticing birds.
