Tag Archives: collage with rice paper

An Exultation of Larks!

birds in flight, rice paper and candy wrapper foil

birds in flight, rice paper and candy wrapper foil

A riot of colour

A riot of colour

Noon sun- birds meet theirshadows

Noon sun – birds meet their shadows

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a few of my favourites

a few of my favourites

late afternoon sun shadows

late afternoon sun shadows

A simple mobile. I like watching the birds move.

A simple mobile. I like watching the birds move.

birds in blue bowl in snow

birds in blue bowl in snow

I wanted to try the birds outside, but it was pretty windy, so tried this sheltered tree

I wanted to try the birds outside, but it was pretty windy, so tried this sheltered tree

“Are they really larks, mum?” asked one of my daughters. “No, they are just birds, but I love the phrase “exultation of larks”!  (I also like “a labour of moles” and “a parliament of owls”.)

Apparently, some people think the correct phrase is a “exaltation of larks”.

Although both words mean extreme joy or happiness, exAltation also means to raise up, lift or promote to a higher place or position. ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from Latin exsultare, frequentative of exsilire ‘leap up,’ from ex- ‘out, upward’ + salire ‘to leap.’

I enjoy creating these birds. I am also having great fun playing with them – how can I arrange them to give them that sense of flight, of leaping into the air, of exultation?  I have posted some more photos  of these little birds in the Gallery entitled “Recent Work.”

My garden is blooming!!

Okay, so it's a PAPER garden!!

Okay, so it’s a PAPER garden!!

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Close up of flowers, Missy in the background dreaming horse dreams of luscious green grass!!

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a bird's eye view of my garden in bloom!

a bird’s eye view of my garden in bloom!

Some birds see the flowers and fly over!

Some birds see the flowers and fly over!

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Deep greens and blues are the colours I choose. (Birds love Gramma Alice’s Nova Scotia plate- me, too)

IMG_0025I have been having lots of fun creating my own paper garden, along with birds of all colours. Every garden needs some birds. Mostly I am using Japanese rice paper, along with some other papers. What I especially love is the way the light shines through this beautiful paper allowing us to enjoy the various textures. I love how it looks when paper is layered and one colour shines through another. Many of these birds also have candy wrapper shiny bits which the camera is not picking up. Hey, these are GLAM birds! (Plus, I think I need to clean my camera lens – see that blotch!!)

What to do with these birds and flowers? Hang them in my window? Create mobiles? Put them on lampshades? I am not sure. For the moment, I feel utterly happy playing with all this colour and fashioning flowers and birds. Spring is beginning to bloom in my heart, even as I enjoy some fantastic cross country skis.