In The Zone

I’ve been “in a zone” these past two weeks. Something – perhaps receiving final thesis approval – has loosened whatever has been lodged deep within me, causing ripples to shake me from the state I’ve been in for months now. It seems like ideas have been pouring out of me quicker than I have time to channel them.

I live for times like these.

While I have not entirely abandoned my work with ornithology specimens, I’ve begun to focus once more on migratory patterns. I suppose this has a bit to do with contemplating my own possible upcoming migration to some unknown location. I obsessed with migration patterns at the end of my MA degree as well, though I did not make this realization until recently.

Sometimes I’m not quite sure which is more applicable “Where ever you go, there you are” (Bob Dylan) or “Those who are earnestly lost are lost, and lost again” (Leonard Cohen).  I’d like to think it’s a little of each. Without the search for something – anything – my work would be rather empty.

Below are a few recent pieces, all of which have evolved from earlier minimal migration pieces and the work I created for the 4×4: Miniature Masterpieces show. I began to address the gulf oil spill for the first time in the “4×4″ work and I wanted to make some pieces about the devastation of the spill while maintaining an ambiguous composition which allows for a multitude of interpretations.

I’ve begun to expand on this idea this week by creating a rather large work (36″x46”) which approximately replicates a star chart with migrating geese in the place of stars… I’m enjoying the creation of the work a great deal, despite how time-consuming it has become. I’ll post some images of the large work, called “Charting a Course,” once I’ve made a little more progress.