Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Buried Treasure- Nest Love

Buried Treasure is the brain child of Seth Apter of The Altered Page. He's called for artist to dig deep and find a post that they wanted to repost. Lucky for me he also said that you could post more than one!

I've been head over heels for nests for a few years now. They're amazing artworks which defy all the rules. Some a big and messy, others dainty and so delicate you wonder how they work at all. A bird can build a nest without damaging the environment it does it in. That's more than I can say for most humans. The love affair with nests actually started with a concept that hit me one day. For me, nests have come to represent society and my first ICE collage series "Society is a Nest"  was born. My theory is that a well constructed nest will support the birds (people) and will be a place of love, hope, security and warmth. A badly contsructed nest will fail the birds. Baby birds will neglected and struggle to fly high enough to reach their full potential. The 'nest' is of course our home, our communities, schools, churches and governments. I came to this conclusion after watching a movie called "Out of the Blue" which is amount a mass murder that took place in NZ. The gunman was David Grey and although what he did was horrendous I also thought that society had let him down. People knew that David Grey was mentally unwell yet failed to helped. He was able to arm himself and spend a long time obsessed with weponary and warfare of all kinds. What if someone had helped? If that nest had been built stronger? I am not suggesting that the community he took out his rage on deserved what happened but I do think that this attack was preventable and not so "out of the blue."
So that's where it started and since then I've explored them in many ways, their structure, their beauty, shapes and visual appeal.  They truly are a creation of beauty and it's sheer joy for me when I find one or add another to my collection.

 I've photographed them...

Above photo is from a post called "I'm in nest loving heaven" posted October 17 2008.
The photo below is a different nest and was posted towards the end of 2009.  It's a dodgy photo because I was shooting blind, perched litteraly up a tree, holding my camera strap in my teeth and holding the body of my camera over the nest- completely unable to see the inside of the nest! I was so excited I was trembling! The skinny little branch was too...

Turned photos into collage images...

Above image was originally posted in a post titled "portrait of a nest" in Jan 2009.These nests featured quite a lot in my 2009 ICE series. One of the collages I used the photo in is below. It was titled " Breeding birds"


Layered collages like nests...
This nest type layering really appeals to me!

Added them to AB pages...

One of my earlier attempts at Altered Books. I remember being pretty chuffed with this when I did this almost exactly a year ago. I feel like I've come a long way since then:)

Made lino cuts of nests to create more imagery for collage...

Woven them...

These were created in 2007. Seeing them again now makes me want to go and create a new one! I think the reason I stopped was because they had no purpose, I made them and they sat around my house. Maybe I need to start making assembleges or to start attending markets.....

I've even tried making a dye from a nest and adding bits of nest to handmade paper.


 and using the contents of a nest to make a fabric collage of sorts...


It's been a journey of joy and discovery for me and I am sure there are yet more way to explore nests, the concept of "Society is a Nest" and of course more nests to find!

The last words belong to NZ poet Ruth Dallas who wrote this poem about...nests! Of course!

Winter hedge

How like shells they are, these deserted rain-bleached nests
half filled with small black leaves;
the green leaves that summer- long sang like waves
have left the now as shells on sand
are left for anyone to find.

To lift them from the tangled boughs
of theses deep sleeping hawthorn trees
would be like taking shells away
from all that gives them colour-
sea, sun and sand.

How sad they seem
and faded when you take them home.
Marvellously as they are made
with moulded earth and moss inlaid
with woven bark and straws and
warm with thistle-down
half their charm- even when the trees are bare
is in them being where they are.

29 comments:

Leslie Avon Miller said...

Love your nests Lisa! Thursday comes for me tomorrow - I'll be posting a buried treasure then. Love the new look of your blog!

Unknown said...

WOW!! I love this post. Such great photos. Thanks for reposting some that I missed first time round, especially your tree climbing ones. I'm about to do my own Buried treasure post, so thanks for inspiring me with yours this morning.

Caroline Gill said...

I thought this was a truly inspirational post. I love the way you incorporate a natural phenomenon [the bird's nest] and tie it into society and into art in a way that challenges, pushes boundaries - without being too full on in its message.

I really hope you find some way of developing this work - through a market or through further avenues. I shall continue to watch this space!

Greetings from Wales, UK.

Anonymous said...

I smiled at the part where you describe how you took the photo of the nest - not knowing what was inside... I still have a simular photo of a simular nest - made in a simular way!!! The "surprise" when you look at the pic.. I still remember! I didn't use the photo though... seing what you did with it, I might! Thanks for the inspiration!

MrCachet said...

Great post! I really enjoy your collage work with old sheet music and your photos.

Caterina Giglio said...

gorgeous work as always! rich in texture, media and nature! wonderful!!

Unknown said...

Love the linocuts!

Mick said...

Thanks for the backdate, Lisa. There's a few images that I don't recall having seen, the baby birds for example. :)

Caroline Gill said...

P.S. forgot to say how much I enjoyed the poem. Do you know the work, I wonder, of a fav. Anglo-Welsh poet of mine, Edward Thomas [wonderful bird poems etc.]?

Kim Mailhot said...

What beautiful treasures your nest and all its inspred permutations are ! Very cool stuff. Thansk for sharing your beautiful art with us again.

Penny said...

Great post, I love your nests too, and am watching one full of babies now.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

These nests are amazing. I was impressed by your photograph of the nest you shot blind. It made a very wonderful digital piece which you were able to capitalize on. Very lovely post of some memorable art. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

great pages, love them! and those lino cuts are wonderful.

Monica

Lani Gerity said...

Oh my, I love this post! Hmmm, now to study the rest of your posts! So glad Seth has these treasure hunts!

Gillian McMurray said...

Love the fact you were hanging out of a tree to get that birdie shot. What we'll do for our art - LOL. Your lino prints are wonderful too.

ArtPropelled said...

Love this post! Everything in it, just wonderful!

Lise said...

I love your work on nests ... like a case study ! Really well done ! :-)

Sharmon Davidson said...

Very nice post! Nests are fascinating, and I love your analogy with nests and society. It's clear you have a real love for them; all the nest-y things you've made are wonderful! I'm particularly attracted to the linocut.

Deborah said...

Lovely post and photos.

Jessica said...

i love nests, too, and i really like these ideas. Also, your lino-cut is very nice!

Shane Pollard said...

How lovely to find your blog.
A truly inspiring and thought provoking post.

We all try to create our warm, safe, secure and nurturing nests in our own way.
There is always more to learn about our nest's structure and how we can strengthen it as we continue our journey.

Beanie Mouse said...

OH WOW!!! I LOVE THIS BLOG!! Thank you for visiting me, and I hope you maybe start leaving pretty things for people to find??

deborah from collagewhirl said...

Nests have been intriguing me lately-- really enjoyed this post about all the different ways you have incorporated nests into your work.

Thanks for visiting me!

Tracey said...

I love the way you work what you see in the physical world into your art.

Plus I have a thing for birds!

Andrea C said...

this is amazing how you created with so many different styles, very interesting artwork x

Jill Zaheer said...

What an amazing post. Your nest focus is so inspirational and just love the concept you've included about society being a nest and your reference to layered collages being like nests. I am so blessed to have one of your gorgeous nest works of art from our 2009 art exchange. You are so talented and amazing!! Thanks so much for these posts, Just beautiful

Beverley Baird said...

I love how you incorporated nests into so many different artforms! Loved the linocuts especially.

Anonymous said...

i am LOVING your new blog look! how fun! and i just lovelovelove the fact that you picked this post for your buried treasure. i loved this post!

you are such an amazing inspiration, sweet lady!

Svetlana said...

I'm quite often on your blog and admire your work.