Travelling to South Africa to see friends, I came to experience a fabulous little yellow bird who was industriously weaving the most beautifully crafted round home. Aptly named the weaver bird, my friends told me of the male bird’s quest during mating season to construct the most inviting home to attract a potential mate. Once completed, the male invites a potential partner over. My friends told me some ladies, if they don’t like what they see, destroy the nest and he has to start all over again ! The beauty and humor in nature is all around us!
By its very nature, the idea of a nest brings one to consider the gathering of branches, leaves and grasses, layered and woven in a repetitive nature into a marvelous and precious structure. A protective home to hold all the preciousness of life.
The gathering instinct is quite strong for me, as too is the draw towards repetitive work and an eye for the inherent beauty of nature.
Coming from a painter’s background, anodized aluminum initially enticed me with its color, but it was the properties of malleability, sustainability and being lightweight that won me over in the design process.